Cycles of Matter

Question 1

What is the universal solvent?

Answer 1

Water

Question 2

Are the boiling points of water high or low?

Answer 2

High

Question 3

What special property does water have?

Answer 3

adhesive and cohesive properties

Question 4

True of false: Water has a low heat capacity

Answer 4

False

Question 5

Is water polar or non-polar?

Answer 5

Polar

Question 6

What is polarity?

Answer 6

The high electronegitivity of oxygen creates (+) and (-) poles allowing it to bond with either

Question 7

What is a hydrogen bond?

Answer 7

attraction between (-) atom and (+) hydrogen on H2O

Question 8

Is water less dense at solid or liquid state?

Answer 8

solid

Question 9

What happens when ice melts?

Answer 9

its solid crystalline structure starts to break down which allows the molecules to pack closer together

Question 10

What value does H2O have in the biosphere?

Answer 10

• It is able to dissolve many life-sustaining molecules (O2, CO2, salt) for transport to and through living
• weather rocks to create sand/soild and unlock nutrients

Question 11

What temperature is water max. density at?

Answer 11

4 degrees celsius

Question 12

What happens as water sinks and rises?

Answer 12

nutrients and dissolved oxygen cycle with it

Question 13

Why doesn’t water below ice freeze?

Answer 13

Because the ice insalates the deeper water

Question 14

What is adhesion?

Answer 14

attraction to molecules of other substances (specifically polar). Provides an upward force against the pull of gravity.

Question 15

Define “transpiration”

Answer 15

evaporation of water from plants

Question 16

What is cohesion?

Answer 16

attraction of water molecules to each other (via hydrogen bonding). Responsible for surface tention.

Question 17

How do animals lose water?

Answer 17

• breathing
• sweating
• urination
• defecation

Question 18

How do plants lose water?

Answer 18

transpiration

Question 19

What is the most common state of water in the hydrologic cycle?

Answer 19

liquid

Question 20

Is the amount of water in the biosphere finite?

Answer 20

yes, as it is recycled through the hydrological cycle

Question 21

Where does most water evaporation happen?

Answer 21

the ocean

Question 22

Why is water vapor considered a greenhouse gas?

Answer 22

Because it traps and transfers heat within the atmosphere. Liquid water also transfers heat ie. ocean currents

Question 23

Defne “detritus”

Answer 23

once living matter or waste

Question 24

Define “rapid cycling”

Answer 24

nutrients cycling between nutrient reservoirs quickly (humans)

Question 25

Define "slow cycling"

Answer 25

nutrients cycling between nutrients reservoirs slowly (rocks)

Question 26

What are nutrient resivouirs?

Answer 26

Storage points for nutrients

Question 27

What are five examples of nutrient res.

Answer 27

- soil - water - air - rocks - organisms

Question 28

What two cycles are connected?

Answer 28

The carbon and oxygen cycles (CR and Photo...)

Question 29

Is CR and Photo... part of the slow or rapid cycling of nutrients?

Answer 29

rapid (food chain)

Question 30

What are carbon sinks?

Answer 30

reservoirs that absorb more carbon than what is emitted.

Question 31

What role do trees have in carbon reservoirs?

Answer 31

They are able to store large amounts of carbon

Question 32

What is the largest carbon sink?

Answer 32

Oceans

Question 33

What four things use nitrogen?

Answer 33

- Proteins (in amino acids) - DNA - Fertilizers - 78% of the earths atmosphere

Question 34

What are the processes involved in the nitrogen cycle?

Answer 34

1. Nitrogen fixation 2. Nitrification 3. De-nitrification

Question 35

What is the difference between nitrogen fixation and ammonification?

Answer 35

1. Nitrogen fixation: uses atmospheric nitrogen 2. Ammonification: uses organic nitrogen

Question 36

What happens during nitrogen fixation?

Answer 36

- N2 converts to NH3 and NH4+ (ammonia and ammonium) - Done by nitrogen fixing bacteria in the soil

Question 37

Where is nitrogen fixing bacteria found in the soil?

Answer 37

In small lumps called "nodules" on the roots of legumes (peas, alfalfa etc)

Question 38

What happens during nitrification?

Answer 38

- Converts NH3/NH4+ into No2 and NO3- (nitrites/nitrates) - Done by nitrifying bacteria in the soil

Question 39

What happens during denitrification?

Answer 39

- NO3- turns into N2 - Done by denitrifying bacteria in the soil

Question 40

What human impacts effect the nitrogen cycle? and what do they do?

Answer 40

- Eating food/crops (remove nitrogen from soil) - Deforestation ( remove nitrogen from soil) - Fertilizers (return nitrogen to soil) - Overpopulation (too much excretion (nitrogen found in urine))

Question 41

What effects the rate of productivity in an ecosystem?

Answer 41

- # of producers in an ecosystem - Amount of light/heat available - Amount of rainfall

Question 42

Define "productivity"

Answer 42

the rate at which organisms produce new bio mass

Question 43

What is the "Gaia Hypothesis?"

Answer 43

the atmosphere acts like an organism that regulates itself, maintaining environmental conditions with certain limits.