Water Cycle
Water droplets form by water molecules being attracted to each other. What term best explains this behavior?
cohesion
How does the Law of Conservation of Matter influence the way we understand chemical reactions and environmental processes, such as energy flow and nutrient cycling?
Matter cannot be created or destroyed
How do humans return nutrients to the environment?
excretion & death
How does the phosphorus cycle differ from other biogeochemical cycles?
Phosphorus is primarily bound in rocks and minerals
How long have humans been on the earth?
200,000 years
How does precipitation, as a process in the water cycle, impact Earth’s surface and influence ecosystems and weather patterns?
Rain, snow, or hail, directly affects ecosystems by providing water for plants and animals, shaping weather patterns and the hydrological cycle.
What are the primary components of the atmosphere, and how do they contribute to maintaining life on Earth and regulating global processes?
Oxygen and nitrogen are essential for life, with oxygen supporting respiration and nitrogen being a major component of the Earth's air that does not directly affect respiration.
T/F Nitrogen fixation converts ammonia to nitrogen gas
False – Nitrogen fixation converts nitrogen gas into ammonia, not the other way around, which is critical for converting nitrogen into usable forms for plants and animals.
What is the primary way humans obtain phosphorus for agricultural and industrial use?
Consuming other organisms
A positive feedback loop occurs when:
A change in one system causes a response that amplifies the initial change
How does the process of evaporation influence the water cycle and contribute to Earth's energy balance?
The change from liquid to gas draws heat from the surface, cooling the environment and contributing to weather patterns.
Nitrogen makes up 78% of our __________ by mass, and is the sixth most abundant element
atmosphere
42) How do human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, contribute to the increase in atmospheric carbon, and what are the long-term impacts on the carbon cycle and climate change? a) Extracting fossil fuels
b) Burning fossil fuels releases carbon into the atmosphere
c) Cutting and burning of forests releases carbon stored in trees
d) All of the above contribute to the increase in carbon emissions and disrupt the natural carbon cycle.
all the above
What crop plays a key role in the nitrogen cycle, and why do they help increase the amount of usable nitrogen in soil compared to other crops?
Legumes increase the amount of usable nitrogen in soil by forming symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia.
Which of the following is an example of a negative feedback loop?
a) The melting of polar ice caps causing more heat absorption, which accelerates the melting
b) Plants increasing photosynthesis in response to higher levels of CO2, reducing the atmospheric CO2 levels
c) The increase in global temperatures causing more evaporation, which leads to more heat
b) Plants increasing photosynthesis in response to higher levels of CO2, reducing the atmospheric CO2 levels
In what way does transpiration, as part of the water cycle, contribute to the atmosphere and affect global climates?
The release of water vapor from plants into the atmosphere, influencing humidity levels and potentially cooling the environment.
What plays a crucial role in all biogeochemical processes, including nutrient cycling and ecosystem health?
the water cycle
Where do researchers THINK the missing carbon sink is located?
Northern forests
How did the development of the Haber-Bosch process revolutionize agriculture and human access to nitrogen, and what are the environmental consequences of human processed nitrogen fixation?
The Haber-Bosch process allows humans to fix nitrogen artificially, producing fertilizers that support agricultural production.
How do permeable rock layers, such as aquifers, influence the movement and storage of groundwater, and what role do they play in the water cycle and ecosystem support?
Aquifers are permeable rock layers that allow groundwater to move and be stored, playing a critical role in water supply and the water cycle.
In what ways do transpiration and evaporation differ in terms of their processes, locations, and impact on atmospheric moisture and weather systems?
Transpiration occurs on the surface of plants, while evaporation occurs on bodies of water.
How does the phase change from liquid to gas affect the mass of water?
Same mass– The mass of water is conserved when it changes from liquid to gas
How do plants take in phosphorus from the soil, and why is phosphorus an essential nutrient for plant growth and metabolism?
Phosphorus is taken up by plants through their roots, where it supports critical metabolic processes like energy transfer and DNA synthesis.
50) Given the symptoms of nutrient overloading and decreased biodiversity in a pond, what is the environmental process occurring, and how does it affect the pond ecosystem over time?
a) Eutrophication which occurs when nutrient loading leads to excessive algae growth, which depletes oxygen and harms aquatic life.
b) Hypoxia which may result from eutrophication
c) Nutrient loading, where excess nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, lead to algal blooms and reduced oxygen levels.
d) All of the above processes contribute to the pond's decline
all of the above
How does the process of photosynthesis utilize carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight to produce glucose?
Six molecules of CO2 are required to form one molecule of glucose