Systems Definitions Flashcards
System Thinking
-A way to simplify and contextualise a complex world (involving key concepts like equilibrium, thresholds, and feedback loops)
-Helps understand how physical landscapes work and how human activity impacts them
System
-A series of interacting components linked by flows of energy and material
-It has boundaries and can be open or closed
Input
Matter or energy moving into a system from the outside
Output
Matter or energy moving from the system to outside the system or to another system
Energy
Power or driving force
Stores/Components
Individual parts/elements of the system
Flows/Transfers
The movement of parts within the system
Processes
The stores/components and inputs are worked upon and changed
Attributes
The characteristics of elements (e.g. hot or cold)
Relationships
Descriptions of how the various elements work together to carry out some sort of process
Isolated Systems
-No interactions with anything outside the system boundary
-There is no input or output of energy or matter
Closed Systems
-Only have energy as their input and output(from beyond the system boundary)
-Matter is contained within the system boundary
Open Systems
-External inputs and outputs of energy
-Matter exchanged/transferred at its boundaries
Cascading System
Energy and materials are transferred from one subsystem to another, creating a chain of interactions
Subsystem
A component of a larger system
Equilibrium
A state of balance within systems where inputs and outputs are equal, and processes maintain the balance
Feedback Loops
Mechanisms in systems to maintain or restore equilibrium; can be positive or negative
Positive Feedback
-Amplifies the change
-Effects of an action/change in the system leads to another change and are multiplied by knock-on/secondary effects, and the change becomes bigger and moves the system further away from balance
Negative Feedback
-Dampens the change(to maintain original condition of system)
-Effects of an action are nullified/minimised by its subsequent knock on effects and is self-regulating to promote stability and maintain equilibrium
Dynamic Equilibrium
When input and output flows balance each other out, resulting in a steady and stable state for the system
