Chap 2: Environmental Systems Flashcards

1
Q

Define

Matter

A

Anything that occupies space and has mass

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2
Q

Define

Mass

A

A measurement of the amount of matter an object contains

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3
Q

Define

Atom

A

The smallest particle that can contain the chemical properties of an element

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4
Q

Define

Element

A

A substance composed of atoms that cannot be broken down into smaller simpler components

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5
Q

Define

Molecule

A

A particle that contains more than one atom

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6
Q

Define

Compound

A

a molecule containing more than one element

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7
Q

Define

Hydrogen Bond

A

a weak chemical bond that forms when hydrogen atoms that are covalently bonded to one atom are attracted to another atom on another molecule

The hydrogen bonds between water molecules are represented by the dash line.
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8
Q

Define

Polar Molecule

A

A molecule in which one side is more positive and the other side is more negative

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9
Q

Hydrogen bounding makes water molecules stick strongly to one another in an action known as ____.
Hydrogen bonding also makes water molecules stick strongly to certain other substances, an action known as ____.

A
  1. cohesion
  2. adhesion
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10
Q

Name 4 characteristic properties of water that make life on earth possible.

A

Surface tension
Capillary Action
Boiling and freezing point
Solvent (including capacity to dissolve acid and base)
Structure

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11
Q

Hydrogen bonds makes it possible for water molecule to cohere with one another. Explain why this property make life on Earth (as we know it) possible.

A

Hydrogen bonds give water it’s characteristic boiling and freezing point. Because of cohesion, water can be a solid, a gas and, more importantly, a liquid at Earth’s surface temperatures.

THe hydrogen bonding between water molecules means that it takes a great deal of energy to change the temerature of water. Theus the water in organisms protects them from wide temperature swings.

Hydrogen bonding also explains why geographic areas near large lakes or oceans have moderate climates.

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12
Q

Liquid water is denser than solid water (ice). Why does it matter for life on Earth (as we know it).

A

Water occupy a larger volume in it’s solid form, and is therefore less dense, that water in it’s liquid form.
Because ice water is less dense that liquid water, it floats.
If ice was denser than liquid water, lake and ponds would freeze from the bottom up!

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13
Q

Define

Surface Tension

A

A property of water that results from the cohesion of water molecules at the surface of a body of water and that creates a sort of skin on the water’s surface.

Surface tension also makes water droplets smooth and more or less spherical.

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14
Q

Define

Capillary Action

A

A property of water that occurs when adhesion of water molecules to a surface is stronger than cohesion between molecules.
The absorption of water by a paper towel or a spnge is the result of capillary action.
This property allows the transport of water up tree trunks and allows for the upward movement of water through soil.

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15
Q

Define

Acid

A

When an acid is dissolved in water, it realease an hydrogen (H+).

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16
Q

Define

Base

A

a substance that contributes hydroxide ions (OH-) to a solution.
ex: Household bleach (pH 12) and Seawater (pH 8).

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17
Q

Define

pH

A

The number that indicates the relative strength of acids and bases in a substance

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18
Q

Define

Ocean acidification

A

An increase in the acidity of the oceans caused primarly by the uptake of carbone dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.

19
Q

The pH of ranges for 0-14
A pH value of 7 is ___
A pH above 7 is ___
A pH below 7 is ___

A

neutral
basic
acidic

20
Q

Law of conservation of matter

A

A law of nature stating that matter cannot be created or destroyed; it can only change form

21
Q

Inorganic compounds

A

Counpounds that do not contain carbon or do caontain carbon, but only carbon bound to elements other that hydrogen.
ex: NH3
NaCl
H2O
CO2

22
Q

Organic compounds

A

Compounds that have carbon-carbon or carbon-hydrogen bonds.

23
Q

Name the 4 groups of biological macromolecules

A
  1. Carbohydrates
  2. Proteins
  3. Lipids (fats)
  4. Nucleic Acid (DNA, RNA)
24
Q

Energy is the ability to…

A

…do work or transfer heat.

25
Q

Joule

A

The amount of energy used when 1 watt electrical device is turn on for 1 second.

26
Q

Power

A

The rate at which work is done
Power = Energy/Time

27
Q

What is the name of the measure of the average kinetic energy of a substance?

A

Temperature

28
Q

Name 4 different form of energy

A

Electromagnetic radiation
Kinetic energy
Potential energy
Chemical energy

29
Q

First law of thermodynamics

A

Energy is neither created or destroyed but can be converted form one form to another.

30
Q

Second law of thermodynamics

A

When energy is transformed, the quantity of energy remains the same, but it’s ability to do work diminishes.

or

Whenever one form of evergy is transformed into another, some of that energy is converted into a less usable form of energy, such as heat.

31
Q

Energy efficiency

A

The ratio of the amount of energy expended in the form you want to the total amount of energy that is introduced into the system.

32
Q

Energy quality

A

The ease with which an energy source can be used for work

33
Q

entropy

A

randomness in a system
All systems move towards randomness rather than towards order.

34
Q

Open system

A

A system in which exchanges of matter or energy occur across system boundaries.

35
Q

Closed system

A

A system in which matter and energy excanges do not occur across system boundaries

36
Q

Input

A

An addition to a system
Ex: at mono lake, input of the systems are water and salt.

37
Q

Output

A

A loss from a system
Ex: At Mono Lake, outputs are water that evaporates from the lake and brine srimp removed by migratory birds.

38
Q

System analysis

A

An analysis to determine inputs, outputs, and changes in a system under various conditions.

39
Q

Steady state

A

A state in which inputs equal outputs so that the system is not changing over time.
This type of information is use to determine if a valuable resource or a harmful pollutant is increasing, decreasing or staying the same.
One part of a system can be in steady state while another is not. For exemple, the MOno Lake system was in steady state with respect to water but not with respect to salt. The inflow of water equaled the rate of water evaporation but salt was slowly accumulating, as it does in all terminal lakes.

40
Q

Negative feedback loop

A

A feedback loop in which a system responds to change by returning to it’s original state, or by decreasing the rate at which the change is occuring.
ex: Mono Lake: when the water level dorps, the lake surface area is reduced and evaporation decreases. As a result of the decrease in evaporation, the lake level rises again.

negative feedback loop on the left
41
Q

Positive feedback loop

A

A feedback loop in which change in a system is amplified.
Ex: As members of a species reproduce, the create more offspring that will be able to reproduce in turn, creating a cycle that increases the population size.

positive feedback loop on the right
42
Q

A terminal lake like Mono Lake is an example of
a) a closed system
b)an open system with only inputs
c)an open system with only outputs
d)an open system with both inputs and outputs.

A

d)
Even at remote Mono Lake, water flows in and birds fly to and from the lake.

43
Q

The concept of energy efficiency is used to quantify
a) the first law of thermodynamics
b )the second law of thermodynamics
c) conservation of matter
d) energy quality

A

b) The second law of thermodynamics.
Every time there is a conversion of energy from one form to another, some of that energy will be lost as heat.
Energy efficiency is the ratio of the amount of energy in the desired form to the total amount of evergy that is introduced into the system.
The process of turning coal into electricity is 35% efficient, the rest of the energy for the coal (65%) is lost as waste heat.