Science Unit 6

• Water is a polar molecule: means that there is an unequal sharing of electrons between the atoms. Water is electronegative meaning that it attracts the shared electrons more to itself, making it slightly negatively charged and the other molecule, hydrogen, slightly positively charged.
• Water has a high specific heat capacity: means that the temperature of liquid water rises and falls more slowly than that of most other liquids.
• Water has a high heat of vaporization: means that hydrogen bonds between water molecules require a large amount of heat to break. Water does not evaporate easily.
• Water is a solvent: means that it can dissolve many different kinds of molecules
• Water is Cohesive and Adhesive: Cohesive - sticks to its own molecules, Adhesive- sticks to other molecules. Basically, it sticks to itself and it sticks to other things due to hydrogen bonds.
• Biosphere: The biosphere is made up of the parts of Earth where life exists—all ecosystems.
• Lithosphere: A lithosphere is the rigid, outermost rocky shell of Earth.
• Hydrosphere: the combined mass of water found on the planet.
• Atmosphere: made of the layers of gases surrounding our planet.
• Evaporation: Water from oceans, rivers, or lakes evaporates into the atmosphere
• Condensation: Water vapor cools down and turns back into liquid form as clouds
• Precipitation: Cloud droplets combine together to make raindrops that fall onto land or water bodies
• Runoff: Excess precipitated water flows overland towards streams, rivers, and eventually oceans
• Infiltration: Precipitation soaks into soil and groundwater
• Transpiration: Plants absorb water from the soil and release it into the air through their leaves
• Toxic pollution is pollution that is caused by toxic pollutants like gasoline and household items that contaminate and pollute water, which kills aquatic life and pollutes water sources.
• Sediment pollution is pollution caused by sediments presence in water ways, which destroys habitats, clouds water and blocks sunlight.
• Nutrient pollution is the presence of excessive nutrients in water, which kills fish and other aquatic animals.
• Bacterial pollution is when harmful bacteria, often animal or untreated human waste, contaminates water sources, which leads to health problems for animals and plants as well as outbreaks of cholera if contaminated water is drunk.
• Greenhouse gases: Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Water vapor (H2O), Nitrous Oxide (NOx), Fluorinated gases
• Do flash card for 'Describe and explain the impact humans have had on the carbon cycle' and for 'Describe the different processes in the carbon cycle'
• Hydrologic Cycle


  Water Cycle
• Pollution


  The presence or introduction of a substance, which has harmful or poisonous effects, into the environment.
• Water Quality


  The chemical, physical, and biological properties of water and the presence of contaminants or pollutants.
• Carbon Sink


  A forest, ocean, or other natural environment viewed in terms of its ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Absorbs more oxygen than it releases.
• Emissions 


  The production and discharge of something, especially gas or radiation
• Fossil Fuels


  Non-renewable energy sources such as coal, natural gas, oil, and petroleum products that originate from plants and animals that existed in the geological past (fossil).
• Greenhouse Gases


  Gases in the earth's atmosphere that trap heat.
• Greenhouse Effect


  When greenhouse gases are emitted into the atmosphere (ex. respiration and combustion), they trap heat (solar radiation), stopping the atmosphere from losing heat to space, raising the planet's surface temperature.
• Global Warming


  The long-term warming of the planet's overall temperature as a result of greenhouse gases trapping heat into the atmosphere.
• Climate Change


  Long term shifts in temperature and weather patterns caused mainly by human activities and global warming.