Module 2 – Chemistry Foundations & Earth Systems

Flashcards summarizing key chemistry and Earth-system concepts from Module 2, including matter, chemical reactions, energy changes, Earth’s spheres, biogeochemical cycles, and unique properties of water.

What is the simplest form of matter that has a unique set of properties and is organized on the Periodic Table?

An atom.

Which state of matter very rarely exists naturally on Earth?

Plasma.

What electrical charge does a proton carry?

Positive charge.

What electrical charge does a neutron carry?

No (neutral) charge.

What electrical charge does an electron carry?

Negative charge.

How is matter defined?

Anything that has mass and takes up space (has volume).

In a chemical reaction, what are the substances that start the reaction called?

Reactants.

In a chemical reaction, what are the substances produced called?

Products.

What type of reaction absorbs heat because it requires more energy to break bonds in the reactants than is released in the products?

Endothermic reaction.

What type of reaction releases heat because it requires less energy to break bonds in the reactants than is released when products form?

Exothermic reaction.

If the products of a reaction have higher potential energy than the reactants on an energy diagram, is the reaction endothermic or exothermic?

Endothermic.

If the products of a reaction have lower potential energy than the reactants on an energy diagram, is the reaction endothermic or exothermic?

Exothermic.

Which scientific law states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in ordinary chemical reactions?

The Law of Conservation of Mass.

What name is given to the cycle that describes the continuous movement of carbon among Earth’s spheres?

The Carbon Cycle.

Which of Earth’s spheres includes all living organisms?

The biosphere.

Which of Earth’s spheres consists of Earth’s solid rocky part?

The geosphere (lithosphere).

Which of Earth’s spheres contains all of Earth’s water?

The hydrosphere.

Which of Earth’s spheres is the envelope of gases that surrounds Earth?

The atmosphere.

During the water cycle, what is the process called when plants release water vapor through leaf stomata?

Transpiration.

What term describes precipitation that flows over Earth’s surface into streams and rivers?

Runoff.

Does photosynthesis in plants remove or release carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?

It removes (takes in) carbon dioxide.

Does cellular respiration in animals remove or release carbon dioxide to the atmosphere?

It releases carbon dioxide.

Does burning fossil fuels remove or release carbon dioxide to the atmosphere?

It releases carbon dioxide.

How many hydrogen atoms and how many oxygen atoms make up one water molecule?

Two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.

What type of intermolecular bond forms between separate water molecules due to polarity?

Hydrogen bond.

What partial charge is carried by the hydrogen atoms in a water molecule?

Partial positive charge.

What partial charge is carried by the oxygen atom in a water molecule?

Partial negative charge.

Which two properties of water enable capillary action in plants?

Cohesion and adhesion.

What is the water property called cohesion?

Attraction between water molecules (water-to-water).

What is the water property called adhesion?

Attraction between water molecules and other substances (water-to-surface).

What water property refers to water’s ability to dissolve many solutes?

Universal solvent.

What is meant by water’s high specific heat?

The amount of heat one gram of water must absorb or lose to change its temperature by 1 °C.

What is water’s heat of vaporization?

The amount of energy required to change one gram of liquid water to a gas (vapor).