Question | Answer |
Environmental System | A set of interacting components connected in such a way that a change in one part affects other parts of the system. |
Matter | anything that occupies space and has mass |
Mass | measures the amount of matter in an object |
Atom | smallest particle that has the chemical and physical properties of an element |
Element | a substance made of one type of atom |
Molecules | particles that contain more than one atom bonded to each other; the smallest particle of a compound |
Compound | substance with molecules that have atoms bonded to each other |
Atomic Number | the number of protons in an element |
Protons | positive, subatomic particle found in nucleus |
Electrons | negative, subatomic particle found in orbitals around the nucleus |
Neutrons | neutral, subatomic particles found in nucleus |
Orbitals | probable location of an electron; different orbitals have different amounts of energy, shapes, and volume |
Mass Number | number of protons plus neutrons |
Isotopes | atoms of the same element with a different mass number because the number of neutrons is different |
Radioactive Decay | a spontaneous release of radiation from the nucleus |
Parent Nuclide | the unstable atom before radioactive decay |
Daughter Nuclide | the atom after radioactive decay |
Half-life | the time it takes for half of the parent nuclides to decay into daughter nuclides |
Carbon-dating | a method used to date artifacts by comparing the ratio of carbon-12 to carbon-14 |
Chemical bond | the attraction between two atoms due to the sharing or transfer of electrons |
Covalent bond | a chemical bond created when two atoms share a pair of electrons |
Ionic bond | a chemical bond created when one atom transfers and electron to another atom; this creates two ions with opposite charges that are attracted to each other |
Hydrogen bond | the hydrogen atom in a polar covalent bond is attracted to a lone pair of electrons on an atom in a different molecule |
Polar Molecule | a molecule with one side that is more positive and the other side is more negative; these are partial charges |
Cohesion | water molecules are attracted to each other because of hydrogen bonds |
Adhesion | water molecules are attracted to solids because of hydrogen bonds |
Surface Tension | a ‘skin’ on the surface of water because of cohesion |
Capillary Action | the movement of water through thin tubes due to the adhesive force being greater than the cohesive force |
Solvent | a substance that can dissolve another substance; water is a good solvent |
Acids | a substance that increases the hydrogen ion concentration in a solution |
Bases | a substance that increases the hydroxide ion concentration in a solution |
Nitric Acid formula | HNO3 |
Sulfuric Acid formula | H2SO4 |
pH | measures the strength of an acid or base |
Chemical Reaction | atoms in one molecule separate and recombine with atoms in a different molecule to form a new substance |
Law of Conservation of Matter | matter cannot be created nor destroyed during a chemical reaction |
Inorganic Compounds | compounds that don’t have carbon or don’t have carbon bonded to hydrogen |
Organic Compounds | found in life and have carbon-carbon or carbon-hydrogen bonds |
Macromolecules | large organic compounds found in life: carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids |
Carbohydrate | compounds that have carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. They store a lot of energy. |
Glucose formula | C6H12O6 |
Monosaccharide | simple sugar like glucose |
Polysaccharide | chains of simple sugars such as starches |
Cellulose | a polysaccharide found in plants; used for making ethanol |
Protein | long chains of amino acids |
Enzymes | proteins that help control the rates of chemical reactions |
Nucleic Acids | organic compounds found in all living cells; building blocks for DNA and RNA |
DNA | DeoxyriboNucleic Acid; genetic material that has the codes for making proteins needed by the organism and which passes traits onto the next generation |
RNA | RiboNucleic Acid; genetic material that translates the code in DNA into the manufacturing of proteins |
Lipids | include fats, waxes, and steroids; part of cell membranes |
Cells | the smallest structural and functional component of an organism |
Organelles | structures inside a cell with specific functions like storage, protein-synthesis |
Unicellular | single-celled organisms |
Multicellular | organisms made of many cells |
Energy | the ability to do work or transfer heat |
Electromagnetic Radiation | a form of energy in the form of wave-particles; includes visible light, UV |
Photon | a packet of electromagnetic radiation; a packet of energy |
Joule (J) | the amount of energy used when a 1-watt light bulb is turned on for 1 second; unit is watt/sec |
calorie (with a lower-case c) | amount of energy it takes to heat 1 gram of water 1 oC |
Joule-calorie Conversion | 1 calorie equals 4.184 J |
Calorie (with a capital c) | 1000 calories or 1 kcal |
Btu | British Thermal Units; amount of energy it takes to heat 1 pound of water 1 oF |
Btu-Joule Conversion | 1Btu equals 1,055 Joules |
watts | W; a unit of power |
kW | kilowatts; 1000 watts; a unit of power |
kWh | kilowatt-hour; amount of energy expended by using 1 kilowatt for 1 hour |
kWh-Joule Conversion | 1kWh equals 3,600,000 Joules |
Power | the rate at which work is done; energy/time |
Potential Energy | stored energy that is available to do work |
Kinetic Energy | the energy of motion |
Chemical Energy | potential energy stored in chemical bonds |
Temperature | measures the average kinetic energy in a substance |
First Law of Thermodynamics | energy is neither created nor destroyed |
Second Law of Thermodynamics | When energy is transformed, the quantity of energy remains the same but some of it is lost to unusable heat energy. The amount of entropy increases. |
Energy Efficiency | the ratio of the amount of work that is done to the total amount of energy that is introduced into the system in the first place |
Energy Quality | the ease with which an energy source can be used for work |
Entropy | the amount of randomness in a system; entropy is always increasing in the universe |
Open System | the exchanges of matter or energy happen across system boundaries |
Closed System | matter and energy exchanges do not happen across system boundaries |
Inputs | additions to a given system |
Outputs | losses from a given system |
Systems Analysis | an analysis of the inputs, outputs and changes to a system |
Steady State | inputs equal outputs in a system; the system does not change over time |
Feedback | in a cyclical process, the results of the process affect the rate of the process |
Negative feedback loop | the results of the process cause the rate of the process to decrease; it does not imply being ‘bad’ |
Positive feedback loop | the results of the process cause the rate of the process to increase; it does not imply being ‘good’ |
Adaptive Management Plan | a flexible plan that changes to accommodate future changes |