Science: Earth's Systems

Question 1

What is biosphere?

Answer 1

The earth system that includes all living things

Question 2

What is geosphere?

Answer 2

The earth system that includes rocks, soil and sediment (including Earth’s core and mantle)

Question 3

What is lithosphere?

Answer 3

The lithosphere is part of the geosphere and is made up of the rocky parts of earth, and includes the crust and the outer rigid part of the mantle

Question 4

What is atmosphere?

Answer 4

The layer of mixed gasses that surrounds earth.

Question 5

What is hydrosphere?

Answer 5

All water on, under or above Earth’s surface

Question 6

What is distinguish?

Answer 6

To make a clear difference two things.

Question 7

What is greenhouse effect?

Answer 7

Certain gasses in the atmosphere trap heat and cause temperature on Earth to be warm enough to support living things

Question 8

What is interdependent?

Answer 8

Two things dependent on one another

Question 9

What is a system?

Answer 9

A collection of parts that work together

Question 10

What are earth’s 4 major systems?

Answer 10

Geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere

Question 11

True or false: many planets in our solar system have 4 systems like the earth’s.

Answer 11

False.

Many planets have several systems but not all 4. The biosphere (which includes all living things) only exists on earth, in our solar system.

Question 12

Is the geosphere only on the earth’s surface?

Answer 12

No, rocks are present in all parrts of the earth, including below the earth’s surface.

Question 13

What are the earth’s 4 layers, starting from the surface?

Answer 13

Crust.
Mantle.
Outer core.
Inner core.

Question 14

True or false: the inner core of the earth is liquid.

Answer 14

False.

The inner core is solid, while the outer core is liquid.

Question 15

Why can the biosphere support so many living things?

Answer 15

The biosphere contains a wide range of environments that support different species of living things.

The biosphere also contains nutrients that, together with the sun’s energy, support life processes.

Most importantly, the biosphere is made up of interconnected systems that work together in balance, and are interdependent on each other, to make life on earth possible.

Question 16

How do atmosphere and geosphere interact?

Answer 16

Example 1: Gases in the atmosphere react with rocks in the geosphere, and chemical changes will change and wear away rocks. Wind in the atmosphere will carry away parts of rocks. And thus the atmosphere can shape rocks in the geosphere.

Example 2: Air in the atmosphere is constantly moving, and winds will change directions when it meets rocks and mountains in the geosphere. As air rises and then cools when it comes down, water vapors in the air will form clouds, which will eventually release rain or snow (which is a further interaction with the hydrosphere).

Question 17

What are some examples of types of water that make up the hydrosphere?

Answer 17

Oceans, lakes, rain, ice and snow, water vapor, ground water.

Question 18

What are the most plentiful gases in the atmosphere?

Answer 18

Nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%).

Others include: argon (1%), water vapor (<1%), carbon dioxide (<1%).

Question 19

What are the layers of the atmosphere, starting from the lowest?

Answer 19

Troposphere
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere
Exosphere

Question 20

How does the atmosphere help to support life on earth?

Answer 20

It allows visible sunlight to reach the earth, to warm the earth’s surface. It also traps some of that heat to keep the earth warm enough to support life.

Question 21

How does the ozone layer protect the earth?

Answer 21

It protects the earth from solar UV radiation.

Question 22

What are examples of how the atmosphere and hydrosphere interact?

Answer 22

The temperature in the atmosphere determine what kind of precipitation falls to the ground - for example, the cooler it is, the more likely it will snow instead of rain.

Hurricane is another example. They form when a lot of water enter the air due to evaporation of warm ocean water, and when conditions are right, large spiral clouds are formed and storms and hurricanes bring damaging winds and a lot of rain.

Question 23

How do biosphere and atmosphere interact?

Answer 23

Living things in the biosphere take gases such as carbon dioxide and oxygen from the atmosphere for life process such as getting energy, growing, and making food.

One example is plants in the biosphere taking carbon monoxide from the atmosphere to use in photosynthesis.

In these life processes, gases are created which go back into the atmosphere.

Question 24

The earth’s system work in balance to support life. What is an example of life being disrupted when the systems are now in balance?

Answer 24

The greenhouse effect traps heat on earth to make it warm enough to support life. But then too much of certain greenhouse gases are in the atmosphere (when too much fossil fuel is burned), more heat is trapped to make it too warm for certain organisms. For example, certain plants might die when it gets too hot.