Topic 1 Flashcards
Reductionist approach
When a system is divided into parts, or components, and they’re each studied seperately
What is a holistic approach?
When a system is studied as a whole, and patterns and processes for the whole system are described.
In a system diagram, how are storages and flows represented?
Storages: boxes
Flows: arrows
What are transfers?
Processes that involve a change in location within the system but no change in state.
E.g. Water flowing from groundwater into a river.
What is a system?
An assemblage of parts and the relationships between them, which together constitute an entity or whole
What are transformations?
Transformations lead to the formation of new products or involve a change in state.
Gaia hypothesis
Compares the Earth to a living organism in which feedback mechanisms maintain equilibrium.
Describes how living and non-living components of the global biosphere regulate the conditions for life on Earth.
Developed by James Lovelock and named after an ancient Greek Earth goddess
What is open system?
Exchange both matter and energy with their surroundings.
What is a closed system?
Exchange only energy but not matter with their surroundings
What is an isolated system?
These do not exchange either matter or energy with their surroundings
What is the first law of thermodynamics?
States that energy entering a system equals energy leave it.
E.g. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed
What is the second law of thermodynamics?
States the energy in systems is gradually transformed into heat energy due to inefficient transfer, thereby increasing disorder.
What is entropy?
A measure of the amount of disorder, chaos or randomness in a system; the greater the disorder, the higher the level of entropy
What is equilibrium?
A state of balance among the components of a system.
Steady-state equilibrium
The condition of an open system in which there are no changes over the longer term, but in which there may be oscillations in the very short term.
