Earth's 4 Spheres
This sphere contains all the water on Earth, including oceans, lakes, and rivers.
What is the HYDROSPHERE?
This nutrient cycle involves nitrogen changing from the atmosphere into usable forms by plants.
What is the NITROGEN CYCLE?
This process uses sunlight to make glucose in plants.
What is PHOTOSYNTHESIS?
This is the first step in the scientific method where you ask a question about what you observe.
What is an OBSERVATION?
This sphere is made up of all living organisms on Earth.
What is the BIOSPHERE
An excessive amount of nutrients in a body of water (i.e., nitrogen or phosphorus).
What is EUTROPHICATION?
This molecule is the main product of photosynthesis and fuel for cellular respiration.
What is GLUCOSE?
This is an educated guess or prediction that can be tested.
What is a HYPOTHESIS?
This sphere includes the solid outer layer of Earth, such as rocks and soil.
What is the LITHOSPHERE?
The faster process of carbon moving through plants and animals
What is FAST MOVING CARBON?
This process breaks down glucose to release energy for cells.
What is CELLULAR RESPIRATION?
In an experiment, this variable is changed by the scientist.
What is the INDEPENDENT VARIABLE?
This sphere is the layer of gases surrounding Earth.
What is the ATMOSPHERE?
The largest reservoir of carbon on the planet
What is the OCEAN?
The energy-carrying molecule produced in cellular respiration.
What is ATP?
This variable changes in response to the independent variable and is measured.
What is the DEPENDENT VARIABLE?
Interaction between these spheres can cause events like volcanic eruptions affecting the atmosphere and biosphere. Name any two of these Earth spheres.
What are the Lithosphere and Atmosphere (or Hydrosphere and Biosphere, etc.)?
This process converts nitrogen gas from the air into compounds plants can use.
What is NITROGEN FIXATION?
This gas is taken in by plants during photosynthesis and released by animals during cellular respiration.
What is CARBON DIOXIDE?
This type of experiment keeps all variables except one the same to test a hypothesis accurately.
What is a CONTROLLED EXPERIMENT?