Energy and Equilibria 1.3 Flashcards
Second law of thermodynamics
Entropy in an isolated system not in equilibrium will intend to increase over time
Entropy
Degree of disorder or chaos in a system
Thermodynamics
Heat and temperatures and their relation to energy and work
Energy conversions
Never 100% efficient, energy lost to the environment, ex: heat
Thermal death
Heat is a waste energy that can’t do work, so when all energy in a system is heat the universe will be balanced and no increase of entropy is possible
Mesocosm
Bringing a small part of the environment under controlled conditions
First law of mesocosm and thermodynamics
Sunlight refills energy in a system
Second law of mesocosm and thermodynamics
During energy conversions energy is lost as heat to the surroundings
Equilibrium
Tendency to return to the original state following a disturbance
Steady-state equilibrium
Continuous inputs/outputs of energy/matter.
Remains in a constant state.
Typical of open systems.
Static equilibrium
No change over time.
If disturbed will adopt a new equilibrium.
Used for non-living systems.
Stable equilibrium
System tends to return to the original state after a disturbance
Unstable equilibrium
System will reach a new equilibrium after a disturbance
Feedback
New information starts a reaction, which in turn gives more information and starts another reaction
Positive feedback
Enhances change, new state of equilibrium
Negative feedback
Dampens the deviation, returning to original equilibrium
Resilience
Measurement of how much disturbance a system can take without permanently changing
Tipping point
The threshold when an ecosystem shifts from one state to another in which there are significant differences
What is typical of tipping points?
Positive feedback, long-lasting, hard to reverse change, lag between cause and consequence
First law of thermodynamics
Energy can neither be created nor destroyed
