environmental unit 1 test
a feedback loop occurs when an output is fed back into a system that leads to changes in that system. [true or false]
true
a scientific hypothesis must be testable. [true or false]
true
an ecological tipping point marks a state in which an ecosystem can sustain itself. [true or false]
true
as a society, living sustainably means protecting earth's natural capital and living on its natural income. [true or false]
true
biodiversity is one key to the long-term sustainability of life on earth. [true or false]
true
energy is the capacity to do useful work. [true or false]
true
experiments are designed so that the control group differs from the experimental group by one key variable. [true or false]
true
in a healthy, functioning ecosystem, chemicals and nutrients are constantly recycled and reused. [true or false]
true
in a process called photosynthesis, plants capture solar energy in their leaves and use it in combination with carbon dioxide and water to form organic molecules. [true or false]
true
organic compounds always contain carbon. [true or false]
true
people with differing environmental world-views may view the same data about environmental issues but draw different conclusions about how best to act in response to the data. [true or false]
true
president theodore roosevelt played a major role in the conservation movement in the early 20th century. [true or false]
true
the air we breathe consists mostly of nitrogen. [true or false]
true
the average individual ecological footprint varies between areas or countries. [true or false]
true
the concept of gravity an example of a scientific law. [true of false]
true
two or more atoms can combine to form a molecule [true or false]
true
whenever matter undergoes a physical or chemical change, no atoms are created or destroyed. [true or false]
true
because scientists cannot actually precisely measure a process like soil erosion over the entire planet, they must _____.
use statistical sampling and mathematical models to produce estimates
a scientific law is a(n) _____.
well-tested and widely accepted description of repeated occurrences in nature
the main focus of conservation is to _____.
!demand government action to pass environmental laws
matter can exist in three physical states—solid, liquid, and compound. [true or false]
!false
living off earth's natural income may be compared to _____.
!living off the interest of a $1 million investment
which of the following would decrease the T factor in the IPAT model?
!solar energy
a positive feedback loop _____.
causes a system to change further in the same direction in which it is moving
when coal is burned completely in a power plant, the solid carbon in the coal combines with oxygen gas from the atmosphere to form carbon dioxide. what type of change is this?
chemical change
combinations of two or more different elements held together in fixed proportions are known as _____.
compounds
using natural resources is considered a sustainable practice because most natural resources are in limitless supply and cannot be degraded or depleted. [true or false]
false
point sources of pollution are dispersed and often difficult to identify. [true or false]
fasle
john muir, a preservationist, wanted wilderness areas on some public lands to be _____.
left untouched and protected indefinitely
which of the following is NOT a result of affluence that is harmful to the environment?
lower birth rates
the second law of thermodynamics states that whenever energy is converted from one form to another in a physical or chemical change, you end up with _____ energy than before.
lower-quality energy than before
together, natural resources and ecosystem services are referred to as _____.
natural capital
which of the following is NOT a factor of sustainability?
natural capital
ions are _____.
atoms with a positive or negative charge
a life-centered worldview is particularly concerned with which of the following?
avoiding human activities that may hasten the extinction of other species
what is one effect of relying on natural income?
a reduced ecological footprint
which of the following qualifies as point-source pollution?
a sewer pipe dumping raw sewage into a stream
the most effective way to deal with pollution is to focus on cleanup efforts. [true or false]
false
which of the following is the primary cause of the tragedy of the commons?
each individual has little stake in common resources.
the idea that people are part of, and dependent on, nature represents a(n) _____.
earth-centered environmental worldview
the number of _____ in an atom determines which element it is.
electrons
when coal is burned completely into carbon dioxide and other gases, the total amount of matter of the gases _____.
equals the mass of the coal
a human-centered worldview states that humans, as the owners of earth, can treat resources as they see fit. [true or false]
false
a scientific hypothesis is a scientific theory that has been thoroughly tested. [true or false]
false
affluence (wealth) has only harmful environmental effects. [true or false]
false
all plants and some animals make up the trophic level of producers. [true or false]
false
an acidic solution has a pH greater than 7. [true or false]
false
earth's hydrosphere consists of liquid water only. [true or false]
false
ecosystem services are services that are supplied by humans for the environment. [true or false]
false
energy associated with motion is called potential energy. [true or false]
false
herbivores are secondary consumers.
false
in an efficient physical change, more energy comes out than goes in. [true or false]
false
one of the main goals of environmental science is to help humans use the environment in a way that is economically profitable. [true or false]
false
oxygen in an ecosystem is consumed by animals but not by plants. [true or false]
false
preservation focuses mainly on preserving resources so that they can be used by people. [true or false]
false
scientists read each other's work only after it is published. [true or false]
false
the human population is growing at a steady rate. [true or false]
false
how does full-cost pricing help create economic sustainability?
full-cost pricing reflects the true environmental cost of goods and services
the acidity of a solution is based on the comparative amounts of hydrogen ions and _____ ions.
hydroxide
after scientists analyze data from an experiment, they can propose a(n) _____ that they can test.
hypothesis
in a coal-burning power plant, the coal is an example of a system _____.
input
if you drop a book from your hand to the floor, some of the _____ energy of the book will be converted to _____ energy.
potential; kinetic
to be considered _____, a theory must be supported by multiple sources of evidence.
reliable
consider the controlled experiment on runoff from forested and deforested valleys as discussed in chapter 2. what were the results?
runoff in the deforested valley increased and soil erosion also increased
which resource does NOT need to be cycled by ecosystems because a continuous, unlimited supply is available?
solar energy
suppose you are part of a community with a sustainable yield of fish. which of the following would be true?
the rate of harvest does not exceed the fish population's rate of recovery.