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AP Environmental Science > APES Essential Vocab/Terms > Flashcards

APES Essential Vocab/Terms Flashcards

1
Q

Organic

A

Complex molecules derived from or produced by living organisms that have carbon-hydrogen bonds

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2
Q

Inorganic

A

Simple molecules derived from nonliving components, that have no carbon-hydrogen bonds

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3
Q

Natural

A

Existing in or caused by nature, not by humankind

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4
Q

Synthetic

A

Not real or genuine; artificial

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5
Q

Kinetic energy

A

Energy of motion

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6
Q

Potential energy

A

Energy that is stored

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7
Q

Radioactive decay

A

The random process in which a nucleus loses energy by emitting radiation

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8
Q

Half life

A

The time it takes for 1/2 of the mass of a radioisotope to decay

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9
Q

Law of Conservation of Matter

A

The amount of matter stays the same, even when matter changes form

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10
Q

1st Law of Thermodynamics

A

Energy is neither created nor destroyed, but may be converted from one form to another

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11
Q

2nd Law of Thermodynamics

A

When energy is changed from one form to another, some useful energy is always degraded to lower quality energy

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12
Q

Entropy

A

The amount of disorganization present in a system

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13
Q

Organism

A

An individual animal, plant, or single-celled life form

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14
Q

Species

A

A group of organisms that can reproduce with one another in nature and produce fertile offspring

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15
Q

Population

A

All the organisms of the same group or species that live in a specific area and are capable of breeding among themselves

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16
Q

Community

A

An interacting group of various species in a shared or common location

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17
Q

Ecosystem

A

A community of organisms together with their physical environment

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18
Q

Producers/Autotrophs

A

Organisms that make their own food, also known as autotrophs

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19
Q

Consumers/Heterotrophs

A

Organisms that eat other living things, also known as heterotrophs

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20
Q

Decomposers

A

An organisms that feeds on and breaks down dead plant or animal matter

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21
Q

Photosynthesis reactants

A
  • Sunlight
  • Water
  • Co2
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22
Q

Photosynthesis products

A
  • Glucose
  • Oxygen
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23
Q

Cellular respiration reactants

A
  • Oxygen
  • Glucose
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24
Q

Cellular respiration products

A
  • Carbon dioxide
  • ATP
  • Water
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25
Aerobic
Living, acting or occurring only in the presence of oxygen
26
Anaerobic
Living, acting, or occurring without oxygen
27
Adaptation
Modification of an organism, making it more fit under the conditions of its environment
28
Mutation
A change in the DNA sequence of an organism
29
Gene
The basic physical and functional unit of heredity
30
Trait
A specific characteristic of an individual
31
Chromosome
The vehicle that carries DNA wrapped around by histone proteins
32
Gene pool
The combination of all the genes, including alleles, present in a reproducing population of species
33
Natural selection
A process by which an organism adapts to its environment through selectively reproducing changes in its genotype
34
Biodiversity
The enormous variety of life on Earth
35
Extinction
The dying out of a species
36
Plate tectonics
A scientific theory that explains how major landforms are created as a result of Earth's subterranean movements
37
Weathering
The breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals on the surface of the Earth
38
Climate change
Significant changes in global temperature, precipitation, wind patterns, and other measues of climate that occur over several decades or longer
39
Minerals
Any inorganic element that is essential to nutrition
40
Rocks
Solid, naturally formed substances that are found in or on the Earth
41
Weather
The state of the air and atmosphere of a particular time and place
42
Climate
The long-term pattern of weather in a particular area
43
Clear Air Act (1963)
The USA's primary federal air quality law, intended to reduce and control air pollution nationwide
44
Clean Water Act (1972)
The USA's primary federal law governing water pollution
45
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) (1973)
International law to protect endangered species from international trade, created by the International Union for Conservation of Nature
46
Kyoto Protocol (1997)
Industrialized nations will reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to below what they were in 1990, created by the UN
47
Montreal Protocol (1987)
Protects the stratospheric ozone layer, created by the UN
48
Endangered Species Act (1973)
The primary law in the USA for protecting and conserving endangered species and their habitats
49
Safe Drinking Water Act (SWDA) (1974)
The principal federal law in the USA, intended to ensure safe drinking water for the public
50
Delaney Cause of Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (1958)
A provision in the Food Additives Amendment that prohibits the addition of cancer-causing chemicals to food
51
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) (1976)
The principal federal law in the USA governing the disposal of solid and hazardous waste
52
Carbon dioxide
CO2
53
Carbon monoxide
CO
54
Glucose
C6H12O6
55
Methane
CH4
56
Hydrogen
H2
57
Water
H2O
58
Hydrogen peroxide
H2O2
59
Nitrogen
N2
60
Nitrous oxide
N2O
61
Nitric oxide
NO
62
Nitrogen dioxide
NO2
63
Nitrate
NO3-
64
Anhydrous ammonia
NH3
65
Ammonium cation
NH4+
66
Oxygen
O2
67
Ozone
O3
68
Phosphorus
P
69
Phosphate ion
PO43-
70
Sulfur
S
71
Sulfur dioxide
SO2
72
Chlorine
CI2
73
Potassium
K
74
Sodium chloride
NaCI
75
Lead
Pb
76
Mercury
Hg
77
Radon
Rn
78
Uranium
U
79
Nitric acid
HNO3
80
Sulfuric acid
H2SO4
81
Carbonic acid
H2CO3

AP Environmental Science (5 decks)

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