Earth and Environmental Systems Exam Questions with Correct Answers
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Course
Earth\\\'s Systems
Institution
Earth\\\'s Systems
Define the term "ecosphere" and its four major components. - Answer-Ecosphere-"home" "sphere"
1. Geosphere (rocks, soil)
2. Hydrosphere (water)
3. Atmosphere (air)
4. Biosphere (life)
Three ways humans interact with and influence the global environment. - Answer-The Economy:
1. Raw Materia...
Earth and Environmental Systems Exam
Questions with Correct Answers
Define the term "ecosphere" and its four major components. - Answer-
Ecosphere-"home" "sphere"
1. Geosphere (rocks, soil)
2. Hydrosphere (water)
3. Atmosphere (air)
4. Biosphere (life)
Three ways humans interact with and influence the global environment. - Answer-The
Economy:
1. Raw Materials Resource (Inputs)
2. Waste Receptacle (Outputs)
3. Life Support System
Three types of systems and their characteristics. - Answer-1. Isolated-neither matter nor
energy cross systems
2. Closed-only energy crosses boundaries, matter is fixed and
finite.
3. Open-matter and energy crosses the system (lifeforms)
What type of system is earth? And what does this imply about the earth's system? -
Answer-Closed-energy crosses a boundary. Any one change in one place will change in
another: interdependence for closed system
Define reservoir. - Answer-Place where material is held for a long time.
Define Flux. - Answer-The movement of matter or energy.
Define Residence Time. - Answer-Time a particle spends in a particular system.
Define turnover time. - Answer-Time it takes for a reservoir to gain a new set of
material.
Define Source. - Answer-Inputs FROM a reservoir.
Define sink. - Answer-Outputs TO a reservoir.
Define Perturbation. - Answer-Sudden change to the source (source/sink) Like CO2
outputs causing inbalance.
Define Positive and Negative Feedback. - Answer-Positive: Causes problems-changes
in reservoirs effects itself
, (halted by a negative)
Negative: Initial change in system that changes another
system, that then reverses the changes in the initial system.
What are the ultimate natural sources of energy for the Earth System? - Answer-Solar,
geothermal, and gravitational (tital).
First Law of Thermodynamics. - Answer-When two systems are in thermal equilibrium,
with a third body, then they are also in thermal equilibrium with each other, and all
bodies the same temperature.
Second Law of Thermodynamics. - Answer-In a system of constant mass, the energy
involved in any physical or chemical change is neither created nor destroyed, but
changes from one form to another.
What is the movement of material between the subsystems of the ecosphere? -
Answer-Biogeochemicalcycling: "life" "earth" "chemicals/compounds"---Repeatable
movement. (Carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, phosphorous cycle, and sulfur cycle.)
What does "atom" mean? Is this meaning appropriate? - Answer-Means "indivisible"
Three subatomic particles and their electric charges. Where do they exist? - Answer-
Protons (+)-Nucleus
Neutrons -Nucleus
Electrons (-)-orbit the nucleus in shells of 2,8,8 electrons
Are the particles in the atom's nuclear heavier or its outer shell? - Answer-Nucleus is
heavier.
Do fission and fusion involve the nucleus of the atom or its outer shell? - Answer-
Fusion-small nuclei fuse together
Do chemical reactions involve the nucleus or its outer shell? - Answer-Outer shell
reactions
Define ion. - Answer-Atoms with an unequal number of protons and electrons
(+) Cation
(-) Anion
Define isotope. - Answer-Different number of neutrons, same number of protons.
Two most abundant elements in the Universe? - Answer-Hydrogen and Helium
Six most abundant elements in the Earth's crust, in order of abundance. - Answer-O
Si
Al 90% of atoms in the earths crust
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