Lesson 1: Characteristics of the Earth that are Necessary to Support Life Flashcards
Earth as a System
everything is just right
- earth’s position in our solar system
- circumstellar habitable zone (CHZ)
goldilocks zone
most abundant element in Earth
nitrogen
earth’s larger cousins help shield us from all sort of space debris such as asteroids
earth’s orbit and position
5 main factor that make a planet habitable
- temperature
- water
- energy
- atmosphere
- nutrients
(T,W,E,A,N)
quickly atoms and molecules or organism move
temperature
slows down chemical reaction and produces ice
low temperature
cause breakdown of important biological molecule
high temperature
water in different forms
water (liquid)
ice (solid)
evaporation/water vapor (gas)
provides significant insulation/shielding from the sun
atmosphere
provides chemicals needed for life such as; nitrogen and carbon dioxide
atmosphere
sunlight to support life
energy
used to build and maintain organism body structure
nutrients
helps in cycling nutrients
volcanism
