Ch 2 Key Terms

Question 1

atomic number

Answer 1

of protons

Question 2

Atom

Answer 2

Smallest unit of matter with distinctive chem properties

Question 3

atomic theory

Answer 3

All matter is made up of atoms

Question 4

confirmation bias

Answer 4

bias towards finding the desired answer to a hypothesis.

Question 5

Ecological niche

Answer 5

Role and position a species has in its environment- how it meets needs for food and shelter, survives, and reproduces

Question 6

ecological tipping point

Answer 6

the point at which a fundamental shift in the behavior of an environment occurs.

Question 7

electromagnetic radiation

Answer 7

E travels in the form of a wave as a result of changes in electrical and magnetic fields

Question 8

Electrons

Answer 8

Negatively charged subatomic particles that orbit the outside of atoms

Question 9

Element

Answer 9

One type of atom

Question 10

Energy

Answer 10

Capacity to work or transfer heat

Question 11

energy efficiency

Answer 11

Getting more work out of the E we use (ex: internal combustion engine, LED lightbulbs)

Question 12

energy quality

Answer 12

High vs low, based on capacity to do work

Question 13

environmental tipping point

Answer 13

The point at which a fundamental shift in the behavior of a system occurs

Question 14

Feedback

Answer 14

Any process that increases or decreases a change to a system

Question 15

feedback loop

Answer 15

When an output of matter, energy, or information is fed back into the system as an input and leads to changes in that system

Question 16

first law of thermodynamics

Answer 16

Energy in the universe is constant- (cannot be created nor destroyed)

Question 17

Fundamental niche

Answer 17

Total range of environmental conditions that are suitable for existence without the influence of interspecific competition or predation from other species

Question 18

Heat

Answer 18

Thermal energy

Question 19

high-quality energy

Answer 19

Concentrated energy that has a high capacity to do useful work

Question 20

inputs

Answer 20

what is put into a system.

Question 21

Ion

Answer 21

An atom or a group of atoms with one or more net positive or negative electrical charges

Question 22

Isotopes

Answer 22

Versions of an element that have a different mass number than the original (their # of neutrons are either less or more than the # of protons in an element)

Question 23

kinetic energy

Answer 23

Energy associated with motion

Ex: electricity (movement of electrons)

Question 24

law of conservation of energy

Answer 24

whenever energy is converted from one form to another, no energy is created or destroyed.

Question 25

law of conservation of matter

Answer 25

Whenever matter undergoes a physical or chemical change, no atoms are created or destroyed

Question 26

low-quality energy

Answer 26

Energy that is so dispersed that it has little capacity to do useful work

Question 27

mass number

Answer 27

of protons + neutrons

Question 28

Matter

Answer 28

Anything that has mass and takes up space (can be a physical S, L, or G, and can be a chemical element or compound)

Question 29

model

Answer 29

a way of simulating a system in order to improve understanding of that system.

Question 30

molecule

Answer 30

structure made up of several atoms

Question 31

negative (corrective) feedback loop

Answer 31

Causes a system to change in the opposite direction from which it is moving
Ex: When a tree fals, it creates light and space availability for new plants to grow.

Question 32

Neutrons

Answer 32

No electrical charge- located within the nucleus

Question 33

Niche

Answer 33

All of a species’ interactions with the biotic and abiotic factors of its environment

Question 34

nuclear fission

Answer 34

a process in which an atomic nucleus decays into 2 smaller atoms.

Question 35

nuclear fusion

Answer 35

a process in which 2 atomic nuclei combine to form one or more larger atoms.

Question 36

outputs

Answer 36

the products of a system.

Question 37

organic compound

Answer 37

a compound that usually contains at least 2 carbon atoms.

Question 38

peer review

Answer 38

the act of analyzing or repeating an experiment in order to make sure the findings are credible.

Question 39

periodic table of the elements

Answer 39

a model that categorizes all known elements.

Question 40

positive feedback loop

Answer 40

the output from a system enters the system again as an input and amplifies the response

Question 41

potential energy

Answer 41

Stored energy (because of physical or chemical position

Question 42

protons

Answer 42

positively charged particles in the nucleus of an atom.

Question 43

Realized niche

Answer 43

Describes the part of the fundamental niche that is actually occupied by the species

Question 44

Science

Answer 44

Systematic attempt to uncover natural truths and understand how they work

Question 45

scientific hypothesis

Answer 45

Proposed explanation for an observation/phenomenon- should be testable

Question 46

scientific law (law of nature)

Answer 46

A well tested and widely accepted description of a phenomenon happening repeatedly and in the same way in nature-doesn’t explain why the phenomenon exists or what causes it

Question 47

scientific method

Answer 47

General process that scientists use to discover and test ideas about how the natural world works

Question 48

scientific theory

Answer 48

A well-tested and widely accepted explanation of a phenomenon happening repeatedly and in the same way in nature

Question 49

second law of thermodynamics

Answer 49

E transformations are not completely efficient. When E is converted from one form to another, the result is lower quality E

Question 50

Synergy

Answer 50

When two or more processes interact so that the combined effect is greater than the sum of their separate effects (ex: when geese fly together, each goose provides additional lift and reduces air resistance for the goose flying behind it)

Question 51

System

Answer 51

Set of components that function and interact in some regular way

Question 52

thermal energy

Answer 52

temperature related to average kinetic energy of particles in a substance.

Question 53

Work

Answer 53

When any object is moved (force x distance)

Question 54

Combustion

Answer 54

Combustion is a chemical process in which a substance reacts rapidly with oxygen and gives off heat. The original substance is called the fuel, and the source of oxygen is called the oxidizer. New chemical substances are created from the fuel and the oxidizer. These substances are called exhaust– Any flame requires three ingredients: oxygen, fuel and heat.