Earth Systems Year 9

Year 9

Water cycle

The continuous movement of water on, above, or beneath the surface of the Earth.

Evaporation

The process of liquid water turning into gas.

Precipitation

Small droplets of water in clouds form larger droplets and fall as rain, hail or snow - Liquid to Solid

Transpiration

Plants release water vapour from tiny pores in their leaves

Condensation

Water vapour in the air turns into liquid droplets, forming clouds and fog

Runoff

Liquid water flows downhill in streams and rivers

Infiltration

Rainwater soaks into the ground and flows through soil and rock layers

Hydrosphere

The water in all its forms on Earth.

Biosphere

The system of living things on Earth, such as humans, plants, and animals.

Geosphere

Earth's metallic core, solid rock, molten rock, soil and sediments

Atmosphere

The mixture of gases surrounding the planet Earth.

Albedo Effect

The measure of how much sunlight is reflected from a surface.

Terrestrial radiation

Air, land and water heat up by absorbing electromagnetic radiation from the Sun. This is short-wavelength, high-energy visible radiation. When these materials absorb the radiation, they transform the energy into heat.

The air, land and water then transform the heat back into electromagnetic radiation, but because they are not very hot the radiation is lower-energy long-wavelength infrared radiation. This is called terrestrial radiation because it comes from the Earth's air, land and water.

Conduction

The transfer of heat through matter from areas of higher temperature to lower temperature without movement of matter.

Convection

The movement of heat in fluids (liquids and gases) where warmer areas rise and cooler areas sink.

Endothermic reactions

Reactions that absorb heat from their surroundings.

Exothermic reactions

Reactions that release heat to their surroundings.

Photosynthesis

The process by which plants use sunlight to make their own food, they do this by converting carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen.

It is an endothermic process. 

It turns light energy to chemical energy

Word Equation for Photosynthesis

Carbon dioxide + water + energy → glucose + oxygen.

Chemical Equation for Photosynthesis

CO2 + H2O + energy → C6H12O6 + O2.

Cellular Respiration

Respiration is the reaction that releases the chemical energy in glucose for use in life processes. Most plants and animals use this reaction to release energy in cells, essential for growth, repair and reproduction.

It is an exothermic reaction as it releases energy.

Word Equation for Cellular Respiration

Glucose + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water + energy.

Chemical Equation for Cellular Respiration

C6H12O6 → CO2 + H2O + energy.

Potential energy in water cycle

The energy contained in water vapour when it evaporates.

Electromagnetic radiation

Energy emitted by the sun, which includes visible light.

Heat transfer methods

The various ways heat moves, including conduction, convection, and radiation.

Albedo effect for white surfaces

These surfaces reflect most of the light, which means that due to less light being absorbed, it won’t make the surface as hot.

Dark Surfaces

Dark objects reflect poorly, meaning that most of the light is absorbed into the objects as heat.

If the albedo for the Earth is 0.3 and the Moon has an albedo of 0.1. Which planet absorbs more

The Moon absorbs more because the closer it is to 0 the more it absorbs

A surface that reflects no radiation at all has an albedo of 0, something that reflects all radiation has an albedo of 1, and something that reflects half of the radiation it is exposed to has an albedo of 0.5.

What is the sequence for solar radiation

Solar radiation — terrestrial radiation + reflected radiation

What is the sequence for Terrestrial radiation

Terrestrial radiation — radiation absorbed by the atmosphere + the radiation emitted as infrared radiation

Evaporation in movement of energy

Water also transports energy due to evaporation. It takes energy to change liquid water into water vapour, even if the temperature stays the same. So whenever water evaporates, energy transfers into the atmosphere.