(1) Natural Systems

Cards (16)

  • Earth's global systems include the atmospheric system, hydrosphere system, biosphere system, and lithosphere system
  • Equilibrium is a state of balance within systems where inputs and outputs are balanced to maintain stability
  • Any disturbance to a system can affect its balance and cause a change
  • Positive feedback amplifies change and moves the system further away from balance
  • Negative feedback nullifies / returns a system towards equilibrium and counteracts the impact of earlier changes in the system
  • Dynamic equilibrium refers to constant short-term adjustments through negative feedback to maintain balance
  • This system involves inputs and outputs of both energy and matter.
    A) Open system
  • Which system has transfers of energy both into and beyond the systems boundary but no transfer of matter
    A) Closed System
  • Which system has no interactions with outside boundaries (no inputs or outputs of either energy or matter)
    A) Isolated system
  • The water cycle is an open system as it receives energy from the sun which causes evaporation, precipitation and runoff.
  • Cascading systems are where energy and material are transferred from one sub-system to another
  • Components of a system
    A) Inputs
    B) Outputs
    C) Energy
    D) Stores
    E) Processes
    F) Flows / Transfers
  • When the output of one subsystem becomes the input for another subsystem it is called?
    A cascading system
  • This is an example of what type of feedback:
    A) Negative Feedback
  • On a local scale the carbon and water cycles are both open systems, but on a global scale, they are closed systems
  • How much water is accessible to humans:
    A) 0.9%