Envir test 1

ecosystem

geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms, as well as weather and landscape, work together to form a bubble of life

systems approach

Introduced in 1968. the breaking down of a complex concept into smaller units for purpose of a better understanding of the whole

regulation

RCRA

public law that creates the framework for the proper management of hazardous and non-hazardous solid waste

(discussion) systems approach

(discussion) issues facing ecosystem

(discussion) why regulations needed?

(discussion) silent spring

by rachel carleson

started modern environmental movement

condemned DDT use→ fragile bird eggs

(discussion) enviromental regulations

(discussion) ethics

stoichiometry

relationships between reactants and/or products in a chemical reaction to determine desired quantitative data

balancing equations

reactants

left side of the equation

products

right side of the equation

chemical equilibrium

state in which there is no chemical driving force favoring a change in the system’s composition

solubility

Defined as the maximum quantity (mass) of a substance (solute) that can dissolve in a unit volume of solvent under specified conditions

acid-base equilibria

the concentrations of acidic and basic species remain constant over time

most produced chem = sulfuric acid

henry’s law

Henry’s law states that the solubility of a gas in a liquid is proportional to the partial pressure of the gas

reaction order

the relationship between the rate of a chemical reaction and the concentration of the species taking part in it

concentration units

Measurements used to express the amount of a substance in a given volume or mass of a solution, commonly including molarity, molality, and percent concentration.

(discussion) types of chemical reactions

Precipitation – Dissolution

Acid – Base

Complexation (Ion-association)

Oxidation – Reduction (Redox)

(discussion) reaction kinetics

the rate at which a chemical reaction proceeds to give products

The rates of almost all chemical reactions are not constant, but change continuously with time until equilibrium is established

(discussion) organic compounds

compounds of carbon that either contain carbon- carbon bonds and/or carbon-hydrogen bonds

(discussion) water chemistry

Water dissolves more substances than any other liquid. Wherever it travels, water carries chemicals, minerals, and nutrients with it (Hence, why it is called the universal solvent)

(discussion) history of henry’s law (handout)

great spheres

lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, cryosphere

abiotic

nonliving

carbohydrates

The most abundant class of organic compounds found in living organisms

Originate as products of photosynthesis

Major source of metabolic energy

Component of the energy transport compound ATP

One of the essential components of DNA & RNA 14

nucleic acid

Store and transmit hereditary information that makes up any organism (DNA)

Environmental exposure to certain chemicals, ultraviolet radiation, or other external factors can cause DNA to change (mutation)

proteins

Called the building blocks of life and found in every organism on Earth

Are the most common molecules found in cells

Made from one or more polypeptide chain and each polypeptide chain is built from amino acids

lipids

Organic molecules that store energy, make up cell membranes, and serve as signaling molecules. They include fats, oils, and steroids.

viruses

Viruses are not alive. They do not have cells

They have genes, they reproduce, and they evolve through natural selection

Half of all human DNA originally came from viruses

Viruses INCREASE the amount of Photosynthesis

responsible for reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by approximately 3 gigatons of carbon per year

(discussion) energy and metabolism

The processes by which living organisms obtain and utilize energy to maintain life, including the conversion of food into energy and the synthesis of biomolecules.

(discussion) importance of photosynthesis

(discussion) 3 main catabolic pathways?

aerobic respiration

anaerobic respiration

fermentation

(discussion) water quality and treatment

(discussion) water-bourne diseaes and transmission pathways

law of conservation of matter

Matter can neither be created nor destroyed

inputs

total mass entering a system

outputs + accumulation

outputs

total mass leaving the system

accumulation

net change in mass within the system over time

input rate – output rate

decay

(or transformation) is usually time dependent, so a reaction rate is associated

inputs=outputs+decay

flowrate

flowrate(Q) = Volume(V) / Time(t)

mixed systems

System in which every drop of fluid is homogeneous with every other drop

non-conservative

When substance of interest is not conserved, but there is no accumulation

CMBR

Continuous mixed batch reactor, used for mixing and reacting materials in chemical processes.

specific heat

the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by 1 degree

BTU

The British Thermal Unit : the energy required to raise 1 lb of water by 1o F

kilocalorie

energy required to raise 1 kg of water by 1o C (from 14.5o C to 15.5o C)

enthalpy

(H): Internal energy of a system plus the product of the pressure and volume of the system

internal energy

the internal state of a system that is due to the energies of the molecular constituents of the system

The change in internal energy during a process is equal to the net heat energy entering the system minus the net work done by the system

phase change

When a substance changes phase, energy is absorbed or released without a change in temperature

he energy required to cause a phase change of a unit mass from a solid to liquid at the same pressure is called the latent heat of fusion or enthalpy of fusion

energy required to change phase from liquid to vapor at constant pressure is called the latent heat of vaporization or enthalpy of vaporization

heat transfer

Conduction

Convection

Radiation

energy balance

net change of energy in the system = total energy crossing boundary + total energy of mass entering the system - total energy of mass leaving the system

(discussion) describe a plug-flow system and reactor

(discussion) what is a step-function response

result of a sudden change in concentration in a system

(discussion) first law of thermodynamics

(discussion) what are the forms of energy

mechanical energy, electrical energy, chemical energy, thermal (heat) energy, radiant (light) energy, sound energy, and nuclear energy

(discussion) difference between open and closed system

open→ matter and energy can pass boundary

closed→ matter and energy cant pass boundary

producers

organisms that take in and use energy from the Sun or some other source to produce food

consumers

organisms that take in energy when they feed on producers or other consumers

decomposers

organisms that take in energy as they break down the remains of organisms

food chain

a series of organisms that pass nutrients and energy to each other when one organism eats another

trophic levels

eutrophication

the process by which a body of water becomes enriched in dissolved nutrients that stimulate the growth of aquatic plant life usually resulting in the depletion of dissolved oxygen

sulfer cycle

soil→ plants→ atmosphere(from photosynthesis/ fossil fuel)→ acid rain→ soil

(discussion) in what ways do humans impact ecosystem

(discussion) bioaccumulation vs biomagnification

Bioaccumulation is the buildup of chemicals in an organism over time

biomagnification is the increase in chemical concentration as it moves up the food chain

(discussion) what are nutrient cycles?

basic elements that make up organisms are recycled indefinity

(discussion) population dynamics

A branch of knowledge concerned with the sizes of populations and the factors involved in their maintenance, decline, or expansion