Explorations: An Introduction to Astronomy (Arny), 7th Edition

Chapter 6: The Earth

Thought Questions

1
When you choose fruit at a supermarket, you might heft the fruit in your hand to test its weight. How does this tell you whether the fruit is dried out inside? How is that similar to using mean density as an indicator of the composition of the Earth's interior?
2
Submarines contain "ballast tanks" that can take on or expel seawater. Explain how these tanks allow a submarine, which is largely constructed of steel with a density much higher than that of water, to rise and submerge at will.
3
According to the Guinness Book of Mountains and Mountaineering, the summit of the volcano Chimborazo in Ecuador is the point on the Earth's surface farthest from the center. However, the book also states that the summit of Mount Everest is the highest point above sea level. Are these claims inconsistent? Why?
4
Flicking your finger against your cheek makes a different sound from flicking it against your forehead. How is that similar to studying the interior of the Earth with seismic waves?
5
How does the eventual acceptance of the plate tectonic theory illustrate some aspects of the scientific method?
6
If the Earth rotated more slowly, would you expect it to have as strong a magnetic field?
7
Compute the mass of one molecule of H2O, N2, and O2, in atomic mass units, and use this information to argue why humid air rises.
8
Think about a stone thrown from the pole toward the equator. If the Earth rotated faster, would the Coriolis effect be larger?
9
As seen from above the North Pole, the Earth rotates counterclockwise. Using the thrown-stone argument of question 8, explain why the Coriolis effect deflects objects to the right of their motion in the Northern Hemisphere.
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