Chapter 3: Earth's Environmental Systems

Question 1

True or False: Producers are organisms, mainly animals, that must eat other organisms to obtain nutrients.

Answer 1

False
(consumers)

Question 2

True or False: Tectonic plates move apart from one another at convergent plate boundaries.

Answer 2

False
(divergent)

Question 3

True or False: Sometimes, an output of a system is also an input for the same system.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

True or False: Because water molecules are polar, they tend to repel one another.

Answer 4

False
(attract)

Question 5

True or False: A compound is a chemical substance with a given set of properties that cannot be broken down into substances with other properties.

Answer 5

False
(element)

Question 6

All material in the universe that has mass and occupies space is called

A.	covalent.
B.	compound.
C.	matter.
D.	carbon.

Answer 6

C. matter.

Question 7

The central core of every atom, containing particles called protons and neutrons, is called a(n)

A.	electron.
B.	bond.
C.	nucleus.
D.	compound.

Answer 7

C. nucleus.

Question 8

Which type of macromolecule is composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur, and can produce tissues, act as hormones, and serve as enzymes?

A.	proteins
B.	lipids
C.	nucleic acids
D.	carbohydrates

Answer 8

A. proteins

Question 9

Water molecules are composed of

A.	two oxygen atoms and two hydrogen atoms.
B.	one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms.
C.	two oxygen atoms and one hydrogen atom.
D.	one oxygen atom and one hydrogen atom.

Answer 9

B. one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms.

Question 10

A process in which an event acts as both an input and output of the same system is called a(n)

A.	feedback loop.
B.	Earth system.
C.	photosynthesis.
D.	lithosphere.

Answer 10

A. feedback loop.

Question 11

The thin layer of rock that forms Earth’s outer skin both on dry land and in the ocean is called Earth’s

A.	core.
B.	crust.
C.	mantle.
D.	asthenosphere.

Answer 11

B. crust.

Question 12

Which of Earth’s spheres consists of the layers of gases surrounding our planet?

A.	geosphere
B.	biosphere
C.	atmosphere
D.	hydrosphere

Answer 12

C. atmosphere

Question 13

What function does carbon dioxide play in Earth’s atmosphere?

A.	It provides gas for humans to breathe.
B.	It provides a high level of protection from the sun's radiation.
C.	It keeps Earth warm through the greenhouse effect.
D.	It provides liquids for animals to drink.

Answer 13

C. It keeps Earth warm through the greenhouse effect.

Question 14

Water which returns from the atmosphere to Earth’s surface as rain or snow is called

A.	evaporation.
B.	transpiration.
C.	condensation.
D.	precipitation.

Answer 14

D. precipitation.

Question 15

Nutrients circulate endlessly throughout the environment in complex cycles called

A.	eutrophication cycles.
B.	respiration cycles.
C.	photosynthesis cycles.
D.	biogeochemical cycles.

Answer 15

D. biogeochemical cycles.

Question 16

What is the term for organisms, including plants and algae, that create their own food?

A.	consumers
B.	producers
C.	legumes
D.	decomposers

Answer 16

B. producers

Question 17

In extreme cases, eutrophication can lead to extremely low levels of oxygen in a body of water as decomposers break down all the dead producers, a condition called

A.	hypoxia.
B.	nitrogen fixation.
C.	respiration.
D.	photosynthesis.

Answer 17

A. hypoxia.

Question 18

Which of the following are common sources of phosphorus?

A.	gases in the atmosphere
B.	fertilizer and detergent
C.	snow and rain
D.	volcanoes

Answer 18

B. fertilizer and detergent

Question 19

During the process of nitrogen fixation, nitrogen gas is converted to

A.	water.
B.	phosphorus.
C.	ammonia.
D.	carbon dioxide.

Answer 19

C. ammonia.

Question 20

What type of plant is associated with nitrogen-fixing bacteria?

A.	grain crops like wheat and oats
B.	large evergreen trees
C.	legumes, like soybeans
D.	aquatic plants, like algae

Answer 20

C. legumes, like soybeans

Question 21

True or False: Lipids are polymers of amino acids that serve many functions in organisms, such as the production of bones, skin, and muscles.

Answer 21

False

Question 22

True or False: Oceans, polar ice caps, and groundwater would all be considered part of Earth’s atmosphere.

Answer 22

False

Question 23

True or False: Water also enters the atmosphere by condensation, the release of water vapor by plants through their leaves.

Answer 23

False

Question 24

True or False: The nutrients required in relatively large amounts are called micronutrients and include nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus.

Answer 24

False

Question 25

True or False: The phosphorus cycle keeps phosphorus availability naturally high.

Answer 25

False

Question 26

__________ are organic compounds containing only hydrogen and carbon.

Answer 26

Hydrocarbons

Question 27

The acidity or basicity of a solution is described by the __________ scale.

Answer 27

pH

Question 28

In a __________ feedback loop, the output of a system moving in one direction acts as input that causes the system to move in the other direction.

Answer 28

negative

Question 29

As the asthenosphere moves, it drags along large plates of crust called __________ plates.

Answer 29

tectonic

Question 30

In __________, producers pull carbon dioxide out of their environment and combine it with water in the presence of sunlight.

Answer 30

photosynthesis