Energy, organism and biosphere

Question 1

What does H represent in thermodynamics?

Answer 1

H = energy (enthalpy)

Enthalpy is a measure of the total energy of a thermodynamic system.

Question 2

In what unit is energy (enthalpy) measured?

Answer 2

Measured in Joules

Joules is the SI unit of energy.

Question 3

What does S represent in thermodynamics?

Answer 3

S = entropy (disorder)

Entropy is a measure of disorder or randomness in a system.

Question 4

How does an ecosystem compare to a mixture of its constituent atoms in terms of order and energy?

Answer 4

An ecosystem is more ordered (lower S) and has more energy (higher H) than a mixture of its constituent atoms

This indicates that ecosystems maintain a higher level of organization than simple mixtures.