Interactions and Ecosystems (Relationships in Nature)
What is an ecosystem?
All the living and non-living things in an area and how they interact.
What are the two main types of plant reproduction?
Sexual reproduction (seeds) and asexual reproduction (vegetative).
What is the difference between heat and temperature?
Temperature measures how hot or cold something is; heat is thermal energy moving from warmer to cooler objects.
What is a force?
A push or pull that can change an object's motion or shape.
Name the three main layers of Earth.
Crust, mantle, and core.
What is the difference between a producer and a consumer?
Producers make their own food through photosynthesis; consumers must eat other organisms.
Name the male and female parts of a flower.
Male: stamen (anther and filament); Female: pistil (stigma, style, and ovary).
Name the three methods of heat transfer.
Conduction, convection, and radiation.
What is the difference between an internal and external force on a structure?
internal forces act within the structure (tension, compression); external forces act from outside (gravity, wind, loads).
What causes earthquakes?
Movement of tectonic plates along fault lines releases energy as seismic waves.
Explain what a food web shows.
All the feeding relationships in an ecosystem, showing how energy flows through multiple interconnected food chains.
What is photosynthesis and where does it occur in a plant?
The process where plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make food (glucose); occurs in the chloroplasts of leaves.
Explain how conduction works and give an example.
Heat transfers through direct contact between particles; example: a metal spoon getting hot in a pot of soup
Name and describe two types of structural stress.
Tension (stretching/pulling apart), compression (squeezing/pushing together), shear (sliding), torsion (twisting), or bending (any two with descriptions).
What is the rock cycle? Name the three types of rocks.
The continuous process of rocks changing from one type to another. Types: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.
What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?
They break down dead organisms and waste, returning nutrients to the soil for producers to use.
Explain two ways seeds can be dispersed.
Wind (dandelion, maple keys), animals (burrs, berries), water (coconuts), or explosion (touch-me-not) — any two.
What is an insulator and why is it useful? Give two examples.
A material that slows heat transfer; useful for keeping things hot or cold. Examples: foam, wool, fiberglass, air, styrofoam (any two).
What is the centre of gravity and why is it important for structures?
The point where an object's weight is balanced; a lower centre of gravity makes structures more stable.
Explain how fossils form and what they tell us.
Dead organisms are buried quickly and minerals replace organic material over time. They provide evidence of past life and environmental conditions.
How can an invasive species disrupt an ecosystem? Give an example.
It competes with native species for resources, may have no natural predators, and can reduce biodiversity. Examples include zebra mussels, purple loosestrife.
How do monocots and dicots differ? Give one example of each.
Monocots have one seed leaf, parallel leaf veins (grasses, corn); dicots have two seed leaves, branching veins (beans, roses).
Explain why a metal bench feels colder than a wooden bench at the same temperature.
Metal is a better conductor, so it transfers heat away from your body faster, making it feel colder even though both are the same temperature.
Explain how a truss makes a structure stronger.
Triangular framework distributes forces evenly and prevents the structure from collapsing; triangles are rigid and don't deform easily.
What is the difference between weathering and erosion?
Weathering breaks down rocks in place (physical or chemical); erosion transports the broken material to new locations (by water, wind, ice, gravity).