APES Vocab FINAL

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Environmental Science for the AP Course Andrew Friedland; Rick Relyea

153 Terms

1

Environment

the sum of all the conditions surrounding us that influence life.

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2

Environmental Science

The field of study that looks at interactions among human systems and those found in nature.

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3

Ecosystem

A particular location on Earth with interacting biotic and abiotic components.

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4

Biotic

Living.

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5

Abiotic

Non-living.

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6

Environmentalism

A social movement that seeks to protect the environment through lobbying, activism, and education.

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7

Environmental Studies

The field of study that includes environmental science and additional subjects such as environmental policy, economics, literature, and ethics.

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8

Ecosystem Services

The process by which life-supporting resources such as clean water, timber, fisheries, and agricultural crops are produced.

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9

Environmental Indicators

An indicator that describes the current state of an environmental system.

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10

Biodiversity

The diversity of life forms in an environment.

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11

Genetic Diversity

A measure of the genetic variation among individuals in a population.

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12

Species

A group of organisms that is distinct from other groups in its morphology (body form and structure), behavior, or biochemical properties.

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13

Species Diversity

The number of species in a region or in a particular type of habitat.

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14

Speciation

The evolution of new species.

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15

Background Extinction Rate

The average rate at which species become extinct over the long term.

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16

Greenhouse Gases

Gases in Earth's atmosphere that trap heat near the surface.

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17

Anthropogenic

Derived from human activities.

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18

Per Capita

Amount per each person in a country or unit of population.

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19

Developement

Improvement of human-well-being through economic advancement.

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20

Sustainability

Living on Earth in a way that allows humans to use its resources without depriving future generations of those resources.

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21

Sustainable Development

Developments that balances current human well-being and economic advancement with resource management for the benefit of future generations.

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22

Biophilia

Love of life.

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23

Ecological Footprint.

A measure of how much an individual consumes, expressed in area of land.

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24

Scientific Method

An objective method to explore the natural world, draw inferences from it, and predict the outcome of certain events, processes, or changes.

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25

Hypothesis

A testable conjecture about how something works.

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26

Variables

Any categories, conditions, factors, or traits that differ in the natural world or in experimental situations.

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27

Independent Variable

A variable that is not dependent on other factors.

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28

Dependent Variable

A variable that is dependent on other factors.

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29

Null Hypothesis

A prediction that there is no difference between groups or conditions that are being compared.

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30

Replication

The data collection procedure of taking repeated measurements.

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31

Sample Size

The number of times a measurement is replicated in data collection.

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32

Accuracy

How close a measured value is to the actual or true value.

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33

Precision

How close the repeated measurements of a sample are to one another.

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34

Uncertainty

An estimate on how much a measured or calculated value differs from a true value.

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35

Theory

A hypothesis that has been repeatedly tested and confirmed by multiple groups of researchers and has reached wide acceptance.

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36

Control Group

In a scientific investigation, a group that experiences exactly the same conditions as the experimental group, except for the single variable under study.

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37

Natural Experiment

A natural event that acts as an experimental treatment in an ecosystem.

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38

Matter

Anything that occupies space and has mass.

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39

Mass

A measurement of the amount of matter an object contains.

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40

Atom

The smallest particle that can contain the chemical properties of an element.

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41

Element

A substance composed of atoms that cannot be broken down into smaller, simpler components.

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42

Periodic Table

A chart of all chemical elements currently known, organized by their properties.

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43

Molecules

A particle that contains more than one atom.

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44

Compounds

A molecule containing more than one element.

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45

Atomic Number

The number of protons in the nucleus of a particular element.

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46

Mass Number

A measurement of the total number of protons and neutrons in an element.

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47

Isotopes

Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons.

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48

Radioactive Decay

The spontaneous release of material from the nucleus of radioactive isotopes.

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49

Half-Life

The time it takes for one-half of an original radioactive parent atom to decay.

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50

Covalent Bonds

The bond formed when elements share electrons.

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51

Ionic Bond

A chemical bond between two ions of opposite charges.

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52

Hydrogen Bond

A weak chemical bond that forms when hydrogen atoms that are covalently bonded to one atom are attracted to another atom on another molecule.

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53

Polar Molecules

A molecule in which one side is more positive and the other side is more negative.

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54

Surface Tension

A property of water that results from the cohesion of water molecules at the surface of a body of water and that creates a sort of skin on the water's surface.

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55

Capillary Action

A property of water that occurs when adhesion of water molecules to a surface is stronger than cohesion between the molecules.

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56

Acid

A substance that contributes hydrogen ions to a solution.

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57

Base

A substance that contributes hydroxide ions to a solution.

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58

pH

The number that indicates the relative strength of acids and bases in a substance.

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59

Ocean Acidification

An increase in the acidity of the oceans.

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60

Chemical Reaction

A reaction that occurs when atoms separate from molecules or recombine with other molecules.

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61

Law of Conservation of Matter

A law of nature stating that matter cannot be created or destroyed; it can only change form.

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62

Inorganic Compounds

A compound that does not contain the element carbon or contains carbon bound to elements other than hydrogen.

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63

Organic Compounds

A compound that contains carbon-carbon and carbon-hydrogen bonds.

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64

Carbohydrates

A compound composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms.

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65

Proteins

A critical component of living organisms made up of a long chain of nitrogen-containing organic molecules known as amino acids.

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66

Nucleic Acids

Organic compounds found in all living cells.

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67

Lipids

A smaller organic biological molecule that does not mix with water.

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68

Cell

A highly organized living entity that consists of the four types of macromolecules and other substances in a watery solution, surrounded by a membrane.

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69

Energy

The ability to do work or transfer heat.

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70

Joule

The amount of energy used when a 1-watt electrical device is turned on for 1 second.

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71

Power

The rate at which work is done.

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72

Electromagnetic Radiation

A form of energy emitted by the Sun that includes, but is not limited to, visible light, ultraviolet light, and infrared energy.

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73

Photons

A massless packet of energy that carries electromagnetic radiation at the speed of light.

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74

Potential Energy

Stored energy that has not been released.

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75

Chemical Energy

Potential energy stored in chemical bonds.

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76

Kinetic Energy

The energy of motion.

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77

Temperature

The measure of the average kinetic energy of a substance.

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78

First Law of Thermodynamics

A physical law which states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed but can change from one form to another.

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79

Second Law of Thermodynamics

The physical law stating that when energy is transformed, the quantity of energy remains the same, but its ability to do work diminishes.

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80

Energy Efficiency

The ratio of the amount of energy expended in the form you want to the total amount of energy that is introduced into the system.

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81

Energy Quality

The ease with which an energy source can be used for work.

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82

Entropy

Randomness in a system.

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83

Open System

A system in which exchanges of matter or energy occur across system boundaries.

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84

Closed System

A system in which matter and energy exchanges do not occur across boundaries.

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85

Inputs

An addition to a system.

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86

Outputs

A loss from a system.

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87

System Analysis

An analysis to determine inputs, outputs, and changes in a system under various conditions.

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88

Steady State

A state in which inputs equals outputs, so that the system is not changing over time.

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89

Negative Feedback Loops

A feedback loop in which a system responds to a change by returning to its original state, or by decreasing the rate at which the change is occurring.

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90

Positive Feedback Loop

A feedback loop in which change in a system is amplified.

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91

Biosphere

The region of our planet where life resides, the combination of all ecosystems on Earth.

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92

Producers

An organism that uses the energy of the Sun to produce usable forms of energy, also known as autotroph.

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93

Autotroph

An organism that uses the energy of the Sun to produce usable forms of energy, also known as producer.

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94

Photosynthesis

The process by which producers use solar energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose.

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95

Cellular Respiration

The process by which cells unlock the energy of chemical compounds.

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96

Aerobic Respiration

The process by which cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy

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97

Anaerobic Respiration

The process by which cells convert glucose into energy in the absence of oxygen.

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98

Consumers

An organism that is incapable of photosynthesis and must obtain the energy by consuming other organisms. Also known as heterotroph.

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99

Heterotrophs

An organism that is incapable of photosynthesis and must obtain the energy by consuming other organisms. Also known as consumer.

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100

Herbivores

A consumer that eats producers. Also known as primary consumer.

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