Vocab
Matter and the environment
Systems in Environment Science
Earths Spheres
Biochemical Cycles
100
a combination of two or more atoms of the same type or of different types joined by covalent bonds.
What is a molecule
100
The basic units of matter, the smallest units that maintain the chemical properties of an element, are called
Atoms
100
which of Earth's spheres consist of layers of gases surrounding our planet
atmosphere
100
which sphere are humans a part of?
biosphere
100
Nutrients circulate endlessly throughout the environment in complex cycles called
biogeochemical cycles
200
the removable of soil by water, wind, ice, or gravity.
What is erosion
200
Whats more acidic, lemon juice or acid rain?
lemon juice
200
Predator prey relationships are an example of a
negative feedback loop
200
A change in state in which water returns to Earth's surface and changes from a vapor to a liquid is called
condensation
200
Matter that organisms require for their life processes are called
nutrients
300
the depositing of eroded soil at a new location
What is deposition
300
Why is water often called "the universal solvent" ?
it can dissolve many other molecules
300
Earth's _____ consists of all the planet's living or once-living and the nonliving parts of the environment with which they interact.
biosphere
300
the thin layer of rock that forms Earth's outer skin both on dry land and in the ocean is called
crust
300
What products are created by the process of photosynthesis?
oxygen and carbohydrates
400
matter may be transformed from one type to another, but it cannot be created or destroyed
What is law of conservation of matter
400
Water molecules are composed of
one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms
400
Oceans, polar ice caps, and groundwater would all be considered part of Earth's
hydrosphere
400
What is the term for organisms, including plants and algae, that create their own food?
producers
400
what is the term for organisms, including plants and algae, that create their own food?
producers
500
the conversion of nitrogen gas into ammonia
What is nitrogen fixation
500
what are hydrocarbons
organic compounds containing only hydrogen and carbon.
500
in a _____ feedback loop, the output of a system moving in one direction acts as input that causes the system to move in the other direction.
negative
500
What function does carbon dioxide play in Earth's atmosphere?
it keeps Earth warm through the greenhouse effect.
500
during the process of nitrogen fixation, nitrogen gas is converted to
ammonia
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