Coal beds are formed from the accumulation of plant material that becomes trapped in swamp floors. Yet coal deposits are present in the continent of Antarctica, where no swamps or vegetation exists. How can this be?
What will be an ideal response?
Answer: During the Paleozoic, the present-day continents of Africa, Australia, Antarctica, South America, New Zealand, India, and southeastern Asia moved across the South Pole. In late Paleozoic time, these continents collided with North America and Eurasia to form Pangaea. Throughout this time the southern continents experienced cyclic episodes of glaciation. During warmer interglacial stages, Glossopteris and other plants tolerant of the cool, damp climate, flourished and provided the materials for thick seams of coal.
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Galileo's observations of a complete set of phases of Venus proved
a. that Venus orbited the sun. b. that Earth orbited the sun. c. that all of the planets orbited the sun. d. that the moon orbited Earth. e. that Venus had an atmosphere.
A hydrogen atom consists of an electron (with negative charge) orbiting a proton (with positive charge). With the conventional definition of the reference position for electrostatic potential energy, the electrostatic potential energy for this system
A. is positive. B. is zero. C. is negative. D. depends on how fast the electron is moving.
What are some complications that interfere with star formation?
What will be an ideal response?
The Rosetta mission to the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is an example of which kind of robotic space mission?
A) lander/probe B) flyby C) sample return D) orbiter