Energy and Matter for the environment that we have

Energy and matter in the environmental factors

1. Energy and Matter “The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do.” - Galileo Galilei

2. Acorns have a mass of 3-4 grams, while mature oak trees have a mass of about 8 tons. What is the source of that increase in matter that all plants experience? 2 The Growth of a Plant Nearpod

3. The initial hypothesis was that plants grew by absorbing matter in soil through their roots. No attempt was made to test this until the 17 th century. 3 The Willow Tree Experiment

4. A scientist named Jean Baptiste Van Helmont planted a willow tree sapling in a pot of dry soil. The mass of both were recorded. After five years, the willow tree gained 74.5kg of mass. The soil only lost 0.06kg of mass. The old hypothesis was rejected. 4

5. Plant growth requires a combination of matter and energy. Matter is any physical substance that has mass and occupies space. Mass is a measurement of the amount of matter in an object. Volume is a measurement of the amount of space an object takes up. Matter is distinct from energy , the capacity to do work. 5 Matter and Energy

6. All matter in the universe is made of atoms , the smallest particle of matter that still exhibits the characteristics of its element. Protons - Positively charged, located in the nucleus . Determines the atom’s elemental identity. Electrons - Negatively charged, orbits the nucleus . Determines what chemical bonds the atom will form with other atoms. Neutrons – Neutral, located in the nucleus. Along with protons, determine the mass of the atom. 6

7. Molecules are formed when two or more atoms become chemically bonded together. One of the first molecules was discovered when Joseph Priestley discovered that placing a jar over a candle would cause it to go out. He repeated the experiment with a mouse and concluded that the air had been “injured.” Priestly added a plant to the jar and found that the mouse lived much longer. 7 Molecules Nearpod

8. Priestley had discovered the presence of oxygen molecules in the air. We now know the actual composition of air to be: 78% Nitrogen (N2) 21% Oxygen (O2) 0.03% Carbon dioxide (CO2) 0.02% Water (H2O) Small amounts of other gases 8

9. A Dutch physician, Jan Ingenhousz , further experimented with oxygen by observing underwater plants in sunlight and in darkness. Only the plant in light performed photosynthesis , the process by which plants use energy in sunlight to produce sugars. Oxygen bubbles were released by the leaves of the plant. 9 Photosynthesis

10. Photosynthesis requires plants to absorb energy. There are two classes of energy: Potential energy is stored energy that is the result of an object’s position or its chemical structure. Water upstream of a dam. Kinetic energy is energy in motion. Water moving downwards through a dam. 10 Energy Kerr Dam, Polson, Montana

11. Electromagnetic radiation includes all forms of energy that travel in waves. 11 Electromagnetic Spectrum

12. Each form of electromagnetic radiation has a different wavelength, giving each different properties. Microwave grates have a metal mesh that block microwaves, but allow visible light through. 12

13. The sun emits many wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, but there are primarily three that reach the Earth’s surface: Ultraviolet is able to penetrate living tissue, causing skin damage with enough exposure. Visible is the range of wavelengths that our eyes can detect. Infrared is heat energy. 13

14. Plants use visible light for photosynthesis, but which colors (wavelengths)? Blue, orange, and red are the most absorbed, with yellow and green the least. What relationship does this process have with the mass plants gain as they grow? 14

15. Nicolas de Saussure replicated the willow tree experiment, but measured the change in carbon dioxide levels in the plant’s container. He concluded that the mass gained by plants as they grow is mostly the result of absorbing carbon dioxide from the air and water from the soil. 15 Photosynthesis

16. Other organisms, such as animals and fungi, cannot directly absorb sunlight. They rely on a process called cell respiration , which breaks down the complex molecules found in organisms they ingest as a source of energy. Photosynthesis and cell respiration complement each other , forming the basis of the flow of energy and cycling of matter that makes up living ecosystems. 16 Cell Respiration

17. Photosynthesis and cell respiration complement each other , forming the basis of the flow of energy and cycling of matter that makes up living ecosystems. 17

18. As energy flows through an ecosystem, it obeys two Laws of Thermodynamics: Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it only changes form. During each transformation, some energy is given off in the form of heat. This heat dissipates into the atmosphere and eventually, space. 18 Energy Flows

19. Food chains are diagrams used to show the flow of energy through some of the living things in an ecosystem. Each arrow represents energy transformation or transfer. 19 Food Chains and Food Webs

20. Food chains are divided into trophic levels, each with different sources of energy. Producers absorb energy from the sun. Consumers ingest other organisms. Primary (Herbivores) Secondary Tertiary Apex/top predator Decomposers break down dead or decaying matter that arises from any of the other trophic levels. 20 Trophic Levels

21. A food web shows all of the food chains in a community woven together. 21

22. Food webs in more harsh ecosystems tend to be simpler. 22 Nearpod

23. Each organism within a food web is important, but keystone species play an especially large role in defining how an ecosystem functions. 23

24. Accounting for respiration, producers have about a 1% efficiency rate of converting solar energy to sugars. For consumers, the 10% rule estimates that only about 10% of the energy in one trophic level will be incorporated into the next one. The rest is lost as heat, so a constant input of energy is needed to power an ecosystem. 24 Image from KhanAcademy.org

25. The Earth is a closed system to matter – very little enters or leaves the planet on a regular basis. A series of biogeochemical cycles recycle the essential elements of life between organisms and the nonliving parts of the environment. These cycles include: Water Carbon Oxygen Sulfur Nitrogen Phosphorus 25 Cycles of Matter

26. “So all the water on Earth - the water in your Evian bottle, the water in your glass of water, the water you use to boil a pot of spaghetti - all that water is 4.3 or 4.4 billion years old. …all the water we've got right now has been used over and over again. Every drink of water you take, every pot of coffee you make is dinosaur pee, because it's all been through the kidneys of a Tyrannosaurus Rex or an Apatosaurus many, many times, because all the water we have is all the water we have ever had.” - Charles Fishman, The Big Thirst 26

27. A German botanist made the following estimate of the elemental composition of plants: 45% Carbon Source: Carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air 42% Oxygen Source: Carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air 6.5% Hydrogen Source: Water from the soil 1.5% Nitrogen Source: Soil 5.0% Other minerals (Potassium, phosphorus, sulfur, etc ) Source: Soil 27 What are Plants Made of?

28. The elements in a plant are released during animal digestion, combustion (fire), or decomposition. These elements eventually return to the soil, where they are re-absorbed by plants, continuing the cycle. 28