Chapter 2 Test Essentials

What is earth considered to be

A closed system because no new matter is going to form, what ever matter exists on earth is not going to go away

What is a closed system

A closed system is one generally contained within boundaries and there are no movements into or out of the system

An example of a closed system

A deep sea submersible,air stays in,water stays out

What are hydrogen bonds

A hydrogen bond is a weak chemical bond that forms when hydrogen atoms that are covalently bonded to one atom are attracted to another atom on another molecule Water is a polar molecule because of the unequal bonds between its two hydrogen atom and one oxygen atom

What is the basic unit of energy

A joule. Some other common units of energy include calorie, Calorie, British thermal unit (BTU) and kilowatt hour (kWh)

What is a molecule

A molecule is a particle containing more than one atom A molecule is the smallest particle in a chemical element or compound that has the chemical properties of that element or compound

What are properties of a system

A set of components that function and interact in some regular and theoretically understandable manner Systems have inputs,flows (throughputs), and outputs

What is a system

A system is a set of components or parts that function together to act as a whole

What do we study in a system

A system is a set of interacting components connected in such a way that a change in one part of the system affects one or more other parts of the system A large system may contain many small systems The largest system the environmental science studies is our earth

What is a steady state

A system is in steady state when input equals output Allows us to know whether the amount if a valuable resource or harmful pollutant is increasing, decreasing or staying the same

What is an Atom

An Atom is the smallest particle that can contain the chemical properties of an element Atoms are also made up of subatomic particles like electrons protons and neutrons

What is an open system

An open system is not generally contained within boundaries, and some energy or material moves into or out of the system

What are in organic compounds

Any substance in which two or more chemical elements other than carbon are combined, nearly always in definite proportions as well as some compounds containing carbon but lacking carbon-carbon bonds Ex:h20 Ex:NaCl Ex: Co2 Ex: N20 Inorganic compounds may contain carbon bound to elements other than hydrogen

What determines which organisms can live in the Arctic

Arctic tundra has much less energy available than tropical rainforests sun plants grow more slowly there and do not reach large sizes

So what happened at Mono Lake

As Los Angeles grew it needed more water so they began diverting water from Owens lake first and then mono lake Owens lake dried up completely and mono lake begin to dry up and the salinity increased dramatically killing the aquatic life and setting up a huge ecological disaster Eventually in 1994 in environmentalists were able to get Los Angeles to reduce the amount of water being diverted and to partially refill mono lake

What do atoms consist of

Atoms consist of a positively charged nucleus surrounded by negatively charged electrons Electrically neutral neutrons also occupy the atomic nucleus Electrons orbit the nucleus of the atom Atoms are so small we have to study them indirectly

What will it take to reestablish the water flow patterns in the Everglades

Attention to water conservation Consideration of hydro-periods Removal of over 390 km of inland levees, canals, and water control structures that have blocked natural water movements

How cohesive are water molecules

Attractive forces between the molecules of a liquid water cause it's surface to contract and to adhere to coat a solid This allows plants to have water flow through its roots

So what else happens because of evaporation

Because large amounts of energy are needed for evaporation to take please evaporation is really a cooling process This explains why you feel cooler when perspiration evaporates from your skin

What types of feedback loops regulate Earths climate

Both negative and positive feedbacks

What are the polymer building blocks

Carbohydrates subunit is sugars. Lipids subunit is fatty acids. Proteins subunit is amino acids. Nucleic acid's subunit is nucleotides.

Does half-life have any useful applications

Carbon-14 is useful in carbon dating determining how many years ago an organism died This works because the proportion of carbon-14 slowly decreases after the death of an organism We also calculate half life to find out how long the decay products of nuclear fission in energy production will stay harmfully radioactive Radioactive carbon 14 decays overtime into nitrogen 14

What are positive feedback loops

Causes a system to change further in the same direction....are finite

What are negative feedback loops

Causes a system to change in the opposite direction Helps maintain homeostasis in a system Ex:sweat to cool body

What are compounds

Compounds are composed of two or more different elements held together in fixed proportions by attractive forces called chemical bonds

What are three ways he can be transferred from one place to another

Convection, conduction, radiation,

What are covalent compounds

Covalent or molecular compounds are composed of molecules of uncharged atoms The bonds holding covalent compounds together are covalent bonds where electrons are shared

What is one very effective method to reduce water pollution in the Everglades National Park

Create artificial wetlands upstream of the park

What are diatomic molecules

Diatomic molecules are simply two atoms of the same element covalently bonded to each other

What is half life

Each type of radio isotopes spontaneously decays at a characteristic rate into a different isotope This rate of decay can be expressed in terms of half life the time needed for half of the nuclei in a given quantity of a radio isotope to decay and emit there radiation to form a different isotope

What is electromagnetic energy or radiation

Electromagnetic energy is energy traveling in the form of a wave as a result of changing electric and magnetic fields Each form of electromagnetic energy has a different wavelength The speed of light is 300,000 km Different forms are often summarized in the electromagnetic spectrum

Which way does energy flow

Energy always flows from hot to cold this is another application of the second law of thermodynamics

How do you energy and power compare

Energy is the ability to do work and power is the rate at which work is done Energy equals power x time Power equals energy divided by time

What is energy

Energy is the capacity to do work and transfer heat Most energy on earth comes from the sun Energy conversion by living things is a fundamental component of all environmental systems

What is energy quality

Energy quality is a measure of an energy source is ability to do useful work

What are additional important properties of water

Evaporating liquid water takes large amounts of energy because of the strong forces of attraction between its molecules In order to evaporate liquid water absorbs heat

What is happening to many systems on earth

Greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere are increasing

What is the difference between heat and temperature

Heat is the total kinetic energy of all the moving Atoms, ions, or molecules within a given substance Temperature is the average speed of Motion of the Atoms, ions or molecules in a sample of matter at a given moment

What are some things we might study in the system from the context of environmental science

How codfish survive in the north Atlantic's freezing waters Predator prey relationships between moose and wolves on Isle Royale in upper Michigan How human population growth and climate change or affecting our atmosphere We generally look at relationships of biological components and non-biological components

Why was the comprehensive Everglades restoration plan of 2000 developed

Human development in southern Florida damage to the Everglades from form waste, diversion of freshwater, overgrowth of invasive species that enjoy the changed conditions of the Everglades

What happens as a result of hydrogen bonds

Hydrogen bonds allow water molecules to link together and gives water its many peculiar properties Hydrogen bonds also occur in nucleic acids such as DNA

What does the first law of thermodynamics state

In all physical and chemical changes energy is neither created nor destroyed but it may be converted from one form to another When one form of energy is converted to another form, in any physical or chemical change energy input always equals energy output

How were Los Angeles' water needs satisfied

In order to decrease the amount of water being diverted from mono lake the arid Los Angeles region implemented water conservation techniques such as replacing water intense landscaping with more drought tolerant plants educating citizens to use low flow shower heads water saving toilets

What are ionic compounds

Ionic compounds are made up of oppositely charged ions NaCL is a good example of an ionic compound The forces of attraction between oppositely charged ions are called ionic bonds Ionic bonds are usually not as strong as covalent bonds

What are ions

Ions form when an Atom of an element loses or gains one or more electrons

What is a system analysis

Is conducted by individuals to determine inputs, outputs, and changes in the system under various conditions

What is low-quality energy

Is dispersed and has little ability to do useful work

What happens when an acid dissolves in water

It dissociates into positive hydrogen ions Bases contribute negative hydroxide ions

How is electromagnetic energy carried

It is carried by photons massless packets of energy that travel at the speed of light and can move even through the vacuum of space The amount of energy contained in a photon depends on its wavelength Photons with long wavelengths have low energy while those with short wavelengths have high-energy

What do we mean when we say the pH scale is logarithmic

It means is there is no factor of 10 difference between each number on the scale

What is the law of conservation of matter

It states that matter cannot be created or destroyed it can only change form It tells us that we cannot easily dispose of hazardous materials In exception to the law of conservation of matter is seen in nuclear reactions in which matter may change it to energy

What is a Audubon Society

It was the Audubon Society working together with the city of Los Angeles they finally corrected the salinity problem at mono lake The autobahn society is named after John James Audubon who was a famous artist and ornithologist

What would happen if water did not expand when it freezes

Lakes and streams in cold climates would freeze solid and lose most of the current forms of aquatic life, It can break pipes crack a cars engine lock, Break up streets and fracture rocks that end up as soil particles

What else can liquid water do

Liquid water can dissolve a variety of compounds (this is why there are high concentrations of of ions in seawater) Carries dissolved nutrients into tissues of living organisms flush waste products out of those tissues serve as an all purpose cleaner and help remove and dilute the water soluble waste of civilization

Mono Lake

Located between the deserts of the great basin and the mountains of sierra Nevada California. Has unusual tufa towers of limestone rock unique animal species and frequent dust storms. Is a terminal lake which means water flows in but not out. Mono lake is one of the largest sources of windblown dust in the US.

What is a kilowatt

Measures electricity Kilowatt is a unit of power (kW) The kilowatt-hour (kWh)is a unit of energy The electric bill is given in kWh

Why is the mono lake ecosystem significant

Migrating waterfowl use mono lake as an important stopover Without a healthy Mono Lake many migratory to birds would not have a suitable place to stop over to refuel and rest

What is radioactive decay

Natural radioactive decay is a nuclear change in which unstable isotopes spontaneously emit fast-moving chunks of matter high-energy radiation or both at a fixed rate The unstable isotopes are called radioactive isotopes or radioisotopes

What are somethings that can cause the extinction of species

Natural systems changing introduction of invasive species systems that are not in steady state Human inputs

What are some unique species that live in Mono Lake

Not many organisms can tolerate the high salinity of Mono Lake Water moving into mono lake has high levels of dissolved salts and minerals When the water evaporates whatever was dissolved in the water gets left behind Mono brine shrimp and the larvae of the mono lake alkali I fly or two of only a few organisms that can thrive there

What are feedback loops

Occur when an output of matter,energy or information is fed back into the system as an input and leads to changes in that system

What is a chemical reaction

Occurs when Atoms separate from the molecules they are a part of or recombine with other molecules

What are organic compounds

Organic compounds contain carbon Atoms combined with another and with various other atoms such as hydrogen, nitrogen or chlorine They all have (except one) at least two carbon atoms the only exception is methane CH4 that has only one carbon atom Most molecular compounds are held together by covalent bonds Organic compounds may contain carbon-carbon bonds, carbon-hydrogen bonds, and hydrogen-oxygen bonds

What are some examples of organic compounds

Organic compounds include carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and nucleic acids Complex organic compounds are called polymers because they consist of a number of basic structural or molecular units called monomers that are linked together by chemical bonds

What determines which organisms can live near the bottom of the ocean

Organisms such as the squid live near the bottom of the ocean and must rely on dead biological matter falling from above

What is pH

PH is a measure of the hydrogen ions in a solution PH can be acidic neutral or alkaline (basic) PH runs from 0 to 14 Neutral on the pH scale is 7 If there are more hydrogen ions then hydroxide ions in the solution is acidic If there are more hydroxide ions than hydrogen ions in the solution is alkaline or basic If the amount of hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions are equal the solution is neutral

What are some things being done to restore the Everglades

Reduction of farm pollutants entering the system Restoring Wetlands Increasing water flow to allow more water to reach the Everglades and other South Florida wetlands

What is energy efficiency

Refers to the amount of work that is done to the total amount of energy does introduced into the system in the first place

How is the latent heat of vaporization related to hurricane formation

Refers to the heat lost by the air when liquid water changes into vapor A huge amount of energy is released into the atmosphere reading to a continued build up of the hurricane

What is a chemical formula

Scientists use a chemical formula to represent the number of atoms or ions of each type of compound Formulas use the symbols of elements and subscripts to represent the number of atoms or ions of each element in the compound structural unit

How is sodium chloride produced

Sodium chloride is a fancy name for common table salt Single electron in the outer shell of a sodium atom is transferred to the outer shell of the chlorine atom Elements to gain or lose electrons to form compounds create ionic bonds

What are the two basic types of systems

Systems may be open or closed

What determines which organisms can live in a neutral system

The amount of energy available determines which organisms can live in a natural system The tropical rain forest has abundant energy available from the sun and enough moisture for plants to make use of that energy

What is the atomic number of an Atom

The atomic number number of an atom is equal to the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom The number of protons determines the identity of an atom

Are there any large scale examples of systems

The earth is a large system

What determines which organisms can live in a deep ocean vent community

The energy supporting the deep ocean vet community comes from chemicals emitted from the vent Back to you convert the chemicals into forms of energy that other organisms, such as tubeworms can use

How is the mass number of an atom determined

The mass number of an atom can be determined by adding the number of protons and neutrons of an atom

An example of an open system

The ocean, water moves into ocean from the atmosphere and out of the ocean to the atmosphere

What causes surface tension

The surface tension of water results from the cohesion of water molecules at the surface (Things float)

What are elements

There are 92 naturally occurring elements Elements cannot be separated into simpler substances Elements are found singly in nature or in combination with other elements Elements consist of one type of atom Elements constitute all matter

What are some important properties of water

There are strong forces of attraction (called hydrogen) bonds between molecules of water These attractive forces are the major factor determining waters distinctive properties Liquid water changes temperature slowly because you can store a large amount of heat without a large change in temperature This high heat capacity helps protect living organism from temperature fluctuations

What are time delays

Time delays are often found in complex systems between the input of a stimulus and the response to it Time delays allow a problem to build up slowly without any action

How efficient are the electrical lines that bring you power from DTE

Typically 10% of the energy is lost as heat and sound, so the plan is about 90% efficient When energy conversions are made, energy is often converted into a less unstable form of energy such as heat

What happens when water freezes

Unlike most liquids water expands when it freezes This means the ice floats on water because it has a lower density then liquid water Water is most dense at 4 degrees celcius

What exactly is capillary action

Upward movement of water against the pull of gravity Results when adhesion of water molecules at the surface is stronger than cohesion between molecules

What is an isotope

Various forms of an element having the same atomic number but different mass numbers are called isotopes of that element Isotopes very from each other by the number of neutrons Deuterium has one proton and one neutron where as tritium has one proton and two neutrons

What happens when water absorbs large amounts of heat

Water absorbs large amounts of heat as it changes into water vapor and releases this heat as the vapor condenses back to liquid water This helps distribute heat throughout the world and determine climates in various areas

What else can water do

Water filters are wavelength of the sons ultraviolet radiation that would harm some aquatic organisms

Are there any problems with water being able to dissolve so many things

Water soluble wastes can easily pollute water

What does the second law of thermodynamics state

Whenever energy is change from one form to another we always end up with less on stable energy then we started with Energy is always degraded to lower quality, more disbursed, less useful energy In any heat to work conversion the quality of the energy available after the work is performed will always be less than the initial energy quality We can never recycle or use high-quality energy to perform useful work The cheapest and quickest way for us to get more energy is to stop unnecessarily wasting almost half of the energy we use

What does the second law of thermodynamics tell us about energy efficiency

Whenever one form of energy is transformed into another some of that energy is converted into a less on stable form of energy such as heat

What is the only part of the electromagnetic spectrum we can see

You can only see visible light