The Water CycleDiagram:

Questions:1. Trace the path of a drop of water through the water cycle, explaining what happens to it

each step along the way. Water leaves bodies of water (large or small) through evaporation as water temperatures rise. As water vapour rises through the atmosphere it cools and condenses and is transported by air currents and collects as clouds. Water is then returned to the Earth through precipitation (can be different forms). Precipitation will either runoff and into a body of water, flow along the surface of Earth or be infiltrated into the ground. Once in the ground it can return to a body of water or be taken up by plants through the roots. Water vapour is lost through the leaves of green plants through transpiration and is returned to the atmosphere where it can again return to the Earth as precipitation.

2. How much of the Earth’s surface is covered in water? 75%3. What is the major component that drives Earth’s weather and climate? Water vapour4. What is latent heat? Heat obtained by water molecules as it changes state from

liquid or solid to water vapour, heat is released when molecules condense from the vapour form back into a liquid or a solid, forming cloud droplets or different forms of precipitation

5. What percentage of Earth’s water is salt water? 96.5% Fresh water? 3.5%

Percolation Sublimation

Infiltration

Runoff

Surface Flow

Ground WaterPlant Uptake

SublimationTranspiration

Condensation

CondensationPrecipitation

Transportation

Transportation

Precipitation

Evaporation

6. Where does freshwater exist? Lakes, rivers, groundwater, frozen forms (snow & ice --- ice caps, glaciers, permanent snow, ground ice, permafrost)

7. How much water vapour can a 1 acre cornfield transpire in one day? 4000 gallons8. What do humans (or other life forms) use water for? Drinking, washing, irrigating and

other uses9. Describe the changes in Mean Sea Level. Global Mean Sea Level has increased (gone

up) 250 mm since 1870. Explain the change (what is the reason this is happening). This is happening because they (the seas) are being over-replenished. Even though it is warmer on our planet and you would expect that there would be less water in the oceans because of evaporation, there is actually more because of the oceans warming. When the oceans warm, the water expands and increases in volume. Also, because of warmer temperatures, water that was previously trapped in glaciers and ice caps has started to melt and ice shelves have broken off (e.g. Antarctica) also increasing the volume of water in the seas.

10.Define the following terms:a. Sublimation – from liquid to gas, does not become a solid in betweenb. Evaporation – occurs from the surface of a liquid, when more molecules

leave a liquid for the gaseous state than return from the gas to the liquidc. Precipitation – any kind of water that falls from the sky as part of the

weather, includes: snow, rain, sleet, freezing rain, haild. Surface Flow – water that flows over the surface of the land that has not

infiltrated into the grounde. Transportation – movement of water in the lower atmospheref. Condensation – when more vapour or gas molecules are returning ot the

liquid stat than are evaporating (water condenses on tiny particles of dust, smoke soot or salt crystals that are suspended in the air)

g. Transpiration – loss of water vapour from land plants into the atmosphere (movement of water through plant from soil to atmosphere via roots, shoot and leaves)

h. Ground Water – portion of the water below the surface of the groundi. Percolation – downward movement of water through soil and rockj. Infiltration – downward movement of water through soil and rockk. Runoff – water that does not percolate or infiltrate into the soil and rock

The Carbon CycleDiagram:

Cellular Respiration

Photosynthesis

CO2 (from factories and fossil fuels)

CO2

CO2

CO2

O2O2

O2

Questions:1. Trace the path of a molecule of carbon through the carbon cycle, explaining what happens

to it each step along the way. Carbon is found in the atmosphere, it is used by plants through the process of photosynthesis. In return, plants release oxygen into the atmosphere. Alternatively, plants are consumed by primary consumers and the carbon they contain is passed along to them. Primary consumers then pass their carbon along to secondary consumers when they are eaten. Consumers breathe out carbon dioxide returning carbon to the atmosphere. When producers, primary consumers and secondary consumers die, their bodies are broken down by decomposers and the carbon contained in them returned to the soil.

2. Why is carbon important (1st paragraph)? Backbone of life on Earth – everything is built on carbon.

3. How abundant is carbon? Fourth most abundant element in the Universe.4. Where is most of Earth’s carbon stored? In rocks.5. How does carbon move from the atmosphere to the lithosphere? Carbon in the

atmosphere combines with water to form a weak acid that falls to the surface as rain. The acid in the rain dissolves the rocks and releases ions which are carried to the sea by rivers.

6. What happens when coal and other fossil fuels are burned? The carbon that is stored in them is released into the atmosphere which alters the balance of the carbon cycle and is potentially changing Earth’s climate.

7. How do volcanoes release carbon into the atmosphere? When they erupt they release carbon gas to the atmosphere.

8. How does the ocean help to remove carbon from the atmosphere? Carbon dioxide gas dissolves into the water at its surface. Since carbon dioxide gas concentrations are higher now than in previous years, the ocean absorbs more of the of the carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere. Because it is so larger, it has the ability to absorb a lot of it.

9. What controls the rate at which the ocean removes carbon from the atmosphere? Winds, currents and temperature.

10.How do green plants remove carbon from the atmosphere? Plants use carbon through a process called photosynthesis. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and sunlight to create glucose for building plant structures.

11.What is photosynthesis? The process that plants use to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to create glucose.

12. What is the chemical reaction for photosynthesis? CO2 + H20 + energy CH2O +O2

13.What are four ways that carbon can move from a plant and be returned to the atmosphere? Break down the sugar to get the energy they need to grow, animals eat plants and break down sugar to get energy, plants die and decay, fire consumes plants.

Cellular Respiration

14.What is cellular respiration? Opposite of photosynthesis. Process used by animals where carbon dioxide is released as a by-product of glucose breaking down to get the energy they need.

15.What is the chemical reaction for cellular respiration? CH2O +O2 CO2 + H2O + energy16.Compare the two chemical reactions… photosynthesis and cellular respiration. They are

the opposite reactions to each other.

The Nitrogen CycleDiagram:

Questions:1. Trace the path of a molecule of nitrogen through the nitrogen cycle, explaining what

happens to it each step along the way. Nitrogen is removed from the atmosphere by legumes (e.g. soya beans or clover). When a plant or animal dies the nitrogen that is in their bodies is converted to a usable form for plants by bacteria found

Legumes convert nitrogen into plant-usable form

Plants uptake nitrogen

Leaching

Plant and animal waste

Denitrification

Bacteria convert nitrogen to plant-usable form

N2 (in the atmosphere)

Rain deposits nitrogen onto the soil

Factories produce nitrogen fertilizers

in the soil. Plants use nitrogen for growth. Bacteria also convert nitrogen into the soil into a form that is released back into the atmosphere. Nitrogen in the atmosphere can be absorbed by rain and then deposited onto the soil. Factories produce nitrogen fertilizers. Fertilizers enter the cycle when they are deposited on the soil. Some nitrogen is removed from the cycle by leaching.

2. What is nitrogen needed for? For plants to grow, develop and produce seed.3. What is the main source of nitrogen in soils? From organic matter. Where does it come

from? From plant and animal residue.4. What is the largest single source of nitrogen? The atmosphere.5. How else does nitrogen enter the cycle? Fertilizers, air, manure, decaying plant

material.6. Why does nitrogen have to be converted from one form to another? Because it has to be

converted into a usable form – in one form it is nitrogen gas in the atmosphere, but that form can’t be used by plants, so it has to be changed into a form that can be.

7. How is nitrogen removed from the cycle? Denitrification volatilization, runoff, leaching.

8. Define the following terms.a. Denitrification – bacteria in the soil change nitrates to atmospheric nitrogenb. Runoff – carries nitrogen on the surface of the earth into rivers and streamsc. Leaching – removal of nitrogen from the soil by carrying it very deep into

the soil that it is no longer usable in the cycle