APES Final

Fracking

Hydraulic fracturing, a method of oil and gas extraction that uses high-pressure fluids to force open cracks in rocks deep underground

Environment

the sum of all the conditions surrounding us that influence life

Environmental science

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

Ecosystem

A particular location on Earth with interacting biotic and abiotic components

Biotic

Living

Abiotic

Non-living

Environmentalist

A person who participates in environmentalism, a social movement that seeks to protect the environment through lobbying, activism, and education

Environmental studies

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

Ecosystem services

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

Environmental indicator

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

Biodiversity

The diversity of life forms in an environment

Genetic diversity

A measure of the genetic variation among individuals in a population

Species

a group of organisms that is distinct from other groups in its morphology, behavior, or biochemical properties

Species diversity

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

Speciation

The evolution of new species

Background extinction rate

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

Greenhouse gasses

Gasses in Earth's atmosphere that trap heat near the surface

Anthropogenic

Derived from human activities

Development

Improvement in human well-being through economic advancement

Sustainability

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

Sustainable development

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

Biophilia

Love of life

Ecological footprint

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

Scientific method

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

Hypothesis

A testable conjecture about how something works

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.

Replication

The data collection procedure of taking repeated measurements

Sample size

The number of times a measurement is replicated in data collection

Accuracy

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

Percision

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

Uncertainty

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

Theory

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

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.

Natural experiment

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

Matter

Anything that occupies space and has mass

Mass

A measurement of the amount of matter an object contains

Atom

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

Element

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

Periodic table

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

Molecule

A particle that contains more than one atom

Compound

A molecule containing more than one element

Atomic number

The number of protons in the nucleus of a particular element

Mass number

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

Isotopes

Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons

Radioactive decay

The spontaneous release of material from the nucleus of radioactive isotopes

Half-life

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

Covalent bond

The bond formed when elements share electrons

Ionic bond

A chemical bond between two ions of opposite charges

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

Polar molecule

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

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

Capillary action

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

Acid

A substance that contributes hydrogen ions to a solution

Base

A substance that contributes hydroxide ions to a solution

pH

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

Chemical reaction

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

Law of conservation of matter

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

Inorganic compound

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

Organic compound

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

Carbohydrate

A compound composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms

Protein

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

Nucleic acid

Organic compounds found in all living cells

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.

RNA

A nucleic acid that translates the code stored in DNA and allows for the synthesis of proteins.

Lipid

A smaller organic biological molecule that does not mix with water

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

Energy

The ability to do work or transfer heat

Joule

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

Power

The rate at which work is done

Electromagnetic radiation

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

Photon

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

Potential energy

Stored energy that has not been released

Chemical energy

Potential energy stored in chemical bonds

Kinetic energy

The energy of motion

Temperature

A measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a substance

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

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

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

Energy quality

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

Entropy

Randomness in a system

Open system

a system in which exchanges of matter or energy occur across system boundaries

Closed system

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

Input

An addition to a system

Output

A loss from a system

Systems analysis

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

Steady state

A state in which inputs equal outputs, so that the system in not changing over time

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

Positive feedback loop

A feedback loop in which change in a system is amplified

Transform fault boundary

An area where tectonic plates move sideways passed each other

Acid Precipitation

Precipitation high in sulfuric acid and nitric acid from reactions between water vapor and sulfur and nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere

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)

Producer

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

Photosynthesis

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

Cellular respiration

The process by which cells unlock the energy of chemical compounds

Aerobic respiration

The process by which cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy, carbon dioxide, and water

Anaerobic respiration

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

Consumer

An organism that is incapable of photosynthesis and must obtain its energy by consuming other organisms (also known as heterotroph)

Primary consumers

A consumer that eats producers (herbivore)

Secondary consumers

A consumer that eats other consumers (carnivore)

Tertiary consumers

A carnivore that eats secondary consumers