Unit A Topic 1: Energy and Matter Exchange Flashcards
Topics 1-3 (31 cards)
What is the first law of thermodynamics?
Energy cannot be created or destroyed but it can be transformed.
What is the second law of thermodynamics?
No machine or energy can be 100% efficient.
Where does 100% of the Earth’s energy come from?
The sun.
What is radiant energy?
A type of kinetic energy that is transferred/transmitted through elementary particles (photons).
What does albedo refer to?
The amount of energy reflected by clouds, water, and land.
What is photosynthesis?
The process by which producers convert radiant energy from the sun into chemical potential energy.
What is the chemical equation for photosynthesis?
6CO2 (g) + 6H2O (l) → C6H12O6 (s) + 6O2 (g) + energy
What do autotrophs do?
Create their own food by using the sun’s energy.
How do heterotrophs obtain energy?
From other organisms.
What is cellular respiration?
The process when consumers convert the chemical energy stored in the bonds of glucose into ATP.
What are primary consumers?
Organisms that eat plants (herbivores).
What are secondary consumers?
Organisms that mainly eat herbivores (carnivores/omnivores).
What are tertiary consumers?
Organisms that mainly eat other carnivores.
What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?
They absorb leftover waste/matter.
What is meant by trophic levels?
The hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, consisting of producers, primary consumers, and so on.
What does the second law of thermodynamics imply for food chains?
10% of energy is lost as you move up the food chain.
What is a food chain?
A series of organisms that eat one another, transferring energy throughout the food chain.
What is a food web?
A representation of energy transfer within an ecosystem, showing how some organisms feed at multiple trophic levels.
What is the rule of 10 in energy transfer?
10% of the energy at one trophic level is transferred to the next.
What are ecological pyramids?
Models used to depict feeding relationships among different trophic levels in an ecosystem.
What does the pyramid of numbers represent?
The number of organisms in a certain area.
What does the pyramid of biomass measure?
The dry mass of living organisms without water weight.
What does the pyramid of energy show?
The amount of energy that is transferred through each trophic level.
True or False: The pyramid of energy can point to energy being less at lower trophic levels.
False.
