EARTH AND LIFE SCIENCE

EARTH AND LIFE

SCIENCE

Evangeline B. Panganiban

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LESSON 1
Origin of the Universe

Learning Competencies:
At the end of this lesson, the learners will be able to:
1. State the different theories that explain the origin of the universe.
2. State the different hypothesis that preceded the Big Bang Theory of the origin of the universe.
3. Explain the Big Bang Theory and evidences supporting the theory.
4. Describe the structure and composition of the universe.

Key Concepts
1.1 Creation Myths
1.2 Events of Big Bang
1.3 Four fundamental forces of Big Bang
1.4 Contents of the Universe

Scientific Overview
As you study this module, you will discover many things about the universe. You will also learn
the different theories about the origin of the universe. The discussions will present the main claim,
bases, evidence, weaknesses, and extent of popularity of each theory. And this knowledge will enable
you to describe the Universe to your new found friend.

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ENGAGEMENT

Can you guess what these pictures are trying to tell?

If you guess the word, you are now ready to begin the lesson.

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EXPLORE

Origin of the Universe: Creation Myths

What is your idea of the beginning of the universe? On a piece of paper, write or draw your
thoughts about the beginning of the universe.
Do you know that different cultures have their own creation myth is a symbolic narrative of the
beginning of the world as understood by a culture. These are handed down from generation to
generation through oral traditions such as stories, poems, and songs.
There are several theories that explain the origin of the universe. These include the Big Bang Theory,
Steady State Theory, Divine creation Theory, and the Pulsating Theory.

A. Big Bang Theory

The proponents of the theory were Alexander Friedman and
Georges Lamaitre in 1920. According to the big bang theory, around
13.7 billion years ago, there was nothing but darkness. Then suddenly,
due to random fluctuation in an empty void, there was a great explosion
or expansion. The explosion sent space, time, matter, and energy in all
directions. The event is called “Big Bang”.

According to the proponent of the Big Bang theory, all the matter
and energy in the universe are crammed into a tiny compact point
sometimes called singularity. Where it came from or why it happened are unknown.

The occurrence of the big bang resulted into several events that led to the creation of forces and
celestial bodies known today. These are the description of the events:

1. Inflationary epoch-the universe expanded from the size of an atomic nucleus to 1035 meters in
width.
2. Formation of the universe – the universe continued to expand.
3. Formation of the basic elements – protons and neutrons combined to form hydrogen nuclei.
Then hydrogen nuclei began to combine in pairs to form helium nucleic. Then, hydrogen
nucleic began to combine in pairs to form helium nucleic. This processed is called
nucleosynthesis.
4. Radiation era- most of the energy in the universe was in the form of radiation.
5. Matter domination – at this stage, lithium atom began to be formed.
6. Birth of stars and galaxies – the slightly irregular areas of gas cloud gravitationally attracted
nearby matter and became denser. The dense gas clouds collapsed and eventually gained
enough mass to ignite and produce light. The huge clouds of gas could be the birthplace for
dozens of stars. The groups of stars became the galaxies.

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The Big Bang timeline includes the existence of the four

fundamental forces:
1. Strong force- short-ranged attractive force which bind the
nucleus.
2. Electromagnetic force- long-range force that binds atoms
which can either be attractive or repulsive.
3. Weak force- short-ranged force present in radioactive
decay.
4. Gravitational force- weak-long ranged, and attractive force
which binds the solar system.

Evidence for the Big Bang:

Astronomers think that the universe started with the Big Bang. As with science, this is based on
evidence; so what is the evidence for the Big Bang Theory?

1. Redshift of Galaxies: The redshift of distant galaxies means that the universe is probably
expanding. In 1924, Edwin Hubble found that stars are not uniformly distributed in space. Instead they
gather together, forming clusters called Galaxy.

2. Microwave Background: Very early in its history, the whole universe was very hot. As it expanded,
this heat left behind a “glow” that fills the entire universe. The Big Bang Theory not only predicts that
this glow should exist, but that it should be visible as microwaves-part of the Electromagnetic spectrum.
In 1960, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson discovered a background radio emission coming from every
direction in the sky. This radiation was speculated as the remnant energy left over from the formation
of the universe.

3. Mixture of Elements: Abundance of Light Elements: As the universe expanded and cooled
down; some of the elements that we see today were created. Elements like He and H with trace
amounts of Li and Be found in the observable universe agrees with the hypotheses of the big bang
theory. Their abundance is checked from the spectra of the oldest stars and gas clouds.

B. Steady State Theory

Another theory which explains the origin of the universe was
proposed by Hermann Bondi, Thomas Gold, and Fred Hoyle in 1948.
They proposed that the universe is unchanging in time and uniform
in space. The discovery of the cosmic microwave background
contradicted the basic assumptions of the steady state theory that
everything is constant.

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C. Divine or Special Creation Theory

It is proposed that the universe and the various forms of life were created
by God out of nothing. Proponents believe that the story told in Genesis of
God’s sixth day creation of all things is literally correct. However, disagreement
happens when biblical scriptures are disproved by non-bible advocates.

D. Pulsating Universe Theory

The universe is supposed to be expanding and contracting
alternately. At present, the universe is expanding, but according to this
theory, it is possible that at certain time, the expansion of the universe
may be topped by the gravitational pull and may contract again. After it
has been contracted to a certain size, explosion again occurs and the
universe will start expanding. The alternate expansion and contraction of
the universe give rise to pulsating universe.

In your own opinion, among these theories where does everything came
from?

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Universe is everything that exist, has existed and will exist. The Universe contains billions of galaxies,
each containing millions or billions of stars.

Content of the Universe:

1. Ordinary matter: Includes atoms, galaxies and life. It is also called as baryonic matter. It is 4.9
% of the universe.

2. Dark matter: has mysterious forms of matter that has not yet been identified. It is 26.8 % of the
universe.

3. Dark energy: is the energy of empty space that causing the expansion of the universe. It is 68.3
% of the universe.

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Traditional view of the Universe

1. Geocentric view
In Astronomy, the geocentric model is a superseded description of the universe with Earth at
the center, under the geocentric model, the sun, the moon, and the planets all orbited Earth. This
theory is proposed by Aristotle, and the studies continued by Claudius Ptolemy.

2. Heliocentric view
Heliocentrism is the astronomical model in which the Earth and planets revolve around the sun.
The sun is at the center of the solar system. Historically, heliocentrism was opposed to geocentrism,
which placed the Earth at the center. It is proposed by Aristarchus.

Geocentric view Heliocentric view

What do you think is the view of our universe? Why?

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EXPLAIN

We have always been told that everything is made up of matter and energy, and that matter is
composed of atoms, which are composed of subatomic particles; or that organic matter is made up of
cells. But have you ever asked how the universe came to be and what is made up of?
The creation of the universe is just one of the many things in science that cannot be easily explained.

Submit a brief report on the following topic/question. Write your answer on the space provided. (10
points)

 What is the fate of the universe? Will the universe continue to expand or will it eventually
contract because of gravity.

Submitted work may be evaluated using the following criteria:

 Logical discussion of scientific concepts used for argument.
 Logical buildup of reasoning to support the choice.

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ELABORATE

Name: __________________________ Rating: ________________

Section: _________________________ Date: __________________

Answer the following questions. Write your answer on the space provided.
1. Suppose you meet an alien who asks you to describe the origin of the universe, how would you
describe the universe?
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2. Suppose the alien further asks you regarding the origin and history of your home, would you be
able to confidently answer the question?

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3. Cite instances in the origin of the universe that tell how scientific investigation led to the
development of a new scientific knowledge or its modification.

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Submitted work may be evaluated using the following criteria:

Criteria
Content 40 %
Clarity 30 %
Correct grammar 30 %
Total 100
%

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EVALUATE

Name: ______________________ Rating: _________________

Section: _____________________ Date:
___________________

Match Column A with Column B. Write the letter of the correct answer on the space provided.
A B
_____1. The universe is expanding and contracting. A. Matter domination
____ 2. A short-ranged force present in radioactive decay. B. Steady State Theory
____ 3. The universe continued to expand. C. Georges Lamaitre
_____4. The universe is constant. D. Edwin Hubble
_____5. E. Gravitational force
_____ 6. They discovered that the universe is constant. F. Special Creation Theory
____ 7. G. Pulsating Theory
____ 8. The universe had a great explosion and expansion. H. Weak force
_____ 9. They are the proponents of the Big Bang Theory. I. Thomas Gold
____ 10. J. Big Bang Theory
____ 11. The universe and the various forms of life were
created by God out of nothing. K. Fred Hoyle
L. Alexander Friedman
____ 12. Short-ranged attractive force which bind the nucleus. M. Formation of the
universe
____ 13. Long-range force that binds atoms which can either be N. Hermann Bondi
attractive or repulsive. O. Electromagnetic force
____ 14. Weak-long ranged, and attractive force which binds the
solar system P. Strong force
____ 15. At this stage, lithium atom began to be formed

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LESSON 2
Origin of the Solar System

Learning Competencies:
At the end of this lesson, the learners will be able to:
1. Identify the different hypotheses explaining the origin of the solar system.
2. Identify the large scale and small scale properties of the solar system.

Scientific Overview
This lesson discusses the origin, membership, and new discoveries about the solar system. We
will discuss the hypotheses about the origin of the solar System in terms of their claim, basis, or
evidence, weaknesses, and acceptability.

Who am I?

1. I am a 5 letter word.
2. Without me, plants cannot generate food.
3. I have a group of planets, comets and asteroids.

Do you know who I am? _______________________

The Earth, the planet we live on, is part of the Solar system. If we want to know how the
Earth formed, we need to understand the origin and evolution of the Solar System.

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Origin of the Solar System: Early Theories

In the origin of the universe, there was an era when stars and galaxies began to form. A
galaxy is defined as a gravitationally-bound system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, and a
dark matter. Milky Way is one of the billion galaxies in the observable universe. This observable
universe refers to the region of the universe from Earth’s vantage point.

I. Descartes Vortex Theory

Rene Descartes is a French mathematician and physicist, was
one of the first proponents of a model on the origin of the solar
system. According to his model, the solar system was formed into
bodies with nearly circular orbits because of the whirlpool-like motion
in the pre-solar materials. He explained the orbits of the planets are
the primary whirlpool motion and the satellites the secondary
whirlpool motion.

II. Buffon’s Collision Theory

George Comte de Buffon is a French naturalist who proposed that
the planets were formed by the collision of the sun with a giant comet.
The resulting debris formed into planets that rotate in the same
direction as they revolve around the sun.

III. Kant-Laplace Nebular Theory

Based on the idea of Descartes, Immanuel Kant, and Pierre Simon
Laplace proposed the nebular theory which suggested that a great cloud of
gas and dust, called nebula, begins to collapse because of gravitational pull.
As the cloud contracted, it spun more rapidly.

IV. Jeans and Jeffrey’s Tidal Theory

Sir James Hopwood Jeans, a British mathematician, and Harold Jeffrey,
suggested a dualistic theory in which the sun and planets were produced by
different mechanisms. The planets were formed from the substance that was
torn out of the sun. As a speeding massive star passed near sun, it pulled off
material due to gravitational attraction. The torn off material subsequently
condensed to form the planets.

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Name:______________________________ Rating:___________________
Section:_____________________________ Date:____________________

Answer the following questions. Write your answer on the space provided.

1. What is the basic assumption of the following theories?

a. Descartes’ Vortex Theory (5 points)
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b. Buffon’s Collision Theory (5 points)

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c. Jeans-Jeffrey’s Tidal Theory (5 points)

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European Space Agency (ESA) launched Rosetta spacecraft in 2004. The Rosetta mission was
to know more about the formation of the solar system and how comets carried water and complex
organic to the planets, preparing the stages for life on Earth.

On November 12, 2014, Rosetta and its lander, Philae, made a historic landing on Comet
67P/Churymov-Gerasimenko.

Rosetta was able to pick up strange, echoed clapping sound emitted by comet 67P/C-G. The
“song” is produced by oscillations in the magnetic field in the comet’s environment.

 If you are given a chance to travel in space, and your mission is to learn more about the origin
of the solar system and how the complex organic materials are carried in our planet, would you
accept the mission? Why? Or Why not? (20 points)

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Submitted work may be evaluated using the following criteria:

Criteria
Content 40 %
Clarity 30 %
Correct grammar 30 %
Total 100
%

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Name: ________________________ Rating: ____________________

Section: _______________________ Date: ______________________

Answer the following questions. Write your answer on the space provided.

1. Who are the proponents of nebular theory? (2 points) _____________________, _________________

According to this theory, how does the solar system was formed? (3 points)
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2. Who proposed the Collision Theory? (1 point) _______________________

How did the planet formed? (3 points)

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3. Who is the proponent of the vortex theory? (1 point) ________________________

According to this theory, how does the solar system was formed? (3 points)
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4. Who suggested the Tidal theory? (1 point) __________________________, ____________________

How did the planet formed? (3 points)
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LESSON 3
Solar System: Properties and Current Information

Learning Competencies:
At the end of this lesson, the learners will be able to:
1. Recognize the difference in the physical and chemical properties between the Earth and its neighboring
planets
2. Identify the factors that allowa planet to support life.
3. Identify/enumerate the members of the solar System.
4. Classify the planets based on their compositions.

Key Concepts
3.1 Properties and current information about solar system
3.2 Classification of planets
3.3 Atmosphere on different planets

Scientific Overview
This lesson discuss what makes up our solar system regarding its star, the planets, planetoids,
satellites, comets, and other stuff.

Name the Planets!  Identify each planets, write your answer on the blank provided.

_______________ ________________ __________________ _______________

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_______________ _________________ __________________ _______________

Question: Do you think your answers are correct? What is your basis in identifying these planets?
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Solar System: Properties and Current Information

The Solar System is like a family. Since our elementary days, we have been acquainted with the
solar system. The Sun acts like a father who is leading, and the planets are the children who are
following.

The sun is the star of the solar system. It emits energy as well as
particles outward and in all directions. Light, heat, and solar wind emanate
from the sun. For earth, the sun is at the ultimate source of energy that
sustains life.
How long has the sun been emitting these energy and particles? The sun
makes up 99.86 % of the mass of the entire solar system. It is a main
sequence star.

What do you think will happen to Earth if there is no light coming from the sun?
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Asteroids are made up of rocks and are sometimes referred to as minor planets in many ways.
They are atmosphere-free and they orbit around the sun. They tend to congregate in what is known
as main asteroid belt. Main asteroid belts are located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. They are
thought of as remnants of the early stages of the Solar System’s formation. They were never formed
as planets because of Jupiter’s high gravitational force.

There are steroids that can be perturbed out of their main belt and may especially come close
to Earth. They are called near-earth asteroids (NEAs). The NASA is monitoring these asteroids because
of the possibility of them hitting Earth, which could have catastrophic consequences.

Do you know what the first known asteroid is?

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Comets are composed mainly of ice (frozen water and gas) and nonvolatile dust (silicate minerals
and carbon grains) they only become active when their orbits take them near the sun. The sun’s heat
causes the frozen gas to sublimate, forming vaporous jet of streams. These vapor jets create a
spectacular tail streaming out from the sun.

Comets originate from two regions of the outer Solar System. The Kuiper belt is often called the
Solar System’s “final frontier” because it is at the outermost region of the Solar System. Short period
comets like Halley’s Comet come from the Kuiper belt. Short period comets orbit the sun in less than
200 years.

The Oort cloud is located farther than the Kuiper belt and therefore remained unexplored. Long
period comets are thought to originate from the Oort cloud. Long period-comets have orbits ranging
from 200 years up to millions of years. Objects orbiting beyond Neptune are called trans-Neptunian
objects (TNO’s)

What do you think will happens if the comet hits Earth?

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Classification of Planets

The planets are grouped into two categories based on the composition: Terrestrial and Jovian.
Terrestrial planets are Earth-like planets, it includes Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. They are
sometimes referred to as inner planets. They are composed mostly of dense, rocky, and metallic
materials. They are relatively small, has a very few moon, they also don’t have a ring system. Jovian
planets are Jupiter-like planets which includes Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. They are referred
to as gas planets and are made up mostly of hydrogen and helium. They have a multiple moons, no
solid surfaces, immense in size, and support ring systems.

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Why do planets coming from the same cloud of gas have different compositions? This is
explained by where these planets are formed in relation to the distance from the sun defined by the
frost line. The frost line is the distance of the solar nebula from the protostar increases, temperature
decreases. At cooler temperatures, more materials condense. The frost line divides the inner warm
regions (where terrestrial planets are formed) from the outer cooler region (where Jovian planets are
formed).

Other classifications of planets are based on their positions relative to the sun or Earth.

1. Position relative to the sun:

 Inner planets include Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.
 Outer planets include Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
 Asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter form the boundary between the inner and outer
planets.

2. Position relative to Earth:

 Inferior planets are located inside the orbit of Earth, which include Mercury, and Venus.
 Superior planets are located outside the orbit of Earth, which includes Mars, Saturn, Uranus,
and Neptune.

The Solar System

Planets orbit a nearly circular path and revolve around the sun in counterclockwise direction.

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Atmosphere on Different Planets

Mercury has a very thin, almost undetectable atmosphere composed of sodium and potassium gas.
These elements were likely blown from the surface of Mercury by the solar wind. It is the smallest
planet, it also has the shortest orbit in about 3 earth months.

Venus is composed mainly of carbon dioxide with minor amounts of nitrogen and trace amounts of
nitrogen, helium, neon, and argon. It is the hottest planet because of its extensive lava flow (463.889 ̊
C).

Earth’s atmosphere primarily composed of nitrogen, and oxygen. Minor gases include and carbon
dioxide, ozone, argon, and helium. It has a water system that help create environment to sustain life.

Mars atmosphere is a thin layer composed mainly of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, argon, and small traces
of oxygen and water vapor are also present.

Jupiter’s atmosphere contains mainly of helium and hydrogen with trace amounts of water, ammonia,
methane, and other carbon compounds. Three layers of clouds may exist in Jupiter’s outermost
atmosphere. The lowest are made of water ice or droplets, the next are crystals of a compound of
ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, and the highest clouds are ammonia ice. There seems to be no solid
surface under the atmosphere, only a transition from gas to liquid metallic hydrogen. In the top one-
fourth of the planet, the pressure and temperature are so high that the hydrogen atoms are stripped
of their outer electrons, forming a liquid metal. It is the largest planet in our solar system.

Saturn has a thick atmosphere composed of hydrogen and helium. The ratio of hydrogen to helium
ratio decreases with depth. Methane and ammonia are also present. The atmosphere of Saturn
envelopes a thick layer of metallic hydrogen.

Uranus atmosphere is composed mainly of hydrogen and minor amounts of helium. Methane is present
in minor amounts, and probably forms most of the clouds seen by space probes and telescopes. Uranus
and Neptune both appear blue because methane strongly absorbs light of other wavelengths.

Neptune consists mainly of hydrogen and helium, but about 2.5-3% of the atmosphere is methane.
Like Uranus, clouds in Neptune’s atmosphere are composed of crystals of methane.

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Name:____________________________ Rating:_________________
Section:___________________________ Date:___________________

Complete the table below, write the elements/compounds that can be found in
the
atmosphere of every planet.
Planet Elements/compounds found

How could future human beings bring life to other planets and beyond?
What are your thoughts on these?

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Name:_______________________________ Rating:_________________
Section:______________________________ Date:__________________

A. Question: Write a short report/essay on this topic: Can man alter Mars environment to
make it more suitable for human habitation? How? (10 points)

Criteria in assessing this activity:

 Logic and consistency in the arguments
 Valid and consistent scientific concepts to support the answer

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B. Question: Is the Solar System unique or rare? What is the possibility of finding a
similar system within the Milky Way Galaxy? What about an Earth like planet? (10 points)

Criteria in assessing this activity:

 Logic and consistency in the arguments
 Valid and consistent scientific concepts to support the answer

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Name: _______________________ Rating: _____________________

Section: ______________________ Date: ______________________

Consider the planets of our solar system. Come up with your creative description of each of them.
Briefly, explain why you have chosen the epithet.

Planet Creative Epithet Explanation

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LESSON 4
The Earth as the Only Habitable Planet

Learning Competencies:
At the end of this lesson you should be able to:
1. Recognize the uniqueness of Earth, being the only planet in the Solar System with
properties necessary to support life.
2. Identify the layers of the Earth; crust, mantle, and core.

Scientific Overview:
This lesson discusses the internal structure of the Earth and its composition for being the only
Living Planet in the Solar System.

Welcome to the second chapter of Earth and Life Science!

Guess these pictures below: write your guess in the blank below the pictures.

_____________ _____________ ____________ ____________

What do you think is the relationship of those pictures to our planet earth?
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What makes our planet the only Living Planet in the Solar System? Life is native to
earth not imported. Whichever view you entertain, what is not debatable is the fact that our
planet has a life-supporting capacity. What are the factors that enable Earth to support life?
a. right, distance to the Sun. Earth is neither too close or too far from the Sun. it is just of the right
distance for water, an indispensable organic substance for life, to exist in three physical forms: liquid,
solid and gas. If it were too close, water would vaporize and be useless to life. If it were too far, water
would be rock hard to and also be useless to living things. Our planet is so-called Goldilock’s zone from
the Sun so that on balance it is neither too hot or too cold for living things on its surface.

what is the importance of water in living things if it is in liquid form?

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b. the presence of an atmosphere. The presence of an atmosphere with all its associated gaseous
components helps make life possible in our planet. The ozone layer protects living things from the
damaging ultraviolet rays from the sun, the presence of the right amount of carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gasses helps retain enough heat for living things. Carbon dioxide is necessary too for
photosynthesis, a fundamental process that supports life. The atmosphere also contained the essential
components for the formation of organic molecules: water, methane, ammonia, hydrogen gas

What do you think will happen to earth if there is no atmosphere?

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c. right amount of gravity. Earth’s gravity is a decisive factor for life’s existence. If it were weaker,
the atmosphere would have easily leaked into outer space, providing no protection for emergent life.
If it were stronger, the planet would probably be attracting meteors that would constantly impact it’s
surface creating endless cataclysms affording a little and insufficient time for emergent life to evolve.

How does gravity works in your daily life?

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d. the presence of a magnetosphere.

The magnetopshere is the region of space
surrounding earth where the
dominant magnetic field is the magnetic field of
Earth, rather than the magnetic field of
interplanetary space. The magnetosphere is
formed by the interaction of the solar wind
with Earth's magnetic field. Without a magnetic
field, the atmosphere and the surface would
constantly be bombarded with the solar and
cosmic particles decimating any emergent life
form.

e. the presence of molecular oxygen. it seems needless to say that without oxygen, molecular
oxygen, life on earth would be inconceivable. It is needed for energy production, a constant
requirement of living things.

What is the importance of water to animals and human?

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f. the presence of liquid water. Water is abundant in space on other planets but not in the form
necessary for life: liquid water. Moon and Mars have water but definitely in solid form and small
amounts. So the presence of liquid water in huge quantities on the surface of our planet is also crucial
differentiating factor for life’s existence here.
g. generation of internal heat. A neglected characteristic of our planet vis-à-vis life on its surface
is that it constantly generates heat, internal heat. This heat comes from the time of its formation and
decay of radioactive elements at its core. This internal heat is responsible for the geological processes
evident on the surface—mountain building, volcanism, and plate tectonics. These processes are also
important to life: outgassing of volcanoes released ammonia, methane, and other gasses into the
primitive atmosphere. These gasses were the raw materials for biosynthesis of simple inorganic
molecules essential to living cells.

How can you say that heat is important from your daily life?
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h. energy from lightning. Lightning provided the energy for the formation of biomolecules from
simple inorganic and organic compounds (water, methane, ammonia, hydrogen gas) that became
abundant in the primitive Earth atmosphere. Virtually unnoticed until space probes were designed to
monitor lightning from space, it has been discovered that lightning occurs so frequently in the
atmosphere that its role in the formation of life has become greatly appreciated.
What do you think are the other effects of lightning that could give benefits to the
liv living things?
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INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE EARTH

a. CRUST. It is the thinnest layer but the most rigid layer. It can be divided into continental crust,
where it is thicker averaging about 30 km, and oceanic crust, the thinner part averaging about 5 km.
The crust is of immediate significance to living things because it is part of the biosphere. We do not
think we can find life forms in the mantle and the core. Lithosphere refers to the crust and the top
portion of the upper mantle.

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b. MANTLE. It is composed of semi-solid rock. Thus, it is hotter and denser than the crust. The denser
mantle is separated from the crust by the mohoviric discontinuity located at the base of the crust and
the top of the mantle. The temperature in this layer is 1,000. It is about 2,890 km and contains larger
amounts of iron, magnesium, and calcium. It has upper layer and lower layer. Heat generated from
the core rises into the mantle via convection current. In convection, the hotter material expands and
rises while the cooler sinks. In the process, this creates a rising and sinking motion.

c. CORE. It is the center of the planet. 2x denser than the mantle because of its metallic composition
(an alloy of Fe and Ni). Marking the oundary between the solid mantle and the liquid outer core is the
Gutenberg discontinuity. The liquid core is about 2,200 km thick while the solid inner core is about
1,250 km. Since the Earth is rotating, the liquid core is also spinning and this generates the Earth’s
magnetic field. The outer core has a temperature of about 3,700, while in the inner core, an estimated
6,000.

What Would be the consequences if the Earth’s outer core were to stop spinning?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Briefly Explain, why Earth is the only habitable planet among all the planets in the
Solar System?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

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Recently, Mars has been the subject of many speculations, inspired no doubt by
the discoveries made by the robotic rovers sent by NASA. One such speculationis that life
can survive on Mars. If you would be given a chance to live in Mars, do you want to? Why?
Or Why not?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

Name:_________________________ Rating:__________________
Section:________________________ Date:___________________
BRIEFLY state atleast two (2-3) information of each word based on your readings from this lesson.
Example: core- 4x denser than the mantle; 20000
1. crust-_________________________________________________________________(3pts)
2. mantle- ______________________________________________________________(3 pts)
3. core- __________________________________________________________________(3 pts)
4. magnetosphere- _______________________________________________________(2 pts)
5. atmosphere-___________________________________________________________(2 pts)
6. liquid water-___________________________________________________________(2 pts)

-------------------------------------------------------------------end of lesson 4--------------------------------------------------------------

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LESSON 5
The Earth’s Subsystems

LEARNING COMPETENCIES:
At the end of this lesson you should be able to:
1. Explain that the Earth is consist of four subsystems, across whose boundaries
matter and energy flow.

Scientific Overview: Earth is a system of four interacting components—atmosphere, geosphere,

hydrosphere, and biosphere.

Try this! Write your answer in the blank provided.

1. She is the singer of “Baby One more time” _________________
2. The synonym of anxiety. _____________
3. The name of a basketball team come from San Antonio, Texas United States. _____________
4. It is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. ____________

Do you think your answers are correct? What did you notice to your answers?
_____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

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EARTH SPHERES
a. hydrosphere. It is the water portion of the planet. The hydrosphere makes up 71% of Earth’s
surface, most of it is saltwater found in the oceans. It also includes all the bodies of water. Groundwater
is the largest reservoir of freshwater available to human.

what are the other bodies of water that includes in the hydrosphere?
___________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

The Water Cycle

Hydrosphere is a dynamic mass of water that interacts with each of Earth’s spheres through the
water cycle. The water moves from hydrosphere to the atmosphere through evaporation, to the
geosphere through precipitation and back to the hydrosphere through run-off. The interaction of the
geosphere and the hydrosphere is responsible for sculpturing the Earth’s surface and produces its
magnificent landforms.

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b. atmosphere. It is the thin, life-giving gaseous envelope of Earth. It’s composition is divided into
the major components and the variable components. The major components include the gaseous
compounds nitrogen and oxygen along with the trace gases. The major components provide the air
that people breathe and trap the outgoing infrared radiation to keep the Earth warm.
what is the major role of atmosphere to make the earth sustainable for living?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

The atmosphere is made up of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% trace gases.

Water vapor and aerosol are the variable components responsible for weather and climate.
Weather and climate are experienced on Earth because of the interaction of the atmosphere with the
hydrosphere and geosphere. Water vapor is needed for cloud formation and atmospheric heat
retention. Aerosols serve as condensation nuclei for the water vapor because it can absorb, reflect, and
scatter incoming solar radiation. Ozone is another variable component of the atmosphere that protects
Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation of the sun.

Would planet Earth still be habitable if it lacks at least one variable component?
why or why not?
______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

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THE FOUR DIFFERENT LAYERS OF ATMOSPHERE:

1. TROPOSPHERE- is the lowest layer of the atmosphere where temperature decreases with altitude.
It is about 11km thick. All weather phenomena occur in this layer. The boundary between the
troposphere and the next layer is called tropopause.
2. STRATOSPHERE- it is about 11km to 48km from the Earth’s surface. In this layer, temperature
increases with altitude due to the presence of the ozone layer. Stratopause is the boundary between
the stratosphere and the next layer.
3. MESOSPHERE- the temperature once again decreases with altitude, reaching up to about -90. (the
coldest temperature in the atmosphere). When asteroids enter Earth’s atmosphere, they burn up,
creating the streak of light. Asteroids that enter Earth’s atmosphere are called meteors. The mesopause
separates the mesosphere and the layer above it, the thermosphere.
4. THERMOSPHERE- the thermosphere starts at about 55 km and has no definite upper limit. It has
the least amount of atmospheric molecules. These molecules, however, receive most of the high-energy
radiation, causing an increase in temperature as altitude increases.

THE LAYERS OF ATMOSPHERE

If you could reach the thermosphere, would you feel hot? Explain.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

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c. geosphere. The solid region of Earth. It does not only comprise the visible solid layer, it also extends
to the center of Earth. It has depth of 6400km, making it the largest sphere of earth. The layers of the
earth is included in the geosphere—crust, mantle, core and inner core.
What is the difference between the Lithosphere and the Geosphere?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

d. biosphere. It is the biological component of Earth. It includes all of the microbes, plants and animals
that can be found 1km above the sea level down to the deepest parts of the oceans. it extends to any
place where life of any kind exist. Under the biosphere is the anthroposphere or “human sphere”. This
sphere includes the part of Earth that has been modified by humans. When the population of humans
was till small, human activities hardly affected the systems. But with the rapid growth of human
activities now have greater impact on the Earth system.
` What do you think will happen if one of the components is removed from the
biosphere?
_________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Would Earth be able to sustain life if one of the major spheres is not present? Explain
your answer. (5 pts)

________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

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Name:_________________________________ Rating:__________________
Section:_______________________________ Date:___________________

Make a summary report about the different subsystems of the Earth.

________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

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Name:______________________ Rating:_____________________
Section:_____________________ Date:_______________________

Fill out the table below

Layer of Atmosphere Altitude (km) Temperature

-------------------------------------------------------------------end of lesson 5--------------------------------------------------------------

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References

Earth Science by Angelico G. Reyes and Renato A. Dela Peña, Jr; You and the Natural World (Earth and Life
Science) by Lilia G. Vengco and Theresita F. Religioso.

Science and Today’s World; Earth and Life Science by Shila Rose D. Sia & Leah Amor S. Cortez;Earth and Life Science
by Renato A. Dela Peῆa, Daniel E. Gracilla & Christian R. Pangilinan.

Online Websites:
hongkiat.com, shutterstock.com, dreamstate.com

eschool.today, https://msed252.weebly.com/blog/atmospheric-composition,

https://climateaware.org/greenhouse-gases/.

www.eoearth.org,http://www.hyperphysics.phyastr.gsu.edu/hbase/geophys/earthstruct.html

http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/inside.html

https://pixabay.com/illustrations/activity-icon-training-education-1803710/

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