This document provides 117 tips for students taking the New York State Earth Science Regents exam. It reviews key concepts covered on the exam related to Earth science, including properties of matter, Earth's movements and climate, weather and climate patterns, geology and landforms, and more. Students are directed to additional online resources for review materials and practice questions. The tips encourage effective test-taking strategies like using reference tables, process of elimination, diagrams, and time management.

1. L.O: students will
review the 117 ways to
pass the Earth Science
regents exam.

2. Go to:
www.slideshare.net/Lexume1
This site has ALL my review
powerpoints (including this one) and
lots and lots of questions!

3. 1. The same substance
always has the same
density

4. 2.As pressure
increases,
density increases

5. 3.As temperature
increases, density
decreases

6. 4.Water expands
when it freezes

7. 5.Most changes in nature are cyclic.
cyclic changes are predictable (they
happen over and over.)
ex: tides, the movement of celestial
(space) objects, the seasons, earth’s
movements are cyclic

8. examples of cyclic changes: the tides,
the movement of celestial (space)
objects, the seasons earth’s
movements thru space are cyLIC

9. 6.Water is most
dense at 4oC, when it
is a liquid
Liquid water more dense than ice
(solid water)

10. 7.The Universe began
with the Big Bang
explosion 13.7 Billion
years ago..

11. The red shifting
.
Even today all the galaxies continue to
move outward from original explosion

12. The cosmic background
radiation is other proof of
big bang.

13. 8.The true shape of the
Earth is an Oblate
Spheroid, but from
space it looks like a
sphere.
8.The best model of the Earth is a sphere

14. 9.The altitude of Polaris
equals your latitude

15. 9.The altitude of Polaris
equals your latitude
What is the latitude
of this observer?
a. 43° N
b. 43° S
c. 47° N
d. 47° S

16. 9.The altitude of Polaris
equals your latitude
What is the latitude
of this observer?
a. 90º N
b. 66.5º N
c. 43º N
d. 23.5º N

18. 10. Our solar system is located in
one spiral arm of the milky way
galaxy.

19. Base your answer on The diagram below represents a
side view of the milky way Galaxy. At approximately which
position is Earth’s solar system located?
a. A
b. B
c. C
d. D

20. 10. Our solar system is located in one spiral
arm of the milky way galaxy. And our
galaxy is part of the universe.

21. ESRT page: has information on stars

22. ESRT page: has information on the
planets

23. 11.Latitude lines go east-
west, just like the equator,
but measure distances
north or south.

24. 12.Longitude lines go
north-south, but
measure distances
east or west.

25. 13.Longitude is
based on
observations of the
sun

26. 14.Use the reference tables:

27. Page: has latitude & longitude of New
York state cities

28. 15.The closer the isolines (contour-isobar-
isotherms-) are the steeper the slope or
gradient
Close lines =
Steep slope
Far apart lines =
Gentle slope

29. 15.The closer the isolines (contour-isobar-
isotherms-) are the steeper the slope or
gradient

30. 15.The closer the isolines (contour-isobar-
isotherms-) are the steeper the slope or
gradient
What evidence
indicates that the
ocean floor has a
steep slope at point
C?

31. 15.The closer the isolines (contour-isobar-
isotherms-) are the steeper the slope or
gradient
What evidence
indicates that the
ocean floor has a
steep slope at point
C?
Correct
Answer: Isolines are
close together

32. At the time that the weather
data were collected, Albany
was most probably
experiencing
a. a high wind velocity
b. a high temperature
c. the passage of a dry air
mass
d. the passage of a warm air
mass
Base your answer on The weather map
below shows closely spaced isobars in the
region of Albany, New York.

33. At the time that the weather
data were collected, Albany
was most probably
experiencing
a. a high wind velocity
b. a high temperature
c. the passage of a dry air
mass
d. the passage of a warm air
mass
Base your answer on The weather map
below shows closely spaced isobars in the
region of Albany, New York.

34. 16.The earth rotates from west to
east (24 hours). 15 degrees per
hour.

35. The two evidence of Earth rotation: Foucault’s
pendulum and the coriolis effect

36. The apparent change of direction of Foucault’s
pendulum evidence that Earth rotates

37. The Coriolis effect (the curving of Earth’s planetary
winds) evidence that Earth rotates

38. 17.The earth revolves counterclockwise
around the Sun
( 1 degree per day. 365 1/4 days)

39. The seasonal (yearly) change in the
constellations is evidence that Earth
revolves around the Sun.

40. 18.All celestial objects appear to
move west at a rate of 15 degrees per
hour

41. 19.The moon has phases because of it
revolves around The Earth and we view
the lit part at different angles (remember
that half is always lit by the Sun)

42. and we view the lit part at different
angles (remember that half is always
lit by the Sun)

43. Beginning with the Moon at position X (the
new-Moon phase), which sequence of
Moon phases would be seen by an
observer on Earth during 1 month

44. Beginning with the Moon at position X (the
new-Moon phase), which sequence of
Moon phases would be seen by an
observer on Earth during 1 month

45. 20.Planets appear to go backwards
(retrograde) as the earth passes
them in space

46. 21. June 21st: 1st day of summer (summer
solstice)
Tropic of Cancer gets highest angle of
insolation . The Northern Hemisphere
“leans” towards Sun

47. The day is longest on June 21st because
Sun’s path across sky is longest.

48. 22.Winter solstice is December 21st.
Northern hemisphere leans away from
Sun. (but Earth is actually physically closer
to Sun)

49. 22.Winter solstice is December 21st.
Tropic of Capricorn gets the most direct
rays of insolation

50. The day is shortest on December 21st
because Sun’s path across sky is
shortest.

51. 23.Equinoxes: March 21st and
September 23rd. 12 hours of day & 12
hours of night.

52. 24.Equator always has 12 hours
of day-light

53. The sun rises EXACTLY east and sets
EXACTLY west on SEPT 23 and MARCH
21.

54. On JUNE 21 the sun rises NORTH of
east and sets NORTH of west.

55. On DECEMBER 21 the sun rises SOUTH
of east and sets SOUTH of west.

56. 25.The lower the altitude of the sun,
the longer the shadow it casts

57. 25.The lower the altitude of the sun,
the longer the shadow it casts

58. 25.The lower the altitude of the sun,
the longer the shadow it casts

59. 26.Foucault's pendulum and the
Coriolis effect prove the earth rotates

60. 27.Earth is closer to the sun in winter.
Evidence its angular diameter
(apparent size) is larger in winter.

61. 28.Planets orbit in ellipses. The closer
the planet is to the sun the higher it's
velocity
Faster orbital velocity
close to sun
Slower
far
from
sun

62. 31.Black & rough
material absorbs
insolation (light) / light
and smooth materials
reflect light.

63. 32.The half-life of a
radioactive element
can't be changed

64. ESRT page 1 has radioactive decay info.

65. 33.Ocean crust is thin and made of
basalt

66. 34.Continental crust is thick and
made of granite

67. 35.Energy moves
from source to sink:
high to low

68. 36.Mountains
form by uplift

69. 37. Chemical
weathering occurs
mostly in warm,
humid climates

70. 38.Physical weathering occurs mostly
in cold, humid climates (good for frost
wedging)

71. 39.Air moves clockwise and outward
around a high pressure system

72. 40.Air moves counterclockwise and
inward around a low pressure system

73. high pressure system = cool, dry good
weather

74. low pressure system = hot, wet, bad
weather

75. 41.Good absorbers
of radiation are
good radiator

76. 42.Hottest part of
the year is in July
Also July has most
evapotransporation.

77. 43.Hottest part of the day is
after 1:00p.m.

78. 45.As moisture increases,
pressure decreases

79. 46.Air pressure decreases with
altitude

80. 47.Highs are cool and dry; lows are
warm and wet

81. 48.Wind is due to air pressure
differences

82. 49.Wind blows from high to low
pressure

83. 50.Wind is named
from the direction
that it is coming
from

84. 52.The closer the air temperature is to
the dew point temperature, the
greater the chance for precipitation
Why is there
precipitation at this
elevation?

85. 52.The closer the air temperature is to
the dew point temperature, the
greater the chance for precipitation

86. At which station is it raining?

87. 52.The closer the air temperature is to
the dew point temperature, the
greater the chance for precipitation

88. Use to find dew point

89. Use to find humidity

90. Use for read or draw a station models

91. Use to read air masses & fronts

92. 53.Weather moves
from west to east in
the United States

94. 57.Cold fronts move the fastest

95. 58.Porosity does not depend on
particle size
If made from
the same
material,
Different size
particles
same porosity

96. 58.Porosity does not depend on
particle size

97. 59.As particle size increases,
permeability increases

98. 60.Capillarity increases when particle
size decreases

99. 61.Ep (potential
evapotranspiration)
depends on
temperature

100. 62.Dynamic equilibrium
means balance
Why does
location B
show
dynamic
equilibrium?

101. 63.Apparent
diameter of objects
(sun, moon) gets
larger when the
object is closer to
Earth

102. 64.Vertical rays (overhead sun) can only
occur between (tropic of cancer) 23 1/2 oN
and (tropic of capricorn) 23 1/2 oS

103. 65.Index fossils are good time
markers (widely spread, lived a short
time)
Index fossil

104. 65.Index fossils are good time
markers (widely spread, lived a short
time)
Fossil C would
be the index
fossil

106. 66.Air cools as it rises (forming clouds)

107. 67.Nearby Water
bodies moderate
temperature
Nearby large bodies of water keeps the land from
getting too hot in summer or too cold in winter.

108. Warm currents bring warm air from
equator to cold latitudes.

109. cold currents bring cold air from cold
latitude to the equator

111. 69.Gravity causes all erosion

112. 70.Streams are the number one agent
of erosion

113. 71.Stream velocity depends on slope
and discharge

114. 72.Velocity is fastest on the out side
of meander bend

115. 73.Heavy, round and dense particle
settle out first Graded

116. 73.Heavy, round and dense particle
settle out first Graded

117. 74. Bedding (vertical sorting):biggest
sentiments are on bottom

119. 75.Glacial sediments are unsorted,
scratched. Glaciers create U shaped
valleys

120. 76.Sedimentary rocks - strata - flat
layers - most likely to have fossil

122. 77.Igneous rock: cools fast: small
crystals; cools slow: large crystal

124. 78.Metamorphic- banded-
distorted structure

126. 79.Mineral properties depend
on internal atomic arrangement

128. 80.Silicon + oxygen = tetrahedron

129. Page 1 shows the chemical compositions
of crust, hydrosphere & troposphere

130. 81.Isostasy: earth's crust in
equilibrium

131. 82.Mid-ocean ridge - new earth
being created-sea floor spreading

132. 83. Trenches - earth being destroyed-
subduction zone

134. 84.P waves are faster than S wave

135. 85.P waves - solids & liquids can pass
through -- S waves solids only

136. 86.You need 3 seismometer stations
to plot earthquake

137. 87.Undisturbed strata - bottom layer
is oldest

138. 88.Intrusion and faults are younger
than the rock they are in

139. 89.Unconformity means erosion

140. 90.Arid (DRY) landscape:steep slopes
with sharp angles

141. 91.Humid landscape:smooth with
rounded slopes

142. 92.When in doubt, see if the
reference tables will help

143. 93.Uranium
235 dates old
rocksWe know earth is 4.6 billion years old
from the oldest rocks containing
uranium.

144. 94.Carbon 14
dates recent
living objects
Fossils less than 50,000 years old.

145. 95.Convection currents in the mantle
move plates

146. 96.Always try to eliminate two
answers

147. 97.When a rock is broken into
smaller pieces, surface area
increases and weathering rate
increases

148. 98.Use complete sentences for the
free responses. In BLOCK LETTERS!

149. 99.understand this chart:
DATE
(APPROXIMATE
LATITUDE OF
SUN'S DIRECT
RAYS
DIRECTION OF
SUNRISE AND
SUNSET
ALTITUDE OF
NOON SUN
LENGTH OF
DAYLIGHT
Sept. 23
(Autumnal
Equinox
Equator (0o) Rises due East
Sets due West
48o 12 hours
December 21
(Winter Solstice
Tropic of
Capricorn
(23 1/2oS)
Rises in SE
Sets in SW
24.5o (lowest) 8 hours
(shortest day)
March 21 (Vernal
Equinox)
Equator (0o) Rises due East
Sets due West
48o 12 hours
June
21 (Summer
Solstice)
Tropic of Cancer
(23 1/2oN)
Rises in NE
Sets in NW
71.5o (highest) 16 hours (longest
day)

150. 100. USE THE REFERENCE
TABLES

151. 101. Relax--You've already
completed 1/4 of the exam.

152. 102. In part II, choose groups A and
B (rocks & minerals, and plate
tectonics)

153. 103.Take your time.
You have three hours to do the
exam

154. 104.Read introductory paragraphs
and study diagrams before looking
at questions.Underline key words.

155. 105.Draw diagrams to help you
visualize the questions asked -
where possible

156. 106.Use a straight-edge to read
graphics, to mark points on a graph
and to measure distances

157. 107.If certain words cause confusion,
cross them out and substitute a different
word, then read the question
again.(example: substitute the word
"false" for "not true")

158. 108.Don't leave any questions
blank

159. 109.Read all choices before deciding on an
answer, sometimes a question has a good
and a better answer.
Always choose the best answer.

160. 110.If you are not sure of an answer, try to
eliminate choices that you think are
clearly wrong and narrow down your
choices.
Then make your most careful guess.

161. 111.Ask yourself:
Is it in the reference tables, or can the
reference tables help me?

162. 112.Check your test a second time, but
only change an answer if you find an
obvious mistake. Your first choice is
usually correct.

163. 113.Look up formulas, even if you think
you know them.
Substitute information from the question
into the formula. They are on the front
page of the reference tables.

164. 114.Skip over hard questions that are
stumping you. Go back to them later.
Something else in the test may give you a
clue to the harder problems.
I don’t care if you don’t get EVERY answer right.
Just get MOST of them right!

165. 115.Have a healthy meal for dinner
the night before. Eat veggies if
possible.

166. 116.A good night sleep is as
important as the above 112 items.

167. 117.Relax-you've seen all this
stuff before