unit a: biological diversity€¦ · web viewinvestigate and describe ways that human...

Unit E: Space ExplorationStudy Guide

1. Investigate and describe ways that human understanding of Earth and space has depended on technological development

SF pp. 356 – 365, 371SIA pp. 368 - 376

identify different perspectives on the nature of Earth and space, based on culture and science (e.g., describe cosmologies based on an Earth-centered universe [detailed knowledge of epicycles is not required]; describe aboriginal views of space and those of other cultures; describe the role of observation in guiding scientific understanding of space)

- The celestial bodies and events have fuelled the human imagination, marked the passage of time and foretold changes in seasons. The information was passed from generation to generation and from culture to culture as legends and folklore.- Summer solstice (June 21) – the longest period of daylight; the start

of summer- Winter solstice (December 21) – the shortest period of daylight; the

start of winter- Soltices are reversed in the southern hemisphere- The Celts created Stonehenge to mark winter and summer

solstices.- African cultures made large stone pillars into patterns to predict

the timing of the solstices- Useful to know when to plant and harvest crops

- Equinox: day and night are of equal length (March 21 and September 22)- In 1000 A.D. the Mayans built a cylindrical-shaped tower to

celebrate the equinox.

- Inuit, in the high Arctic, used the width of a mitt held at arm’s length to gauge the height of the sun above the horizon. When the sun rose to the height of one mitt width, it meant the seal pups would be born in two lunar cycles.

- The sun played a prominent role in mythology of several ancient cultures, namely the North American native, the Aborigines of Australia, the Aztecs, the Chinese, the Inuit, the Greeks, the Norse, and the Japanese.

- The Ancients used rock structures and buildings to align with stars (eg. 2700 BC pyramids built in Ancient Egypt; Stonehenge).

Ancestral contributions to today’s knowledge:- stars make unchanging patterns in the sky which looked like objects that

they named- they could use the movement of stars to mark months and seasons

which led to the development of the calendar- the Sun, Moon and Planets rise and set at different rates from the stars

Models of Planetary Motion- 2000 years ago Aristotle and Ptolemy developed the geocentric model

(Earth-centered model) to explain planetary motion.- Earth was at the center with concentric spheres encircling it- The distant stars were fixed on the outermost or celestial sphere- It correctly predicted the phases of the moon, but little else

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- In 1530 Copernicus developed the Heliocentric model (sun centered).- He suggested that the sun is at the center and other planets revolved

in orbits around it.- In the 1600s, Galileo used a telescope to provide observations to

back up this model: mountains on the moon, spots on the sun, moons orbiting Jupiter, and phases of Venus

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- A German mathematician, Johannes Kepler, discovered that the orbits of the planets were elliptical. He figured out the shape and scaled the entire solar system from the same observations

- Sir Isaac Newton explained the elliptical orbits by proving that there is a gravitational attractive force between all objects that pulls them together in an orbit.

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SF pp. 366 - 367SIA pp. 374 -378

investigate and illustrate the contributions of technological advances-including optical telescopes, spectral analysis and space travel -to a scientific understanding of space- Hans Lippershey invented the telescope in the late16th century. Galileo

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Galilei improved the telescope and it revolutionized astronomy.- The introduction of mathematical approaches (i.e. Kepler and Newton)

into describing the motion of objects within the universe allowed astronomers to make accurate predictions about the motions of objects in the universe.

SF. pp.SIA pp. 379 - 390

describe, in general terms, the distribution of matter in space (e.g., stars, star systems, galaxies, nebulae)- Astronomical Units (AU): is used for measuring “local” distances, those

inside our solar system. One AU is equal to the average distance from the center of the earth to the center of the sun (149 599 000 km). Astronomers use this when describing the positions of the planets relative to the sun.

- Light-year: equals the distance light travels in on e year. Used for measures beyond our solar system.

Stars: Classification and Life Cycle- Star: a hot glowing ball of gas (mainly hydrogen) that gives off light

energy. The number of stars in the universe is in the billions.- Starts vary greatly in characteristics e.g. the color of a star depends

on its temperature. A very hot star looks blue. A very cool star looks red.

- Constellation: A collection of stars that make an unchanging pattern in the sky.

- Nebulae: a huge collection of gas and dust in which new stars form.- Galaxy: An immense collection of stars, gas and dust.

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SF pp. 410 - 418SIA pp. 392 - 400

identify evidence for, and describe characteristics of, bodies that make up the solar system; compare their characteristics with those of Earth

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The solar system can be divided into two distinct planetary groups: the inner planets also called terrestrial or Earth like planets and the outer or Jovian (in reference to Jupiter, planets). The terrestrial planets tend to be smaller, rockier in composition and closer to the Sun than the Jovian planets, which are large and gaseous and are located greater distances from the Sun. Jovian planets tend to have small densities, rings, and many satellites.

Size of space objects:Milky Way (galaxy) > Solar System > Planets (Jovian>Terrestrial) > Moons

For a description of each planet, location, distance from the Sun, etc… see Science in Action pages 394 – 396 OR Science Focus pages 411 to 415.

Asteroids: small, rocky or metallic bodies traveling in space which range in size from a few meters to several hundred kilometres across and are found between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter

Comets: often called “dirty snowballs” are objects made up of dust and ice that travels through space. It has a bright center and a long faint tail that always points away from the Sun. Example: Halley’s comet.

Meteoroids: small pieces of rocks flying through space with no particular path and are as small as a grain of sand or as large as a car.

Meteor: (aka shooting stars) When a meteoroid gets pulled into the atmosphere by Earth’s gravity, the heat of atmospheric friction causes it to give off light.

Meteorite: a meteor that hits the Earth’s surface

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passing between the Sun and Earth casts a shadow on Earth. A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth passes between the Sun and Moon, casting its shadow over the Moon.

SF pp. 359 – 363SIA pp. 401 – 407, 450 - 451

describe and apply techniques for determining the position and motion of objects in space, including:- constructing and interpreting drawings and physical models that

illustrate the motion of objects in space (e.g., represent the orbit of comets around the Sun, using a looped-string model)

- describing techniques used to estimate distances of objects in space and to determine their motion

- describing the position of objects in space, using angular coordinates (e.g., describe the location of a spot on a wall, by identifying its angle of elevation and its bearing or azimuth; describe the location of the Sun and other stars using altitude-azimuth coordinates, also referred to as horizon coordinates or local coordinates) [ Note: A description of star position based on right ascension and declination is not required.]

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Determining Position and Motion in SpaceTo locate the position of an object in space two questions must be answered, “In which direction?” and “How high above the horizon is it?” This problem can be solved with two measurements. The first is the compass direction called azimuth, with north as 0. The second is how in the sky called altitude, which ranges from 0 to 90 degrees. Zenith refers to the highest point directly overhead.

Figure 1.35 Science in Action 9

1. Spectroscopes or spectrometers can tell us how fast a celestial body, such as a star, is moving toward or away from us using the Doppler Effect.

Light refracted from stars creates a ‘fingerprint’ for each star. Astronomers compare the spectra of a star with known spectra of elements (H, He, Na, Ca) to determine the star’s composition

Example: The Doppler Effect occurs when sound waves are compressed in front of a vehicle as it speeds along. This results in shorter wavelength and higher pitch. Behind the vehicle sound waves stretch out, creating a longer wavelength and lower pitch. Also, it is used in radar guns to show how fast a vehicle is moving.

The Doppler effect can be used to apply to light-emitting objects such as stars.

When a star is approaching you, its wavelengths of light become compressed. As a result, the dark lines in the star’s spectrum shift toward the shorter-wavelength end of the spectrum – the blue end.

If a star is moving away from you, its spectral lines will be red shifted (moving toward the longer-wavelength part – red end- of the spectrum).

The amount of shift showing up in observations indicates the speed at which the star is approaching or receding.

2. Identify problems in developing technologies for space exploration, describe technologies developed for life in space, and explain the scientific principles

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involvedSF pp. 420, 423SIA pp. 408, 419 – 420

analyze space environments, and identify challenges that must be met in developing life-supporting systems (e.g., analyze implications of variations in gravity, temperature, availability of water, atmospheric pressure and atmospheric composition)Challenges of Space Exploration:- go fast enough to achieve orbit around Earth or break free of Earth’s

gravity and travel to other planets- keep equipment operating in extreme environment of space- to transport people out and back safelyEnvironmental Hazards:- space is a vacuum, with no air or H2O- damaging effects of cosmic rays and solar radiation- risk of being hit by debris or meteoroids- no air pressure- massive temperature variationsPsychological Challenges- long trips in a confined living spaceBody and Microgravity(a) microgravity is a condition in which the gravitational forces that act on

mass are extremely reduced : - bones expand - loss of bone mass and density - loss of body mass(b) heart does not have to pump as hard to circulate blood which decreases

the production of red blood cells(c) muscles become weaker as less walking and lifting occurs:- loss of calcium, electrolytes and plasma with excretion of body fluids

SF pp. 423SIA pp. 420 - 426

describe technologies for life-support systems, and interpret the scientific principles on which they are based (e.g., investigate systems that involve the recycling of water and air)Space Suit:- self-contained living system of air, water, a heating system, a cooling

system … a portable toilet- flexible enough to allow fine motor controlWater:- water will need to be recycled over and over because they can only bring

a limited supply- technology to filter, purify and recycle the same waterLife Support System functions- remove carbon dioxide and filter micro-organisms from air- keep air pressure, temperature and humidity stableOxygen- process of electrolysis uses electricity to split water molecules into their

component elements

SF pp. 399 - 402SIA pp. 409 -

describe technologies for space transport, and interpret the scientific principles involved (e.g., describe the development of multistage rockets, shuttles and space stations; build a model

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412 vehicle to explore a planet or moon)- Robert Goddard discovered that if a rocket had more than one stage (a

staged rocked) would fly higher and faster. A stage is a section of a rocket that drops off once the fuel is used up.

- A rocket is a tube that contains combustible material in one end. The other end is the payload or the device or material that the rocket carries.

- Rocketry relies on a fundamental law of physics: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. An opening in the chamber allows gas to be released producing thrust (push) and causing the rocket to be propelled in the opposite direction.

- Computers in the air and on the ground work together to control the flight of spacecraft and monitor the location of space junk from other flights.


Gravitational assist: a method of acceleration which allows a spacecraft to “slingshot” around a planet, using the planet’s gravity as a means of acceleration.

SF. pp. N/ASIA. pp. 431

identify materials and processes developed to meet needs in space, and identify related applications (e.g., medicines, remote sensing, microelectronics, polymers, medical imaging, wireless communication technologies, synthesis of fuels)SEE PAGE 431 in Science in Action textbook (the chart)

SF. pp. 403 - 405SIA. pp. 427 - 430

describe the development of artificial satellites, and explain the major purposes for which they are used (e.g., communication, GPS – global positioning system, weather observation)Artific ial Satellites

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- objects built and sent into Earth’s orbit by humans- Two types of Artificial Satellites…- Geosynchronous: appear motionless in the sky- Low-earth orbit: move quickly across the sky, 200-800km above Earth.Natural Satellites- small body orbiting a larger body (i.e., moon orbiting a planet)

Functions of Satellitesa) help us communicate, observe and forecast weather, predict magnetic

storms and even find our location on the planet- weather satellites stay in one position above Earth (geosynchronous orbit

means it moves at the same rate as the Earth spins and therefore the same area is observed at all times)

- result is a 24 hour per day monitoring of weather conditions- observation satellites

(i) take photographs(ii) monitor weather(iii)LANDSAT and RADARSAT follows ships at sea, monitor soil quality, tracks forest fires, reports on environmental change and searches for natural resources (not geosynchronous)(iv)REMOTE SENSING

- process in which imaging devices in a satellite make observations of Earth’s surface and send this information back to EarthApplications:- Provide images of healthy versus unhealthy vegetation- clear-cut and burned forests can be mapped to show the rates of

their degradation- water pollution can be imaged

(v) Global Positioning System (GPS)- 24 GPS satellites are in orbit around Earth, which means there are

at least 3 above any given location in the world at any given moment

- Need 3 satellites in order to triangulate the position of an object on the Earth

3. Describe and interpret the science of optical and radio telescopes, space probes and remote sensing technologies

SF pp. 366 – 370/ 385 – 386SIA pp. 435 - 439

explain, in general terms, the operation of optical telescopes, including telescopes that are positioned in space environmentsOptical telescopes- gather and focus light from stars so that we can see it- the larger the area of the lenses or mirrors in a telescope, the greater the

ability of the telescope to see the faint light of objects that are very distant

- the objective lens is the larger of the two lenses at the front of the tube- the eyepiece is the lens you look through- the image is distorted because of atmospheric interferencea) Refracting telescope:- uses 2 lenses to gather and focus starlight- limited size

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b) Reflecting telescope:- use mirrors to gather and focus starlight

Hubble Space Telescope- reflecting telescope, orbiting 600 km above Earth- Not affected by atmospheric interference

c) Adaptive Optics- stars twinkle because the motion of the Earth’s atmosphere refracts their

light randomly- computers can interpret the image from a telescope, and cancel out the

effect of atmospheric distortion

SF pp. 393 - 396SIA pp. 440 – 445, 452 - 454

explain the role of radio and optical telescopes in determining characteristics of stars and star systems

Electromagnetic energy:- energy traveling at the speed of light but having different wavelengths

and frequencies than those of light

Radio telescopes:- study radio waves emitted by objects in space. Radio waves are millions

of times longer than light waves- advantages over optical telescopes – not affected by weather, clouds,

distortion- Very long baseline interferometry is when 2 or more radio telescopes are

connected without wires to produce images 100 times as detailed as the largest optical telescopes

Space Probes: unmanned satellites or remote-controlled landers that put equipment on or close to planets too difficult or dangerous to send humans to. They may sample soil, carry out geological test, or make other analysis

SF. pp. 446/405 - 408SIA. pp. 446 - 451

describe and interpret, in general terms, the technologies used in global positioning systems and in remote sensing (e.g., use triangulation to determine the position of an object, given information on the distance from three different points) [Note: This example involves the use of geometric approaches rather than mathematical calculations.]

Triangulation: based on the geometry of a triangle. Measuring the angle between the baseline and the target object allows you to determine the distance to that object.

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Parallax- apparent shift in position of a nearby object when the object is viewed

from 2 different places- a star’s parallax is used to determine the star’s distance from Earth,

using triangulation.

4. Identify issues and opportunities arising from the application of space technology, identify alternatives involved, and analyze implications

SF pp. N/ASIA pp. 456 - 460

recognise risks and dangers associated with space exploration (e.g., space junk, fuel expenditure, satellites burning up in the atmosphere, solar radiation)

- 2003 Columbia destroyed due to faulty ceramic tiles- 1967 Apollo I crew died due to fire on board the spacecraft- 1986 Challenger exploded shortly after takeoff- loss of Mars probes (Russian and American)- cosmic radiation causes extreme damage to human cells

Space Junk: pieces of debris that have fallen off rockets, satellites, space shuttles and space stations and remain floating in space. This is a threat to other orbiting space craft.

SF pp. 424 - 425SIA pp. 460 - 463

describe Canadian contributions to space research and development and to the astronaut program (e.g., Canadarm)Canadian Contributions:a) Artificial satellites: Alouette 1, Anik 1 (telecommunications)b) Canadarm 1, a robotic arm manipulated by remote control, debuted on

space shuttle Columbia in 1981.c) Canadarm 2 (also called Canadian Space Station remote manipulator

system SSRMS)- 2001 – bigger, stronger and smarter than its predecessor. Also

incorporates a robotic “hand”.

Notable Canadian astronautsa) Marc Garneau, first Canadian astronaut in spaceb) Roberta Bondar, first female Canadian astronaut

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c) Robert Thirsk, most time spent in space (204 days)d) Chris Hadfield, first Canadian to walk in space. Also commanded the International Space Station.

SF. pp. N/ASIA. pp. 464 - 468

identify and analyze factors that are important to decisions regarding space exploration and development (e.g., identify examples of costs and potential benefits that may be considered; investigate and describe political, environmental and ethical issues related to the ownership and use of resources in space)

Potential discussion questions:

a) Who owns space?

b) Who is entitled to use its resources?

c) Is a space treaty needed?

d) Who is responsible for cleaning up the space environment?

e) How can we justify spending billions of dollars on space exploration, over more pressing needs here on Earth (shortage of water, famine, poverty)

The Earth’s axis is tilted relative to its orbit around the sun. On two days every year, neither hemisphere leans more towards the sun. These 2 days are at the midpoint between the two solstices and are called:a. summerb. equinoxc. mid-solsticesd. daylight savings

Which choice has the correct scientist with the model he proposed?a. Ptolemy, geocentric modelb. Newton, epicyclesc. Kepler, elliptical orbitsd. Galileo, law of gravity

Which early astronomer’s tool was used to measure a star’s height above the horizon?a. quadrantb. astrolabec. cross-staffd. early telescope

What 2 factors combine to create an elliptical orbit?a. forward movement and gravityb. gravity and massc. mass and weightd. forward movement and mass

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What unit of measurement would be the most appropriate to measure the distance between Mars and Venus?a. astronomical unitb. light yearc. light meterd. second

What is the fate of our sun?a. black holeb. it will explodec. supernovad. black dwarf

On the H-R diagram, which is the hottest star?a. white dwarfb. black dwarfc. the sund. red supergiant

Which of the following is NOT a part of the protoplanet hypothesis?a. Gas and dust accumulate to form the sunb. Smaller particles swirl around the sun to form planetsc. The explosion of a star began the formation of the sund. Gas and dust began swirling in space

What term is used to describe an object made of rock that lights up because of the friction caused by Earth’s gravity?a. meteoriteb. cometc. meteord. lunar eclipse

If a new planet was discovered between the orbits of Earth and Mars, what characteristics would it have?a. small density, many satellites, and ringsb. large density, many satellites, rocky surfacec. small density, few satellites, gaseousd. large density, few satellites, rocky surface

When a car is speeding towards you and then gets further away from you, it’s an example of the Doppler effect. When the car gets further away from you, what will you hear?a. A higher pitch and a longer wavelengthb. A higher pitch and a shorter wavelengthc. A lower pitch and a shorter wavelengthd. A lower pitch and a longer wavelength

Sometimes, we see a rainbow in the sky after it rains. What type of spectrum is this?a. Absorption spectrumb. Dark line spectrumc. Bright line spectrumd. Continuous spectrum

When we say a star is ‘red-shifted’, what does that tell you about its movement?a. It is stationary.

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b. It is getting closer to the sun.c. It is getting further away from the sun.d. It is getting further away from the Earth.

Which of the following is a risk or danger of space exploration and travel?a. bones become smallerb. there is no water or air in spacec. the heart must pump harderd. the temperature does not vary much

Which characteristics must a space suit have?a. flexibility, food, filtrationb. heating, flexibility, electrolysisc. heating, cooling, flexibilityd. filtration, purification, recycling

What was Robert Goddard’s contribution to space exploration?a. V-R rocketb. staged rocketc. Sputnikd. Alouette I

What are the three elements all rockets have in common?a. machinery, nozzle, oxidizerb. payload, nozzle, fuelc. fuel, payload, machineryd. thrust, exhaust, computer

What does the term geosynchronous mean?a. the Earth moves at the same speed all the timeb. a satellite moves quickly around the Earthc. two satellites are in syncd. a satellite moves at the same speed as the Earth

Which of the following space technologies is correctly associated with its use on Earth?a. Simulation of space environment, analysis of buildings and bridgesb. parachute material, motion sickness medicinec. communication lasers, cutting and melting materiald. electronic systems for telescopes, traction for winter tires

What is an advantage of adaptive optics?a. reduces atmospheric distortionb. bigger magnificationc. stronger computersd. gives a larger base for triangulation

Which of the following statements about telescopes is correct?a. A reflecting telescope uses only lenses to focus lightb. A refracting telescope uses several mirrors to gather lightc. A combination telescope uses several mirrors to gather lightd. A combination telescope uses only lenses to focus light

What distinguishes radio waves from light waves?a. light waves can be thousands of times longerb. both types of waves have similar frequencies

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c. radio waves can be millions of times longerd. radio waves are much shorter

Which of the following is not a function of a space probe?a. studying rings and moonsb. accomplishing tasks too dangerous for humansc. studying other planetsd. predicting the weather

Which statement about GPS is false?a. GPS uses triangulation to determine locationb. Accuracy is a bout 30mc. Pilots use GPS to plan their routed. GPS is based on the science of telescopes

Why is space junk a hazard?a. space gets messyb. they could explodec. they could hit an orbiting spacecraftd. they cannot re-enter the Earth

What point of view does the following statement express?There are concerns about the quality and cleanliness of space and its surroundings.

a. environmentalb. politicalc. astronomicald. social

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unit a: biological diversity€¦ · web viewinvestigate and describe ways that human...

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