Cycles of Cycles of
MatterMatter
Mr. SchumaierMr. Schumaier
What are the three most
important cycles of matter?
The Three important cycles of
matter are:
The Water Cycle
The Carbon & Oxygen Cycles
The Nitrogen Cycle
What is the WATER CYCLE?
A continuous process where water
moves from the Earth's surface to
the atmosphere and back.
What three major processes
make up the water cycle?
The three major processes are
evaporation, condensation,
and precipitation.
What is EVAPORATION?
Process where liquid water changes
to a gas state.
Energy for evaporation comes from
the sun.
What is CONDENSATION?
Process by which a gas
changes to a liquid state.
Will eventually form clouds.
What is PRECIPITATION?
Drop of liquid that fall back to the
Earth.
Rain, Snow, Sleet, Hail,
What change of state occurs
when water from the surface
of the ocean enters the
atmosphere as water vapor?
Evaporation
How is carbon dioxide used
by producers?
Producers use carbon from
carbon dioxide to produce
other carbon-containing
molecules.
How is oxygen returned to
the environment?
Plants and other producers
release oxygen as a byproduct
of photosynthesis.
What is NITROGEN
FIXATION?
Process of changing free
nitrogen gas into a usable form
of nitrogen
What are NODULES?
Bumps on the roots of plants where
bacteria live.
The plants include clover, beans,
peas, alfalfa, and peanuts.
How is nitrogen fixation a
necessary part of the
nitrogen cycle?
Most organisms cannot use free
nitrogen in the atmosphere.
Nitrogen fixation combines free
nitrogen with other elements to form
compounds that organisms can
use.
Explain how the movement
of matter through an
ecosystem is different than
the movement of energy
through an ecosystem.
Matter can be recycled over and
over again. In contrast, once
energy has moved from the
producers to the consumers and
then the decomposers, it cannot be
recycled. A new supply must be
“captured” by the producers.