New York State Regents Examinations Physical Setting / Earth Science (Regents Examination) Syllabus

Physical Setting / Earth Science (Regents Examination) syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Physical Setting / Earth Science (Regents Examination) in New York State Regents Examinations, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Astronomy and the Earth in Space

   3 topics

   • Earth Motions and Time
     • Rotation, revolution, and apparent celestial motion
     • Seasons and the angle of insolation
   • The Solar System and Universe
     • Kepler's laws and elliptical orbits
     • Origin of the universe and Big Bang evidence
   • Earth-Moon-Sun System
     • Moon phases, eclipses, and tides
2. 2

   Geology: Minerals, Rocks, and Plate Tectonics

   3 topics

   • Minerals and the Rock Cycle
     • Mineral identification properties
     • Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks
   • Plate Tectonics
     • Plate boundaries and crustal movement
     • Earthquakes and seismic waves (P and S waves)
   • Earth's Interior Structure
     • Crust, mantle, and core
     • Inferred properties from seismic data
3. 3

   Surface Processes and Landscapes

   3 topics

   • Weathering and Erosion
     • Physical and chemical weathering
     • Agents of erosion and deposition
   • Deposition and Sediments
     • Factors affecting particle settling
     • Graded bedding and sorting
   • Landscape Development
     • Stream drainage patterns and stream development
4. 4

   Meteorology and the Atmosphere

   3 topics

   • Atmospheric Variables
     • Temperature, air pressure, and humidity
     • Dewpoint and relative humidity
   • Weather Systems and Patterns
     • Air masses, fronts, and station models
     • Severe weather and storm tracks
   • Climate
     • Factors affecting climate
     • Insolation and energy budget
5. 5

   Geologic History and Earth's Resources

   3 topics

   • Interpreting Geologic History
     • Relative dating and the law of superposition
     • Radioactive decay and absolute dating
   • Fossils and Index Fossils
     • Correlation of rock layers
     • Evolution recorded in the rock record
   • Water Cycle and Groundwater
     • Porosity, permeability, and infiltration
     • Water budget

Physical Setting / Earth Science (Regents Examination) flashcards for New York State Regents Examinations

20 of 53 cards from the Physical Setting / Earth Science (Regents Examination) deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the difference between a planet's rotation and its revolution?

   Rotation is the spin of a planet on its axis (causing day and night, ~24 hours for Earth); revolution is the orbit of a planet around the Sun (causing the year, ~365.25 days for Earth).

2. What is the apparent rate of motion of the Sun and stars across the sky, and why does it occur?

   15 degrees per hour (360 degrees / 24 hours). This apparent westward motion is caused by Earth's actual rotation eastward on its axis.

3. Why does Earth experience seasons?

   Earth's axis is tilted 23.5 degrees, so as Earth revolves around the Sun, the hemisphere tilted toward the Sun receives more direct (concentrated) sunlight and longer daylight, producing summer, while the opposite hemisphere has winter.

4. According to Kepler, what shape is the orbit of a planet, and where is the Sun located?

   Each planet orbits in an ellipse with the Sun at one of the two foci (not at the center).

5. How does a planet's orbital speed change as it moves around its elliptical orbit?

   A planet moves fastest at perihelion (closest to the Sun) and slowest at aphelion (farthest from the Sun); it sweeps equal areas in equal times (Kepler's Second Law).

6. What is the formula for eccentricity of an ellipse, and what does a higher value indicate?

   Eccentricity = distance between foci / length of major axis. A higher value (closer to 1) means a more flattened, elongated ellipse; a value near 0 means a nearly circular orbit.

7. List the planets of the solar system in order from the Sun.

   Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars are terrestrial/rocky; Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune are gas giants/Jovian.)

8. What evidence supports the Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe?

   The cosmic background radiation and the red shift (Doppler effect) of light from distant galaxies, showing the universe is expanding outward in all directions.

9. What is the red shift, and what does it tell us about the universe?

   The red shift is the lengthening of light's wavelength toward the red end of the spectrum from galaxies moving away from us. It indicates that distant galaxies are receding, so the universe is expanding.

10. What causes the phases of the Moon?

    The changing relative positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun, which change how much of the Moon's sunlit half is visible from Earth. The Moon takes about 29.5 days to cycle through all phases.

11. What is the difference between a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse?

    A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth (new moon), blocking the Sun. A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth passes between the Sun and Moon (full moon), casting Earth's shadow on the Moon.

12. What causes ocean tides on Earth?

    The gravitational pull of the Moon (and to a lesser extent the Sun) on Earth's oceans. Two high and two low tides occur roughly each day; spring tides (largest) occur at new/full moon and neap tides (smallest) at quarter moons.

13. What are the five characteristics used to identify minerals?

    Hardness, cleavage/fracture, color, streak, and luster (also density and crystal shape). Hardness and cleavage are generally most reliable for identification.

14. Define a mineral.

    A mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic, solid substance with a definite chemical composition and an orderly (crystalline) internal atomic arrangement.

15. Describe the three main classes of rocks and how each forms.

    Igneous rocks form from cooling and solidification of magma/lava; sedimentary rocks form from compaction and cementation of sediments (or chemical precipitation); metamorphic rocks form when existing rocks are altered by heat and pressure.

16. In the rock cycle, what processes convert sedimentary rock into metamorphic rock and igneous rock?

    Heat and pressure convert sedimentary (or any) rock into metamorphic rock; melting then solidification (cooling) converts rock into igneous rock.

17. How does cooling rate affect the texture (crystal size) of an igneous rock?

    Slow cooling (intrusive/plutonic, underground) produces large, visible crystals (coarse texture); fast cooling (extrusive/volcanic, at surface) produces small crystals or glassy texture.

18. What is the theory of plate tectonics?

    Earth's lithosphere is broken into rigid plates that move slowly over the plastic asthenosphere, driven largely by mantle convection currents. Their interactions cause earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain building.

19. What evidence supports the theory of continental drift / seafloor spreading?

    The matching coastlines and fossils across continents, matching rock formations, magnetic stripe patterns symmetric about mid-ocean ridges, and age of seafloor increasing away from ridges.

20. Name and describe the three types of plate boundaries.

    Divergent (plates move apart, new crust forms, e.g., mid-ocean ridges); convergent (plates collide, subduction or mountain building); transform (plates slide past each other, e.g., San Andreas Fault).

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