Lesson 2: The Science of Environmental Science

Question 1

It is anything that occupies space and has mass

Answer 1

Matter

Question 2

Two Types of Matter

Answer 2

Molecules
Elements

Question 3

It is matter that has only one type of atom and are the building blocks of molecules

Answer 3

Element

Question 4

Composed of two or more elements

Answer 4

Compound

Question 5

Law of Conservation of Matter

Answer 5

Matter cannot be destroyed but transformed

Question 6

The First Law of Thermodynamics

Answer 6

Energy cannot be created or destroyed but changes form

Question 7

The Second Law of Thermodynamics

Answer 7

An isolated system’s entropy will always increase

In a transformation, some energy is converted to heat

Question 8

Compounds with usually carbon-hydrogen and carbon-carbon bonds

Answer 8

Organic Compounds

Question 9

Compounds that usually lacks a carbon-hydrogen bond

Answer 9

Inorganic Compunds

Question 10

Two Types of Energy

Answer 10

Potential
Kinetic

Question 11

Energy of an object to do something

Answer 11

Potential

Question 12

Energy in motion

Answer 12

Kinetic

Question 13

Levels of Organization

Answer 13

Individual
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biome
Biosphere

Question 14

Life Support Systems

Answer 14

Atmosphere
Lithosphere
Hydrosphere
Biosphere

Question 15

Refers to one organism

Answer 15

Individual

Question 16

Refers to many organisms but only one species

Answer 16

Population

Question 17

Refers to many organisms but with many species

Answer 17

Community

Question 18

Refers to many communities along with the environment in a given area

Answer 18

Ecosystem

Question 19

Refers to the community formed because of the environment

Answer 19

Biome

Question 20

Refers to all areas that compose life

Answer 20

Biosphere

Question 21

Air

Answer 21

Atmosphere

Question 22

Crust

Answer 22

Lithosphere

Question 23

Water

Answer 23

Hydrosphere

Question 24

All living things

Answer 24

Biosphere

Question 25

an unconfirmed explanation of an observation that can be tested

Answer 25

Hypothesis

Question 26

used to test hypotheses by gathering data or evidence

Answer 26

Scientfic Method

Question 27

explanation of an observation through repeated observations and hypothesis testing

Answer 27

Scientific Theory

Question 28

explanation of an observation, and is proven over and over

Answer 28

Scientific Law

Question 29

It is the process of converting solar energy into chemical energy stored in food

Answer 29

Photosynthesis

Question 30

the process of releasing chemical energy stored in food to be used by living things

Answer 30

Respiration

Question 31

This law states that the existence, abundance and distribution of a species is determined by levels of one or more physical and biological factors.

Answer 31

Law of Tolerance

Question 32

Refers to the variety of genetic material within a species or a population

Answer 32

Genetic Diversity

Question 33

the number of species present in different habitats

Answer 33

Species Diversity

Question 34

the variety of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems found in an area

Answer 34

Ecological Diversity

Question 35

the variety in the biological and chemical processes needed for the survival of species, communities and ecosystems

Answer 35

Functional Diversity

Question 36

Heterotrophs

Answer 36

Consumers

Question 37

Autotrophs

Answer 37

Producers

Question 38

Energy Flow in Ecosystems

Answer 38

Food Chains Food Webs Trophic Levels

Question 39

sequence of organisms which is a source of food for the next.

Answer 39

Food Chain

Question 40

multiple food chains interacting with each other

Answer 40

Food Web

Question 41

each step in the flow of energy through an ecosystem

Answer 41

trophic levels

Question 42

the rate at which an ecosystem's producers capture and store chemical energy as biomass in a particular amount of time

Answer 42

GPP (Gross Primary Productivity)

Question 43

the rate at which all the plants in an ecosystem produce net useful chemical energy

Answer 43

NPP (Net Primary Productivity)

Question 44

NPP = GPP - Respiration

Answer 44

Net Primary Productivity is equal to the difference between the rate at which the plants in an ecosystem produce useful chemical energy (e.g. carbohydrates) and the rate at which they use some of that energy through cellular respiration.

Question 45

Maturity and Horizons of Soil

Answer 45

Surface litter layer Top soil layer (humus) Sub soil Parent material

Question 46

Importance of Soil

Answer 46

Provides most of the nutrients for plant life Cleans water Decompose and recycle biodegradable wastes

Question 47

these are global cycles that recycle nutrients through the air, land and water

Answer 47

Biogeochemical Cycles

Question 48

Explain the Water Cycle

Answer 48

Water from oceans and transpired from trees are transferred to the clouds in the for of evaporation, water there cools and condenses forming clouds. when the clouds get heavy it is distributed in the land through precipitation. From the land the water travels back through the seas and oceans through runoff

Question 49

Explain the Carbon Cycle in a Marine Environment

Answer 49

Phytoplankton remove it from the water through photosynthesis. Converts to carbohydrates. Zooplankton respire, breaking carbohydrates back to CO2.

Question 50

Explain the Carbon Cycle in a Terrestrial Environment

Answer 50

CO2 is released when animals respire, the CO2 is then converted to Oxygen through Photosynthesis and is used by the animals to respire. When living things die they turn to carbon which is the source of natural gas, which is burned by factories for consumption emitting carbon

Question 51

Explain the Nitrogen Cycle

Answer 51

Nitrogen Gas is fixated by Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria and turned to ammonia, Nitrifying Bacteria turn the ammonia into Nitrates and Denitrifying bacteria turn these nitrates back to Nitrogen.

Question 52

Explain the Phosphorus Cycle

Answer 52

Weathering. Absorption by Plants. Absorption by Animals. Return to the environment through decomposition.

Question 53

discover facts about the natural world and the principles that explain these facts

Answer 53

Goal of Science

Question 54

one that can be proven false

Answer 54

Testable

Question 55

factors that might affect observations

Answer 55

Variables

Question 56

can be altered

Answer 56

Laboratory

Question 57

Difficult to alter

Answer 57

Field

Question 58

Ecosystem Components

Answer 58

Abiotic Biotic

Question 59

Limiting Factors in Terrestrial Environments

Answer 59

Precipitation Temperature Soil nutrients

Question 60

Limiting Factors in Aquatic Environments

Answer 60

Temperature Sunlight Nutrients Dissolved oxygen Salinity

Question 61

Biological Components in an Ecosystem

Answer 61

Heterotrophs Autotrophs

Question 62

Variations in Texture and Posterity

Answer 62

Rocks -> gravel -> sand -> silt -> clay

Question 63

Cycles are driven by what factors?

Answer 63

Solar Energy Gravity