APES Final

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699 Terms

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Fracking
Hydraulic fracturing, a method of oil and gas extraction that uses high-pressure fluids to force open cracks in rocks deep underground
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Environment
the sum of all the conditions surrounding us that influence life
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Environmental science
The field of study that looks at interactions among human systems and those found in nature
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Ecosystem
A particular location on Earth with interacting biotic and abiotic components
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Biotic
Living
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Abiotic
Non-living
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Environmentalist
A person who participates in environmentalism, a social movement that seeks to protect the environment through lobbying, activism, and education
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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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Ecosystem services
The processes by which life-supporting resources such as clean water, timber, fisheries, and agricultural crops are produced
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Environmental indicator
An indicator that describes the current state of the environmental system.
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Biodiversity
The diversity of life forms in an environment
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Genetic diversity
A measure of the genetic variation among individuals in a population
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Species
a group of organisms that is distinct from other groups in its morphology, behavior, or biochemical properties
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Species diversity
The number of species in a region or in a particular type of habitat
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Speciation
The evolution of new species
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Background extinction rate
The average rate at which species become extinct over the long term
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Greenhouse gasses
Gasses in Earth's atmosphere that trap heat near the surface
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Anthropogenic
Derived from human activities
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Development
Improvement in human well-being through economic advancement
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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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Sustainable development
Development that balances current human well-being and economic advancement with resource management for the benefit of future generations
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Biophilia
Love of life
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Ecological footprint
A measure of how much an individual consumes, expressed in area of land
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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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Hypothesis
A testable conjecture about how something works
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Null hypothesis
A prediction that there is no difference between groups or conditions, or a statement or an idea that can be falsified, or proved wrong.
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Replication
The data collection procedure of taking repeated measurements
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Sample size
The number of times a measurement is replicated in data collection
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Accuracy
How close a measured value is to the actual or true value
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Percision
How close the repeated measurements of a sample are to one another
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Uncertainty
An estimate of how much a measured or calculated value differs from a true value
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Theory
A hypothesis that has been repeatedly tested and confirmed by multiple groups of researchers and has reached wide acceptance
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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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Natural experiment
A natural event that acts as an experimental treatment in an ecosystem
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Matter
Anything that occupies space and has mass
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Mass
A measurement of the amount of matter an object contains
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Atom
The smallest particle that can contain the chemical properties of an element
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Element
A substance composed of atoms that cannot be broken down into smaller, simpler components
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Periodic table
A chart of all chemical elements currently known, organized by their properties
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Molecule
A particle that contains more than one atom
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Compound
A molecule containing more than one element
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Atomic number
The number of protons in the nucleus of a particular element
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Mass number
A measurement of the total number of protons and neutrons in an element
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Isotopes
Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons
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Radioactive decay
The spontaneous release of material from the nucleus of radioactive isotopes
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Half-life
The time it takes for one-half of an original radioactive parent atom to decay
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Covalent bond
The bond formed when elements share electrons
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Ionic bond
A chemical bond between two ions of opposite charges
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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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Polar molecule
A molecule in which one side is more positive and the other side is more negative
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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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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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Acid
A substance that contributes hydrogen ions to a solution
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Base
A substance that contributes hydroxide ions to a solution
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pH
The number that indicates the relative strength of acids and bases in a substance
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Chemical reaction
A reaction that occurs when atoms separate from molecules or recombine with other molecules
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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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Inorganic compound
A compound that does not contain the element carbon or contains carbon bound to elements other than hydrogen
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Organic compound
A compound that contains carbon-carbon and carbon-hydrogen bonds
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Carbohydrate
A compound composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms
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Protein
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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Nucleic acid
Organic compounds found in all living cells
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DNA
A nucleic acid, the genetic material that contains the code for reproducing the components of the next generation, and which organisms pass on to their offspring.
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RNA
A nucleic acid that translates the code stored in DNA and allows for the synthesis of proteins.
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Lipid
A smaller organic biological molecule that does not mix with water
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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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Energy
The ability to do work or transfer heat
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Joule
The amount of energy used when a 1-watt electrical device is turned on for 1 second
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Power
The rate at which work is done
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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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Photon
A massless packet of energy that carries electromagnetic radiation at the speed of light
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Potential energy
Stored energy that has not been released
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Chemical energy
Potential energy stored in chemical bonds
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Kinetic energy
The energy of motion
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Temperature
A measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a substance
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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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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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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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Energy quality
The ease with which an energy source can be used for work
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Entropy
Randomness in a system
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Open system
a system in which exchanges of matter or energy occur across system boundaries
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Closed system
A system in which matter and energy exchanges do not occur across boundaries
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Input
An addition to a system
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Output
A loss from a system
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Systems analysis
An analysis to determine inputs, outputs, and changes in a system under various conditions
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Steady state
A state in which inputs equal outputs, so that the system in not changing over time
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Negative feedback loop
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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Positive feedback loop
A feedback loop in which change in a system is amplified
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Transform fault boundary
An area where tectonic plates move sideways passed each other
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Acid Precipitation
Precipitation high in sulfuric acid and nitric acid from reactions between water vapor and sulfur and nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere
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Biosphere
The region of our planet where life resides, the combination of all ecosystems on Earth (from the bottom of the ocean to the highest peak)
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Producer
An organism that uses the energy of the Sun to produce usable forms of energy (also known as autotroph)
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Photosynthesis
The process by which producers use solar energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose
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Cellular respiration
The process by which cells unlock the energy of chemical compounds
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Aerobic respiration
The process by which cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy, carbon dioxide, and water
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Anaerobic respiration
The process by which cells convert glucose into energy in the absence of oxygen
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Consumer
An organism that is incapable of photosynthesis and must obtain its energy by consuming other organisms (also known as heterotroph)
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Primary consumers
A consumer that eats producers (herbivore)
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Secondary consumers
A consumer that eats other consumers (carnivore)
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Tertiary consumers
A carnivore that eats secondary consumers