1.2 Systems and models Flashcards
(11 cards)
Model
A simplified version of reality used to understand how a system works and predict how it will respond to change
System
A set of parts and the relationships between them working together to make a functioning whole
Transformation
A change in chemical nature, state or energy
Examples of transfers
DIffusion, precipitation, harvesting
Open system
Exchanges both matter and energy across its bounderies
Closed system
Exchanges only energy across its bounderies
e.g(approximately)
- Atoms
- Biosphere II
- Earth
- Global matter cycles
Isolated system
Neither matter nor energy is exchanged across the boundary
Emergent properties
Properties which a complex system has but the individual components do not have
Reductionism
Breaking down a system into its smallest parts to understand how it works
Holistic approach
Looking at how all the parts of the system work together
