Chapter 2:

The Physical World

Questions to examine…
•What causes the seasons?
•What does our planet consist of?
•What affects our climate (weather)?
•How is our Earth’s land constantly changing?
•How does the Earth’s water supply work?
Day 1 – The Earth – Sun
Relationship
 Our Star
• All life on Earth requires solar energy to
survive
Solar Energy- energy from the sun

(plants and animals require the sun’s light

and heat energy to survive)
 The Sun’s Rotation

• 24 hrs. = one complete rotation

• Rotation causes day & night
Rotation- one complete spin of Earth on its axis
(Does it look like the sun moves? Does it move?)
NO! THE EARTH MOVES!
 Revolution
Revolution- Earth’s trip around the sun
• One revolution takes 365 ¼ days – 1 year
 Tilt
• Tilted toward the sun, weather is warmer
• Tilted away from the sun, weather is
colder
• Nearer you are to the equator, the more
intense the
sunlight
 The Tropics
Tropics – regions close to the equator, hot
- experience seasons based on
rainfall, wet & dry seasons
 The Seasons
• The seasons are opposite in
December
northern/southern hemispheres in Australia
• Earth tilted away from sun = winter for us
• Earth tilted toward sun = summer
for us
Earth’s tilt causes the
changing of the seasons!
 Sun and Location
Review…..
• Earth’s tilt causes the seasons
• Earth’s shape affects the amount of
sunlight places get too
• Higher latitudes – cooler
• Lower latitudes – warmer
Day 2 – The Earth & It’s
Physical Systems
 Layers of the Earth
• Earth has layers (think onion)
• 3 main layers
– Crust (thin)
– Mantle (thick)
– Core (solid inner & liquid outer)
 Earth’s 4 Spheres
• Hydrosphere – 70% of Earth is water
• Lithosphere – 30% of Earth is land
• Atmosphere – air we breathe (gases)
• Biosphere – all living things on Earth
 Weather & Climate
“What is it like outside today?”
• Weather- Short-term changes in the air for
a given place and time

“What is it usually like outside for this time of

year?”
• Climate- a region’s average
weather conditions over a long
period
What Affects Climate? Large Bodies of
Water
• Big bodies of water
can affect
temperature because
water heats and
cools slowly –coastal
areas experience
less temperature
change
Day 3 - Climates
 What Affects Climate? Elevation
This mountain is in Africa. It is hot in Africa.
Why is there snow on top of this mountain?

Temperatures decrease with elevation

What Affects Climate? Global Winds
Prevailing winds- winds that blow in the same
direction over large areas of Earth

• Winds can make a region warmer or colder

(depending on where they come from)
What Affects Climate? Ocean Currents

• Ocean currents move

heat around the Earth
• Ocean Currents-
large streams of
surface seawater
• Ocean currents can
affect temperatures
 Mountains & Rain Shadows
• Mountains also create wet and dry areas
• One side can get a bunch of rain & leave little
for the other side.
• Rain Shadow Effect
 Climate Zones
• 6 Basic Climate Zones:
– Tropical : hot, rainy, dense jungle
– Desert : very dry, hot or cold
– Humid Temperate : changing seasons
– Cold Temperate : very short summer, cool
– High Mountain : mountain tops, cool/windy
– Polar : very cold, ice and snow
Climate Change???
• Many scientists believe climates are
changing due to human activity…
– Increase in Earth’s average temperature
– Increase in chemical pollution in air & water
– Rising ocean levels
– Erratic/violent weather evens & patterns
Global warming could threaten life on our planet
Day 4 – Forces Shaping the
Earth
 Continents
Continents- large landmasses that are part
of the Earth’s crust
 Plate Tectonics
Plate Tectonics- the theory that Earth’s
surface is divided into a dozen or so slow-
moving plates or pieces of Earth’s crust
 Earth’s Plates
• All of these plates move
• Pressure below Earth’s surface causes
plates to move a couple inches per year
 Movement of Continents
Alfred Wegener - stated that all of the
continents were once one
supercontinent - PANGEA
Over millions of years the
continents shifted to their current positions

THEORY OF CONTINENTAL DRIFT

(Other scientists told Al he was crazy…)
 Plates Collide
• Collision of plates creates different landforms
like ocean trenches & mountains

(Examples:
-Marianas Trench
-Andes Mountains
-Himalaya Mountains)
 Plates Separate
• When plates separate the gap allows
magma to reach earth’s surface
• As lava cools it builds an underwater
mountain, can create islands (Ex.: Hawaii)
 Plates Slide
Earthquakes- sudden, violent movements
of Earth’s crust
A Fault Near Indy??????
 Weathering & Erosion
Weathering- process by which rock is broken
down into smaller pieces
• Ice, roots, and heat can weather rocks

Erosion- movement of sediment from one

location to another
• Caused by glaciers, wind, water, and ice
Day 5: Earth’s Land and Water
 Landforms
Landforms- shapes on the planet’s surface
Ex. – mountains, valleys, plains, islands, etc.
 Earth’s Water Supply

• Water covers around 2/3 of the earth

• Most important resource on earth
 Salt Water
• 97% of Earth’s water is
salt water

• Salt water is unsafe to

drink

(The Great Salt Lake in

Utah is salt water,
oceans are salt water)
 Freshwater
• Freshwater- water
without salt

• Makes up 3% of
water supply
• Most freshwater is in
glaciers

• Glaciers- large areas

of slow moving ice
 More Freshwater
• Surface water- is found in Earth’s
streams, rivers, and lakes
• Water in streams, rivers, and lakes comes
from precipitation
• Precipitation- rain, snow, sleet, hail
 More Freshwater
• Most of Earth’s available fresh water is
underground
• Groundwater- water found below Earth’s
surface
(You get groundwater through a spring or well)
 The Water Cycle
• Water is the only thing on Earth that
naturally occurs as a liquid, solid, and gas
• Water cycle- movement of water from
Earth’s surface to the atmosphere and back
• Water cycle is not made or
destroyed—it only changes
form
 2. Condensation

3. Precipitation

1. Evaporation

4. Run-off
 Water Problems
• Lack of freshwater
• Polluted water
• Flooding
• Water shortages due to droughts
 Water’s Benefits
Water provides us with…
• Food
• Recreation
• Power