Environment S (Qs) Unit 3

Question 1

Using the equation for photosynthesis, explain how producers remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Answer 1

First off, The equation for Photosynthesis is Carbon dioxide plus water, which produces oxygen and glucose
So to answer the question, Producers absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through their leaves in order to make oxygen and glucose

Question 2

Explain why plants and animals can’t use the nitrogen gas in the atmosphere

Answer 2

Nitrogen is triple bonded and animals do not have the metabolism to break it down.

Question 3

Explain why Phosphorus is important for living organisms

Answer 3

Phosphorus is crucial for living organisms because it is a molecule in DNA, Which organisms need for instructions on how to function/make themselves

Question 4

How does first law of thermodynamics connect with this statement: You cannot get more energy out of a system than you put into the system

Is it possible to get less energy out than you put in

Answer 4

First off, the first law of thermodynamics states “Energy can not be created or destroyed only changed from one form to another”

Because of this, the statement is true. It is not possible to get more or less energy out of a system then you put in it.

Question 5

Why are animals at the top of food chains more vulnerable than other animals when the input of energy to the ecosystem is disrupted

Answer 5

Normally, very little energy is available to those at the top because of ecological efficacy (10 percent rule

If there is a disruption and less energy goes into the food chain, said energy cannot make it as far. Thus, Those at the top are affected first because those species originally had 1% of energy, now they may only have .1% (which is not enough to support many organisms)