The Cycles of Matter – Alternative EnergyName ______

  1. List the cycles of matter. Water, carbon, oxygen, & nitrogen
  1. ___Water_____ is needed by all organisms.
  1. The water cycle is driven by energy from the __sun_____.
  1. Name the processes of the water cycle. Evaporation, Condensation, Transpiration, Precipitation, & Run-off
  1. What is evaporation? When the sun heats up liquid water and changes it to a gas (water vapor)
  1. What is transpiration? The process of evaporation from plants
  1. What is condensation? As water vapor rises higher in the atmosphere, it starts to cool and become liquid again.
  1. What is precipitation? When the water in the clouds gets too heavy, the water falls back to the earth in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
  1. Describe runoff. Water that collects in rivers, streams, and oceans.
  1. What is carbon and where is it found on earth? It is one of the most abundant elements on Earth – also known as the “basic building block of life”. It is found in rocks, oceans, atmosphere, plants, living organisms, etc…
  1. Describe how the carbon cycle works. Make sure you include producers, consumers, and decomposers. The same carbon atoms are used repeatedly on earth (because new matter can never be created). The carbon atoms cycle between the earth and the atmosphere. Plants (producers) pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it to make food (during photosynthesis). The carbon is stored in the plant. The consumers eat plants – the carbon then becomes part of their own bodies. When plants and animals die, most of their bodies decompose and the carbon atoms are returned to the atmosphere.
  1. Describe the oxygen cycle. Producers release oxygen as a result of photosynthesis. Other organisms take in oxygen from the air or water and use it to carry out their life processes.
  1. Describe the nitrogen cycle. Make sure you include free nitrogen and nitrogen fixation. “Free” nitrogen is abundant in the air. Certain bacteria that live in nodules on the roots of legumes go through a process of changing the free nitrogen into a usable form of nitrogen (this is nitrogen fixation). The producers use this fixed nitrogen to build proteins and other complex compounds.
  1. What is phytoplankton? Why is phytoplankton important to our environment? They are microscopic drifting plants that lie in aquatic environments (ex: algae). They collect a vast amount of carbon dioxide and release oxygen back into the atmosphere. These organisms produce as much or more oxygen than the trees and plants on land.
  1. How do the phytoplankton contribute to the oxygen and carbon cycles? They collect a vast amount of carbon dioxide and release oxygen back into the atmosphere. These organisms produce as much or more oxygen than the trees and plants on land.
  1. How might the death of all producers in a community affect the carbon and oxygen cycles? Without producers to take in the carbon dioxide and release oxygen, the carbon and oxygen cycles would become unbalanced.
  1. A substance that provides a form of energy, such as heat, as a result of a chemical change is a(n)

___fuel___.

  1. The change from one form of energy to another is called ____energy transformation______.

*Combustion is the process of burning fuel

  1. Energy-rich substances formed from the remains of once-living organisms are called

___fossil fuels___.

  1. List the three major fossil fuels. Coal, oil, and natural gas
  1. What are hydrocarbons? Energy-rich chemical compounds that contain hydrogen and oxygen
  1. __Coal__ is a solid fossil fuel formed from plant remains.
  1. ___Oil___ is thick, black liquid fossil fuel.
  1. ___Natural Gas____ is a mixture of methane and other gases.
  1. Where do fossil fuels fit into the carbon cycle? Fossil fuels are made of carbon from decaying plant growth. The “sources” are parts of the cycle that add carbon to the atmosphere. When fossil fuels are burned – the carbon changes from fossil fuels to carbon dioxide.
  1. What is a carbon footprint? The total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support human activities – usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide.
  1. What are nonrenewable resources? What are renewables? Nonrenewable resources are fuels that are used faster than they can be replenished. Renewable resources are fuels that are used for energy that come from natural processes that are replenished at a higher rate than they are consumed.
  1. Why do we need alternative energy? Because of climate change, population growth, and fossil fuel depletion
  1. Describe biomass and tell the disadvantage.A biological material that comes from living, or recently living organisms. It takes time for the new plants to grow and it is expensive.
  2. Describe solar energy and tell the disadvantage. Energy that comes from the sun’s radiation. It is only available when the sun is out and the energy the Earth receives is very spread out. Also – solar power plants can take up a lot of space, so ecosystems and habitats can be harmed.
  1. Describe wind energy. It comes from uneven heating of the Earth’s surface by radiant energy from the sun. The wind turns the turbines that change the wind power into usable energy.
  1. What is geothermal energy and what are the disadvantages? Heat from the Earth. Resources can come from the shallow ground to hot water and hot rock found a few miles beneath the Earth’s surface. Disadvantages are that there are few places where Earth’s crust is thin enough for magma to come close to the surface. Also – drilling deep wells are expensive.
  1. What is hydroelectric power? What is a dam? What is the disadvantage of a dam? Hydroelectric power is electricity produced by flowing water. A dam blocks the flow of river, creating a body of water called a reservoir. A disadvantage of the dam is that they can damage aquatic habitats.
  1. What is nuclear power and what is the disadvantage? Nuclear power is when water is turned into steam by providing a source of heat (nuclear fission). Nuclear wastes must be disposed of correctly or there is a large risk of pollution. Quakes, Tsunamis, etc.. can cause damage to the nuclear power plants – causing pollution.
  1. How does the U.S. measure up with alternative energy? The U.S. is working hard to improve the amount of alternative energy that is offered to citizens. Solar power is being made more affordable, accessible, and prevalent. Wind power plants are developing more and more offshore. Geothermal power is picking up in North Dakota.