CH. 3 Vocab Flashcards
1
Q
Elements
A
A chemical that cannot be broken down or separated into other chemicals
2
Q
Molecules
A
Two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds
3
Q
Atom
A
The most basic subunit of an element; supplies an element’s physical and chemical properties
4
Q
Protons
A
Positively charged particles in the central nucleus of an atom
5
Q
Neutrons
A
The electrically neutral particles in the nucleus of atoms
6
Q
Electrons
A
Negatively charged particles surrounding the nucleus of an atom
7
Q
Mass
A
The property responsible for the gravitational attraction of all matter to all other matter
8
Q
Isotopes
A
Atoms of an element having different numbers of neutrons
9
Q
Radioactive
A
Isotopes that have an unstable nuclei; they spontaneously “decay”, emitting various combinations of high-energy protons, neutrons, electrons, and radiation
10
Q
Half-life
A
The length of time that it takes for half of a collection of atoms to undergo a chemical transformation. Ex.: the length of time required for half of the molecules of a radioisotope to decay
11
Q
Compounds
A
Molecules that are made of more than one element
12
Q
Covalent bonds
A
A strong bond formed when atoms share electrons
13
Q
Ions
A
Electrically charged atoms or molecules for which the atom donating the electron has a net positive charge and the atom receiving the electron has a net negative charge.
14
Q
Ionic bond
A
Chemical bonds that form between positiv ely charged ions and negatively charged ions.
15
Q
Hydrogen bond
A
The bond formed by the attraction between the oxygen atom in one water molecule and a hydrogen atom in another water molecule
16
Q
Solubility
A
The ability of a chemical to dissolve in a particular liquid
17
Q
pH Scale
A
A quantitative representation of the relative amounts of hydrogen hydroxyl (-OH) ions in a substance
18
Q
Organic molecules
A
Molecules composed of carbon atoms that are covalently bonded to hydrogen and other atoms; the primary structural and functional molecules of organisms
19
Q
Inorganic compounds
A
Compounds that are not made up of carbon and hydrogen
20
Q
Hydrocarbons
A
Organic molecules composed entirely of carbon and hydrogen atoms
21
Q
Macromolecules
A
A large complex molecule composed of small organic molecules linked to one another
22
Q
Polymers
A
Simple molecules linked together to form much larger chains or networks.
23
Q
Carbohydrates
A
Organic molecules made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
24
Q
Sugars
A
Carbohydrates with the general chemical formula (CH2O)n, where n is between 3 and 7. A basic source of energy in most organisms and an ingredient in the synthesis of numerous other organic molecules
25
Starch
Polysaccharides composed of hundreds of glucose molecules. The bonds between these glucose molecules are easily broken in animal digestion
26
Cellulose
Polysaccharides composed of hundreds of glucose molecules that are bonded in a way that prevents digestion by most animals
27
Lipids
Organic molecules made of long chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms and a shorter region with one to several oxygen molecules; usually fats and oils.
28
Polysaccharides
Polymers of simple sugar molecules
29
Proteins
Polymers made of nitrogen containing organic molecules called amino acids
30
Catalysts
Substance that promotes chemical reactions without being consumed in the reaction
31
Enzymes
Protein that serves as a catalyst
32
Nucleic acids
Polymers of chemical subunits called nucleotides
33
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
The hereditary material that is passed from generation to generation in all organisms
34
Genes
Segment of DNA that carries the code used to synthesize, or build, specific proteins
35
Ribonucleic acid (RNA)
Various nucleic acids that contain ribose and uracil as structural elements and that play a central role in the synthesis of proteins using information encoded in DNA
36
Transcription
DNA code for a particular gene rewritten as a segment of RNA
37
Translation process
The process of forming a protein molecule using the information contained in RNA, which serves as the template for the assembly of a specific protein
38
Genome
An organism’s complete set of DNA
39
Energy
The capacity to do work
40
Work
The force applied to an object over a distance
41
Potential energy
Energy stored in a system and available to do work in the future
42
Kinetic energy
The energy of motion
43
First law of thermodynamics
Energy can be transformed from one form to another, but it can be neither created nor destroyed; also called the law of energy conservation
44
Second law of thermodynamics
Every energy transformation increases disorder, or entropy. In any energy transformation, energy always tends to go from more usable or higher quality forms, to less usable or lower quality forms, such as heat
45
Entropy
Describes the disorder or disorganization in a system
46
Heat
Energy represented in the random motion of molecules
47
Electromagnetic radiation
The energy of light
48
Electromagnetic spectrum
The full range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths; the energy of photons decreases from short wavelength gamma rays to long wavelength radio waves
49
Temperature
A measure of the average kinetic energy of a collection of molecules
50
Conduction
The direct transfer of heat by means of the collisions of molecules.
51
Convection
Warm regions in a gas or liquid become less dense and rise, causing the gas or liquid to circulate.
52
Radiation
The release of electromagnetic energy
53
Latent heat transfer
Molecules with the highest kinetic energy evaporate, leaving behind molecules with lower kinetic energy and temperature
54
Chemical energy
The potential energy associated with the formation or breakage of bonds between atoms
55
Nuclear energy
The potential energy contained in the structure of matter itself
56
Nuclear fission
occurs when the nucleus of an atom is split, producing two or more smaller nuclei and a great deal of electromagnetic and kinetic energy. The sum of the masses of the resulting products is slightly less than the mass of the original atom. The difference in the mass of the system before and after fission is equal to the electromagnetic and kinetic energy that is released.
57
Nuclear fusion
Occurs when two atoms collide with so much energy that their nuclei fuse, forming an atom of a new element. The fusion of relatively small atoms, such as hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen, released energy as very small amounts of mass are converted to energy.
58
Joule
The energy required to support a 1-kg mass against the force of gravity
59
Calorie
The energy required to raise the temp of 1 g of water by 1 C (1 cal = 4.18 J)
60
Watt-hour (Wh)
The energy unit most commonly used to measure the everyday use of electricity
61
Core
The center of the Earth; it is composed of a mixture of nickel and iron, with smaller amounts of other heavy elements.
62
Mantle
The layer of less dense rock above Earth’s core. The mantle, which is 2,900 km (1800 mi) thick, occupies about 70% of Earth’s total volume
63
Magma
A liquid-like state of rocks in the upper mantle
64
Crust
A thin veneer of solid and relatively light rocks above Earth’s mantle
65
Lithosphere
An area of interaction between the crust and the upper reaches of the mantle; the zone of geologic activity that has shaped Earth’s surface and continues to do so
66
Tectonic plates
A piece or plate of Earth’s crust that floats on top of the mantle. The positions of the plates are not fixed; rather, they slowly move in relation to each other.
67
Transform fault boundaries
The zone along which tectonic plates slide past one another. This sliding may generate earthquakes
68
Divergent boundaries
Separate tectonic plates that are moving apart; boundaries coincide with ocean ridges
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Convergent boundaries
The point at which tectonic plates collide
70
Rock cycle
The process in which elements within Earth’s crust and mantle are slowly converted from one type of rock to another.
71
Igneous rock
Rocks that form as magma solidifies
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Sedimentary rock
Rock that forms when sediments, such as sand, silt, and the remains of dead organisms, become “glued together” under pressure
73
Metamorphic rocks
Rocks that form when great heat and pressure transform the physical and chemical properties of sedimentary or igneous rocks
74
Biosphere
All of the organisms on Earth and the nonliving environment with which they interact
75
Biogeochemical cycle
The flow of matter through an ecosystem
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Pools
In reference to nutrient cycling, a part of an ecosystem in which matter may reside, such as the atmosphere or soil.
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Fluxes
The rate at which matter moves from one pool to another.
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Mass-balance accounting
A method that allows scientists to account for changes in the abundance of an element within the ecosystem.
79
Capital
The total amount (mass) of an element or molecule in a pool.
80
Equilibrium
The condition when competing influences in a system are balanced. For example, when inputs of an element equal outputs from a pool, the capital of the element in that pool remains constant, and the pool is said to be in equilibrium
81
Residence time
The average time that an atom of an element or molecule of a compound spends in a pool; easily calculated as the size of the equilibrium pool divided by the flux through the pool.
82
Cycling time
The average time that it takes an element or molecule to make its way through an entire biogeochemical cycle.
83
Macronutrients
Elements that organisms require in comparatively large amounts, such as carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulfur.
84
Micronutrients
Elements that organisms require in very small amounts, such as molybdenum, manganese, and boron.
85
Atmosphere
The layer of gases above a planet’s surface
86
Atmospheric pressure
The force caused by the pull of gravity on a column of air.
87
Troposphere
The lowest layer of the atmosphere based on differences in temperature and chemical properties.
88
Stratosphere
The layer of the atmosphere that extends from 15 to about 48 km (9-30 mi) above Earth’s surface
89
Ozone layer
The zone in the stratosphere that contains comparatively large amounts of oxygen in the form of ozone (O3)
90
Mesosphere
The layer of the atmosphere where the air temperature can reach lows of -173C (-140F) at about 90km (55 mi)
91
Thermosphere
The layer of the atmosphere that extends about 480 km (300mi) into space.
92
Exosphere
The outermost layer of Earth’s atmosphere where air is so thin that air molecules rarely collide
93
Vapor pressure
The fraction of atmospheric pressure that is a consequence of water molecules
94
Saturation vapor pressure
A measure of the maximum amount of water that air can hold at a given temperature
95
Relative humidity
Measure of the extent to which air is saturated with water vapor, expressed as a percentage; vapor pressure/saturation vapor pressure x 100
96
Dew point
The warmest temp at which the relative humidity of a mass of air is 100%
97
Energy budget
A system of accounting that measures all the energy entering and leaving an ecosystem or the entire Earth
98
Climate
The atmospheric conditions such as temperature, humidity, and rainfall that exist over large regions and relatively long periods of time
99
Weather
Short-term variations in local atmospheric conditions
100
Intertropical convergence zone
The band of rising air at the equator
101
Hadley cells
Each of two atmospheric convection cells on either side of the equator
102
Ferrel cells
Each of two atmospheric convection cells located between latitudes of 30 and 60 degrees
103
Polar cells
Convection cells in the troposphere between latitudes of 60 and 90 degrees
104
Coriolis effect
In reference to the atmosphere, the apparent change in wind direction due to Earth’s rotation. Air moving over the ground in a straight path toward the equator appears to be deflected from east to west. Air moving toward the poles appears to be deflected west to east.
105
Ocean currents
Movement of ocean waters driven by Earth’s rotation, winds, and differences in water temperature
106
Gyres
A pattern of circulation in surface ocean waters that is clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere
107
Overturning ocean circulation
The three-dimensional circulation of ocean water around the world due to the differences in temperature and salinity, causing an exchange of surface water and water from the depths
108
Upwelling
A process in which deep, cold ocean water rises toward the surface.
109
Climatograph
Shows the pattern of seasonal changes in temperature and precipitation for a particular location.
