A Quick Review of Basic Concepts in Science, Systems, Matter, and Energy

1. A Quick Review of Basic Concepts in Science, Systems, Matter, and Energy G. Tyler Miller’s Living in the Environment 14th Edition Chapter 3

2. Key Concepts • Science as a process for understanding • Components and regulation of systems • Matter: forms, quality, and how it changes; laws of matter • Energy: forms, quality, and how it changes; laws of energy • Nuclear changes and radioactivity

3. The Nature of Science Science is an attempt to discover order in the natural world and use the knowledge to describe what is likely to happen in nature • GOAL: to increase our understanding of our world • Based upon the scientific process

4. The Nature of Science Can you give a real world example in which science has increased our understanding of the natural world?

5. The Nature of Science Three critical components to any “good science” • Skepticism: Do not believe what you see until verified • Reproducible: data and results should be able to be done over and over • Peer Review: other scientists must review work

6. Science, and Critical Thinking Ask a question Do experiments and collect data Interpret data Well-tested and accepted patterns In data become scientific laws Formulate hypothesis to explain data Do more Experiments to test hypothesis Revise hypothesis if necessary Well-tested and accepted hypotheses become scientific theories • Scientific data • Scientific hypotheses: IF…THEN…BECAUSE… • Scientific (natural) laws • Scientific theories • Consensus science • Frontier science • Junk Science Fig. 3-2 p. 33

7. The Nature of Science Scientists can do 2 major things: • Disprove things • Can establish that a particular model, theory, or law has a high degree of certainty of being true. NOT ABSOLUTELY TRUE Scientists should not say “Cigarettes Cause Cancer” but can say “There is overwhelming evidence from thousands of studies that indicate a relationship between cigarette usage and lung cancer”

8. Key Environmental Science Concept Any action in a complex system has multiple, unintended, and often unpredictable effects. Most environmental impacts we face today are a result of trying to increase the quality of human life. Examples????

10. Matter: Forms, Structure, and Quality What do these terms mean? • Elements • Compounds • Atoms • Ions • Molecules

11. Atoms Subatomic Particles • Protons • Neutrons • Electrons Atomic Characteristics • Isotopes Hydrogen 1, 2 and 3 • Atomic number Carbon # 6, Uranium # 92 • Ion Lost or gained e- • Atomic mass Uranium 235

12. Examples of Isotopes Fig. 3-5 p. 40

13. pH Measures acidity or alkalinity of water samples Scale 0 – 14 Acids: 0 – 6.9 Neutral 7.0 Alkaline (Basic) 7.1 – 14

15. Chemical Bonds • Chemical formulas • Ionic bonds • Covalent bonds

16. Organic Compounds: CARBON • Organic vs. inorganic compounds • Hydrocarbons • Chlorinated hydrocarbons • Simple carbohydrates • Complex carbohydrates • Proteins • Nucleic acids

17. The Four States of Matter • Solid • Liquid • Gas • Plasma

18. Matter Quality and Material Efficiency • High-quality matter • Low-quality matter • Material efficiency(resource productivity) Fig. 3-8 p. 43

19. Energy Definition: Capacity to do “work” and transfer heat Types: Kinetic Potential Radiation: Energy & Wavelength

20. Electromagnetic SpectrumSome energy travels in waves at the speed of light Fig. 3-9 p. 44

21. Transfer of Heat Energy Convection Conduction Radiation Heat from a stove burner causes atoms or molecules in the pan’s bottom to vibrate faster. The vibrating atoms or molecules then collide with nearby atoms or molecules, causing them to vibrate faster. Eventually, molecules or atoms in the pan’s handle are vibrating so fast it becomes too hot to touch. Heating water in the bottom of a pan causes some of the water to vaporize into bubbles. Because they are lighter than the surrounding water, they rise. Water then sinks from the top to replace the rising bubbles.This up and down movement (convection) eventually heats all of the water. As the water boils, heat from the hot stove burner and pan radiate into the surrounding air, even though air conducts very little heat. Heat: total kinetic energy of all moving atoms in a substance.

22. Energy: Quality (ability to do work) • High-quality energy • Low-quality energy Fig. 3-12 p.46

23. Changes in Matter Physical: composition unchanged (water and steam) Chemical: change in the composition of elements or compounds.

24. Chemical Changes or Reactions Fig. In text p. 47

25. The Law of Conservation of Matter • Matter is not destroyed • Matter only changes form • There is no “throw away”

26. Matter and Pollution • Chemical nature of pollutants • Concentration • Persistence • Degradable (nonpersistent) pollutants • Biodegradable pollutants • Slowly degradable (persistent) pollutants • Nondegradable pollutants

27. Half-life Fig. 3-13, p. 49

28. Nuclear Reactions Fission Fusion Fig. 3-15 p. 50 Fig. 3-16 p. 50

29. Laws Governing Energy Changes First Law of Thermodynamics (Energy) • Energy is neither created nor destroyed • Energy only changes form • You can’t get something for nothing ENERGY IN = ENERGY OUT

30. Laws Governing Energy Changes Second Law of Thermodynamics • In every transformation, some energy is converted to heat (lost) • You cannot break even in terms of energy quality

32. As we study environmental science always remember these few basic scientific concepts.