Science, Systems, Matter, & Energy

Chapter 2

Chapter Overview Questions

What

are major components and

behaviors of complex systems?
What are the basic forms of matter, and
what makes matter useful as a resource?
What types of changes can matter
undergo and what scientific law governs
matter?

Chapter Overview Questions

(contd)

What are the major forms of energy, and what

makes energy useful as a resource?
What are two scientific laws governing
changes of energy from one form to another?
How are the scientific laws governing changes
of matter and energy from one form to another
related to resource use, environmental
degradation and sustainability?

The Effects of Deforestation on

the Loss of Water and Soil
Nutrients

Science and Technology

Science

2.1

knowledge of how the world

works
Technology creation of new
processes intended to improve the
quality of life

Scientific Method
Ask a question

Do experiments
and collect data

Interpret data

Formulate
hypothesis
to explain data

Well-tested and
accepted patterns
In data become
scientific laws

Do more
Experiments to
test hypothesis
Revise hypothesis
if necessary

Well-tested and
accepted
hypotheses
become
scientific theories

Core Case Study:

Environmental Lesson from Easter
Thriving society
Island
15,000 people by 1400.
Used

resources faster
than could be renewed
By 1600 only a few
trees remained.

Civilization

collapsed

By 1722 only several

hundred people left.
Figure 2-1

Scientists Use Reasoning, Imagination, and

Creativity to Learn How Nature Works

Important scientific tools

Inductive reasoning: Specific observations and
measurements to arrive to a general conclusion .
Deductive reasoning: uses logic to arrive to a specific
conclusion based on generalization.

Scientists also use

Intuition
Imagination
Creativity

Scientific Theories and Laws Are the

Most Important Results of Science

Scientific theory
Widely tested
Supported by extensive evidence
Accepted by most scientists in a particular
area

Paradigm Shift
When new information of ideas can disprove or
overthrow a well-accepted scientific theory
An example is plate tectonic theory

Environmental Science Has Some Limitations

Scientist can disprove things, but not prove

anything absolute

Bias can be minimized by scientists

Environmental scientist often rely on estimates

Environmental phenomena involve interacting

variables and complex interactions

Matter

2.2

Natures

Building Blocks; anything that

has mass and takes up space
Types of Matter:
elements single type of atoms, cannot be
broken down into other substances
92 natural +18 synthesized
compounds - 2 or more different elements,
held together by chemical bonds (fixed proportions) ex:
H2O

Elements Important to the Study of

Environmental Science

8 elements make up 98.5% of the

Earths crust

Compounds Important to the

Study of Environmental Science

Building Blocks
Atoms-

smallest unit of matter

Atomic theory- all elements made up of

atoms
Molecules- Two or more atoms of the
same or different elements held together
by chemical bonds

ex: H2, O2, N2

Basic Chemistry Terms

Atomic Number - # of protons

Subatomic

particles

Protons (p) with positive charge and

neutrons (0) with no charge in nucleus
Negatively charged electrons (e) orbit the
nucleus
Mass

Number- protons (+) plus

neutrons(0)

Atoms, Ions, and Molecules Are the

Building Blocks of Matter (2)

Ions- electrically
charged atom or
combination of atoms
Metals- LOSE e Nonmetals- gain e-

pH

Measure of acidity
H+ and OHNeutral -7
Basic 8-14
Acid 1-6

Ions Important to the Study of

Environmental Science

Loss of NO3 from a Deforested

Watershed

Isotopes
Elements with
same atomic
number but a
different mass #
(C12, C13 & C14)

Atoms, Ions, and Molecules Are the

Building Blocks of Matter (3)
Chemical formula type of short hand to
show the type and # of atoms/ions in a
compound. Ex. NaCl or CH4
Ionic compound- made up of opposite
charged ions Na+ ClCovalent compounds- uncharged atoms
CH4

Organic Compounds

Contain carbon and hydrogen

Hydrocarbons C8H18 gasoline and chlorinated
hydrocarbons C14H9Cl5 DDT
Simple carbohydrates C6H12O6
Macromolecules: complex organic molecules

Complex carbohydrates
Proteins
Nucleic acids
Lipids

Inorganic Compounds
No

carbon to carbon or carbon to

hydrogen bonding, not originating from
a living source
Earths crust minerals,water
Water, nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, carbon
monoxide, carbon dioxide, sodium
chloride, ammonia

Matter Comes to Life through Genes,

Chromosomes, and Cells
Cells: fundamental
units of life
Genes: sequences
of nucleotides
within the DNA
Chromosome:
composed of many
genes

Matter Occurs in Various

Physical
Forms

Solid

Liquid
Gas
High-quality

matter

Low-quality

matter

Matter Quality: High or Low

A measure of how useful matter is for

humans based on availability and
concentration.

Matter Undergoes Physical, Chemical, and

Nuclear Changes
Physical

change-

chemical
composition not changed ex: water and ice

Chemical

change or chemical

reaction- chemical composition has

changed

Nuclear

change

Natural radioactive decay

Radioisotopes: unstable

Nuclear fission (split apart)

Nuclear fusion (fuse together)

Nuclear Changes

Nuclei of certain isotopes spontaneously

change (radioisotopes) or made to change
into one or more different isotopes

Alpha particles
Beta particles
Gamma rays
Neutrons
Positrons

Radioactive decay

Alpha particle
(helium-4 nucleus)

Radioactive
isotope

Gamma rays
Beta particle (electron)
Uranium-235

Nuclear fission
Fission
fragment

Energy
n

n
Neutron

Nuclear fusion

Uranium-235
Reaction
conditions

Fuel
Proton
Neutron
Hydrogen-2
(deuterium nucleus)

100
million C

Hydrogen-3
(tritium nucleus)

Products
Helium-4 nucleus

Energy
n

Energy
n

Fission
Energy
fragment

Energy

Neutron

Stepped Art
Fig. 2-7, p. 41

Ionizing and Nonionizing Radiation

Ionizing: radiation with

enough energy to
change the structure of
molecules or atoms
Gamma, ultraviolet

Nonionizing: radiation
that does not change
the structure of
molecules or atoms
Alpha, infrared

Half - Life
Time

needed for one-half of the nuclei

in a radioisotope to decay and emit
their radiation.
General rule for decay: goes through
10 half lives before it becomes a nonradioactive form.

We Cannot Create or Destroy Matter

Law

of conservation of
matter
no atoms are created/destroyed
during a physical or chemical
change.

Matter

consumption

Matter is converted from one form

to another

Energy quality

2.4

Measure of how useful an energy source is in

terms of concentration and ability to perform
useful work

Severity of Pollutants
Chemical

Nature
Concentration: ppm
Persistence: categories
Degradable/Biodegradable: human
sewage, leaves
Persistent -decades-plastics and DDT
Nondegradable-lead, arsenic, mercury

Energy
E=

capacity to do work (w =f x d)
Types:
Kinetic Energy -energy in motion
Potential energy - stored energy
Forms

of energy:

Light, heat, electrical, chemical,

electromagnetic radiation

Electromagnetic radiation
* energy that travels in waves
* shorter wave lengths = high energy

X-ray image of Sun

UV image of Sun

Radio image of sun

Light image of Sun

10

Visible
Ultraviolet

Energy emitted from sun (kcal/cm2/min)

15

0.25

Infrared

Wavelength (micrometers)

2.5

3
Fig. 2-8, p. 42

US Frequency Allocations

First Law of Thermodynamics

Also known as law of conservation of energy

Energy can change from one form to another
but can never be destroyed
No away in throw away
-things that have been thrown away are still
present on Earth, but just exist in another
form.

Second Law of Thermodynamics

You

cannot even break even

When energy is changed from one form to

another, some of the useful energy is
always degraded to lower quality, more
dispersed, less useful energy.

The Second Law of

Thermodynamics
in Living Systems

Systems

2.5

Systems: set of components that function and

interact in some way.

Key Components:
Inputs from the environment (energy, matter, information)
Throughputs: flow of input within the system
Outputs to the environment (energy, matter, information)

Models can used to test these systems.

Ex: Mathematical Models use of equations

Feedback Loop and Systems

Change

in one part of a system

influences another part of the
system

Positive Feedback Loop

Causes system to change in same direction.
Example: Exponential growth of population more individuals
lead to increased number of births

Negative Feedback Loop

Causes system to change in opposite direction.
Example: Temperature regulation in humans increased temperature
leads to decrease in temperature by sweating

What Affects Complex Systems?

Time lags/ time delays change in a system leads to

other changes after a delay

(input

response)

Problems can build slowly in systems until reaching a tipping point

Ex: lung cancer

Resistance to change built in resistance political

or economic

Synergy-when two or more processes interact so that

the combined effect is greater

Chaos unpredictable behavior in a system

Implications for the Environment

High Waste Society

Implications for the

Environment Low Waste Society