DE 2B: Formation of Earth Guided Notes

The Formation of Earth

DE: 2B Slides for Note Taking Guide

Earth’s Layers

• The Earth is divided into three main layers:

– Crust
– Mantle
– Core

Compositional
Layers ----->

Based on Chemical properties of the layer

Multiple Choice

Which layer of Earth is located above/outside the outer core?

• crust
• inner core
• mantle

Multiple Choice

What is the top/outside layer of the Earth's surface called? 

• Mantle
• Inner Core

• Outer Core

• Crust

Multiple Choice

True or False: 
The thin shell of solid rock that covers the Earth is called the crust.

• True
• False

Formation of Earth’s Layers

• Materials with different densities separated

because of melting inside earth.
– Heavy elements sank to the center because of Earth's gravity.
The heavy elements were MORE dense!

Earth’s Core

• The central, spherical part of the Earth

below the mantle

• The core consists of two parts:

– Inner core
– Outer core

​Mechanical
Layers----->
based on the physical properties of the layer

Multiple Choice

Based on what we know about density, would we find more dense layers in the center of the Earth or less dense layers in the center of the Earth?

• More dense in the center

• Less dense in the center

Earth’s Mantle

• The layer of the Earth between the crust

and the core.

​Compositional Layer - Mantle

Mechanical Layers -
Upper Mantle - Asthenosphere

Lower Mantle - Mesosphere

Multiple Choice

Which layer is the thickest (has the most volume)?

• crust

• inner core

• mantle

• outer core

Multiple Choice

Which letter correctly identifies the area of Earth called the mantle?

• A

• B

• C

• D

Earth’s Crust

• The thin, outermost layer of the Earth

​Compositional Layer - Crust

Mechanical Layer -
Lithosphere = Crust +
Rigid Uppermost region of Mantle

Multiple Choice

Which of these diagrams is of Earth's PHYSICAL Layers?

Multiple Choice

Which of these diagrams is of Earth's COMPOSITIONAL Layers?

Earth’s Original Atmosphere

• Earth’s original atmosphere formed from

the release of gases brought to Earth by
meteorites and comets.

Earth’s Second Atmosphere

• Earth’s second atmosphere arose from

volcanic eruptions and impacts by comets.
– The composition was largely water and carbon

dioxide, sulfur, methane, and sulfuric acid.

The Impact of Life on Earth

• The presence of life dramatically changed 3.5 billion years ago

Earth’s atmosphere, adding free oxygen with the appearance of cyanobacteria (photosynthesis)

Conditions for Life to Originate and

Flourish on a Planet

• All the planets do not

have life on them.
– Earth is the only planet in

the solar system known to
have life on it.

Conditions for Life to Originate and

Flourish on a Planet

The planet should have elements like carbon, hydrogen,

nitrogen and oxygen. (These are called the building blocks of life.)

The planet should have sufficient oxygen gas in its

atmosphere required for the survival of living beings.

The planet should have water.

The temperature on planet should neither be too high

nor too low.

The planet should have a protective blanket like that

of ozone layer around it.

Earth’s Oceans

• Earth’s oceans formed shortly after the

Earth did. 4.28 billion years ago
– The oceans formed when it eventually cooled

off enough for rain to fall.

Earth’s Continents

• Continents

formed when
lighter materials
gathered on the
surface and rose
above sea level.

Multiple Choice

Based on current scientific evidence, how old is the Earth?

• 6,000 years old
• 460 million years old
• 4.56 billion years old

• 46 billion years old

Multiple Choice

If we compare the temperature and pressure of the Earth’s mantle to the core, what differences can we expect as we move downward into the Earth?

• Both the temperature and pressure increase.
• Both the temperature and pressure decrease.
• The temperature increases and the pressure decrease.
• The temperature decreases and the pressure increases.

Multiple Choice

The liquid metal portion at the center of the Earth.

• Asthenosphere
• Inner Core
• Outer Core
• Lithosphere

Multiple Choice

The lithosphere is made up of which two layers?

• Upper and Lower Mantle
• Core and Mantle
• Crust and Uppermost Mantle

Multiple Choice

Which layer is the thinnest, least dense and most brittle?

• Mantle
• Inner Core
• Crust
• Outer Core

Multiple Choice

Which layer has the coolest temperatures?

• outer core
• inner core
• mantle
• crust

Multiple Choice

Which layer has the hottest temperatures?

• inner core
• outer core
• mantle
• crust

Multiple Choice

What celestial body eventually evolved into our modern solar system?

• a nebula
• a supernova
• a quasar
• a galaxy

Multiple Choice

Smaller particles collecting together into larger and larger objects is called . . .

• accretion
• contraction
• explosion
• rotation

Multiple Choice

Where in our solar system would you expect to find a planet that is mostly made of gas (less dense than planets made of rock)?

• very close to the sun

• outside of the sun's gravitational pull

• very far from the sun

• very close to other planets

Multiple Choice

What is the word for a cloud of dust and gas in space?

• solar system

• nebula

• galaxy

• black hole

Multiple Choice

During the formation of Earth, large space rocks are attracted to each other by

• gravitational forces

• light forces

• solar eclipses

• white dwarfs

Multiple Choice

The Earth cools

• from the inside out.

• from the outside in.

Multiple Choice

Suppose an astronaut were to visit a planet where the gravity is half that of Earth.  His MASS on that planet would be ______________.

• half his Earth mass
• the same as his Earth mass
• twice his Earth mass
• zero

Multiple Choice

The process of rocky material growing in size due to repeated collisions with other space debris is called:

• Erosion
• Accretion
• Subduction
• Sedimentation

Reorder

Reorder the following images to show the steps in Earth's formation.

1

2

3

4

5

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Multiple Choice

When an unstable element like uranium turns into a more stable element like thorium, it releases energy (heat) is called:

• plate tectonics.
• erosion.
• a supernova.
• radioactive decay.

Multiple Choice

Where does Earth's internal heat come from?

• The Sun

• The pressure in the Earth

• Heat of Formation and Radioactive decay

Multiple Choice

About how old is Earth?

• 4 thousand years old

• 4.6 million years old

• 4.56 billion years old

• 406 trillion years old

Multiple Choice

Describe conditions on Earth 4.56 billion years ago:

• Frozen ball of ice

• Like Florida, a nice warm place to visit

• Sizzling temperatures with no breathable air

• Exactly like the Earth is today

Multiple Choice

After water vapor condensed to form rain and then gradually accumulated, which of the following was formed?

• Earth's First Atmosphere
• Earth's Second Atmosphere
• Earth's Oceans
• Earth's Continents

Multiple Choice

The atmosphere of the early earth had a lot of

• carbon dioxide

• nitrogen

• oxygen

• carbon dioxide and water vapor (sulfur and methane too)

Multiple Choice

There was very little __________ in the early atmosphere

• oxygen
• carbon dioxide
• water vapor
• iron

Multiple Choice

If you were to travel from the surface of the earth to the center of the earth, what is the proper descending order of layers from the surface to the center?

• Inner Core, Outer Core, Mantle, Crust

• Crust, Mantle, Outer Core, Inner Core

• Crust, Inner Core, Outer Core, Mantle

• Mantle, Inner Core, Crust, Outer Core

Multiple Choice

Fill in the blank with the correct term. Pressure and density ________________________ as you go deeper into the earth.

• Decreases

• Stays the same

• Increases

Match

Match the following events in the formation of Earth from the EARLIEST to the Most RECENT

• Gigantic Nebula (cloud of gas and dust)

• Sun formed

• Earth Formed

• Moon Formed

• Oceans and Continents Formed

1st (Earliest)

2nd

3rd

4th

5th ( Most Recent)

• 1st (Earliest)

• 2nd

• 3rd

• 4th

• 5th ( Most Recent)