IB ESS SL, Top Exam Questions
sections, 100%. Accurate. Rated A+
system - ✔✔-An entity with at least two components (parts) that are linked and interact in some way.
open system - ✔✔-Allow energy or matter to enter o
...
IB ESS SL, Top Exam Questions
sections, 100%. Accurate. Rated A+
system - ✔✔-An entity with at least two components (parts) that are linked and interact in some way.
open system - ✔✔-Allow energy or matter to enter or leave the boundaries of the system. A clear
example is the human body.
closed system - ✔✔-allow energy to enter or leave but matter is contained within the boundaries. The
Earth is an imperfect example of this. ( Some matter does enter the atmosphere, such as meteorites, or
leaves, such as astronauts).
isolated system - ✔✔-do not allow matter or energy to enter or leave the system. This is a largely
theoretical concept used in the laws of thermodynamics with the only possible example being the entire
universe.
transformation of matter - ✔✔-A change in state of matter between solid, liquid or gas.
transfer of matter - ✔✔-A movement of matter from one location to another
matter - ✔✔-Anything that takes up space and has mass. It is normally made of atoms.
energy - ✔✔-the ability to do work and effect either the transformation (change) of matter or transfer
(movement) of matter.
It lacks mass but can be found in stored chemical form. Other forms of energy relevant to environmental
systems include heat, light and movement.
the first law of thermodynamics - ✔✔-States that the total energy of the universe or any isolated part of
it will be the same before and after matter is moved or transformed.
"Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, merely changed from one form to another. For example,
during the burning of coal, stored chemical energy is transformed to movement, heat, light and sound.
The total amount of all energy transformed by combustion into (movement, heat, light and sound) is
equal to the starting amount of chemical energy.
the second law of thermodynamics - ✔✔-This states that in an isolated system the total amount of
entropy will tend to increase.
When energy is transformed there is a loss of order (complexity). This is seen practically by loss of heat
energy during processes like combustion of coal. Chemical energy is more "ordered" than heat energy.
As energy transformations all involve the loss of heat the ultimate extension of the law is to predict that
all other forms of energy will eventually transform into heat and cool down; the so called "heat death"
of the universe.
constant energy input from the sun - ✔✔-Why does the earth not obey the 2nd law of
thermodynamics?
If this were not the case, then complex living structures of the planet would start to breakdown the
ordered chemical structure through death and decay.
the digestive system - ✔✔-Example of a system in the field of biology?
the global economy - ✔✔-Example of a system in the field of economics?
the ecosystem - ✔✔-Example of a system in nature?
a car - ✔✔-Example of a system in everyday life?
resilience - ✔✔-When the system has the capacity to return to the same state of equilibrium following a
disturbance.
This type of stability is seen in negative feedback loops.
negative feedback - ✔✔-An initial change in the system leads to a cycle that returns to and reduces that
change. Negative feedbacks are important in maintaining stable equilibrium in a system.
feedback mechanisms - ✔✔-These produce an effect on the equilibrium of a system. Flows in feedbacks
are circular cycles, returning to produce an effect on the initial change. Both natural and human systems
are influenced by them.
positive feedback - ✔✔-This is produced by initial change in the system triggering a cycle that returns to
and amplifies a change. Positive feedbacks produce change in a system; they move away from
equilibrium to a new state.
global warming - ✔✔-example of a positive feedback loop (concerned with temperature)
the gaia hypothesis - ✔✔-Suggests that feedback mechanisms are important in regulating conditions on
a planetary scale. He modelled this through the temperature regulation through "Daisyworld"
daisyworld - ✔✔-Populations of white and black daisies regulate temperature on an otherwise barren
planet.
-White daisies keep cool when it is hot, therefore they survive and reproduce
-Their population grows and the planets albedo increases
-following the population boom of the white daisies, the temperatures cool down
Black daisies gain advantage as they absorb more heat and keep warm, therefore they survive and
reproduce.
ecology - ✔✔-the science of the relationship between living things and the non-living environment. This
includes the study of ecosystems and their communities.
ecosystem - ✔✔-a complex system involving the interaction between the living and non living
components of a defined unit. They vary in scale, from the whole world to soil systems.
recycle - ✔✔-Ecosystems are functional units in ecology, that transform energy and _______ matter.
species - ✔✔-a group of organisms that interbreed and produce fertile offspring. ( Indochinese Tiger)
population - ✔✔-a group of organisms from the same species living in the same area at the same time,
which are capable of interbreeding. (The amount of Indochinese Tiger in Southeast Asia has been
estimated around 1,000)
habitat - ✔✔-the environment in which a species normally lives.( Indochinese Tiger lives in a variety of
forest types, mostly on the forest floor)
Niche - ✔✔-A species habitat and the resources in it. The "role" of the species in the ecosystem. Does
not only depend on where it lives but on what it does. (Indochinese Tiger is the top carnivore, a major
predator on animals such as : the wild pig. It thus regulates the competition between herbivores. It
requires plenty of freshwater and prefers forest along side a river. A tiger requires a big enough
population to find a breeding partner.
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