Chapter 3

Question 0

Atoms

Answer 0

The fundamental units of all elements

Question 1

Matter

Answer 1

Any gas, liquid, or solid that occupies space and has mass

Question 2

Elements

Answer 2

A substance that is made up of one and only one kind of atom

Question 3

Molecule

Answer 3

The smallest unit of two or more atoms forming a compound; has all the characteristics of the compound of which it is a unit

Question 4

Compound

Answer 4

Any substance that is made up of two or more different kinds of atoms bonded together

Question 5

Biosphere

Answer 5

The overall ecosystem of Earth; the sum total of all the biomes and smaller ecosystems, which ultimately are all interconnected and interdependent through global processes such as water cycle and the atmospheric cycle

Question 6

Lithosphere

Answer 6

The Earth’s crust, made up of rocks and minerals

Question 7

Hydrosphere

Answer 7

The water on Earth, in all of its liquid and solid compartments; oceans, rivers, lakes, ice, and groundwater

Question 8

Atmosphere

Answer 8

The thin layer of gases surrounding Earth; nitrogen, oxygen. Water vapor, and carbon dioxide are major gases, while many minor gases are also present in trace amounts

Question 9

Mineral

Answer 9

Any hard, brittle, stonelike material that occurs naturally in Earth’s crust; all minerals consist of various combinations of positive and negative ions held together by ionic bonds; pure minerals, or crystals, are one specific combination of elements; common rocks are composed of mixtures of two or more minerals

Question 10

Energy

Answer 10

The capacity to do work; common forms of energy are light, heat, electricity, motion, and the chemical bond energy inherent in compounds such as sugar, gasoline, and other fuels

Question 11

Kinetic energy

Answer 11

The energy inherent in motion or movement, including molecular movement (heat) and the movement of waves (hence, radiation and therefore light)

Question 12

Potential energy

Answer 12

The ability to do work that is stored in some chemical or physical state; for example, gasoline is a form of potential energy because the ability to do work is stored in the chemical state and is released as the fuel is burned in an engine

Question 13

Chemical energy

Answer 13

The potential energy that is contained in certain chemicals; most importantly, the energy contained in organic compounds such as food and fuels and that may be released through respiration or buring

Question 14

Calorie

Answer 14

A fundamental unit of energy; the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius; all forms of energy can be converted to heat and measured in calories; used in connection with food in kilocalories, or “big” calories, the amount of ht required to raise the temperature of 1 liter of water 1 degree Celsius

Question 15

The law of conservation of energy

Answer 15

The empirical observation, confirmed innumerable times, that energy is never created or destroyed but may be converted from one form to another

Question 16

The first law of thermodynamics

Answer 16

The empirical observation, confirmed innumerable times, that energy is never created or destroyed but may be converted from one form to another

Question 17

Second law of thermodynamics

Answer 17

The empirical observation confirmed innumerable times, that in every energy conversion, some of the energy is converted to heat and some heat always escapes from the system because it always moves toward a cooler place; therefore, in every energy conversion, a portion of energy is lost, and since, by the first law of thermodynamics, energy cannot be created, the functioning of any system requires an energy input

Question 18

Entropy

Answer 18

Degree of disorder; increasing entropy means increasing disorder

Question 19

Enzymes

Answer 19

Proteins that promote the synthesis or breaking of chemical bonds

Question 20

Oxidation

Answer 20

Chemical reaction that generally involves a breakdown of some substance through its combining with oxygen; burning and cellular respiration are examples of oxidation; in both cases, organic matter is combined with oxygen and broken down to carbon dioxide and water

Question 21

Fermentation

Answer 21

A form of respiration carried on by yeast cells in the absence of oxygen; fermentation involves a partial breakdown of glucose (sugar) that yields energy for the yeast and the release of alcohol as a by-product

Question 22

Anaerobic

Answer 22

Lacking oxygen

Question 23

Biogeochemical cycle

Answer 23

pathway by which a chemical substance moves through both biotic (biosphere) and abiotic (lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere) compartments of Earth

Question 24

Nitrogen fixation

Answer 24

The process of chemically converting nitrogen has from the air into compounds such as nitrates or ammonia that can bee used by plants in building amino acids and other nitrogen-containing organic molecules

Question 25

Denitrification

Answer 25

The process of reducing oxidized nitrogen compounds present in soil or water back to nitrogen gas to the atmosphere, conducted by certain bacteria and now utilized in the treatment of sewage effluents

Question 26

Law of conservation of matter

Answer 26

Law stating that, in chemical reactions, atoms are neither created, nor changed, nor destroyed; they are only rearranged