KS3 Science · Chemistry
Earth and atmosphere
Seven short lessons. Look at the picture, learn three things, then play.
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Key words
Crust The thin, solid outer layer of the Earth
Mantle The thick layer of hot rock under the crust
Core The centre of the Earth, made mostly of iron and nickel
Magma Molten rock below the surface of the Earth
Igneous rock Formed when magma cools and turns solid
Sedimentary rock Formed from layers of sediment squashed and stuck together
Metamorphic rock Formed when heat and pressure change an existing rock without melting it
Sediment Small pieces of rock that settle in layers
Weathering The wearing down of rock by physical, chemical or biological processes
Erosion The movement of pieces of rock by water, ice or wind
Rock cycle The processes that change rocks from one type to another
Atmosphere The layer of gases around the Earth
Carbon cycle How carbon moves between the air, living things and the ground
Fossil fuel Coal, oil or natural gas, formed from the remains of dead organisms
Greenhouse gas A gas that stops some energy escaping from the Earth to space
Global warming The gradual rise in the average surface temperature of the Earth
Natural resource A material from the Earth that we use to make things
Recycling Processing a used material so that it can be used again