A group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements forming a complex whole. Solar System…. GET IT? InputSomething PUT IN to a system! Output – Something that comes OUT of a system! Flow of Energy – How is energy transferred through the system? Purpose – What is the reason the system exists? Input? Output? Flow of Energy? Purpose? Input? Output? Flow of Energy? Purpose? Consider your vocabulary…. Atmosphere, Biosphere, Cryosphere, Geosphere, and Hydrosphere Are they systems? Do they interact with one another? The gaseous portion of the planet; the planet’s envelope of air. The atmosphere is necessary for sustaining life. It provides the oxygen we breathe and carbon dioxide for plant life. It protects us from the sun’s intense heat. 2 of the most important heat absorbing gasses in the atmosphere are carbon dioxide and water vapor. All life on Earth The parts of the solid Earth, hydrosphere, and atmosphere in which life can be found. The frozen water part of the Earth system. The layer of the Earth under both the atmosphere and the oceans. It is composed of the core, the mantle, and the crust. The water portion of Earth. Consists of oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, and groundwater. The water cycle is an important part of the hydrosphere. The sun powers the water cycle. The water cycle is considered a balanced system because the average annual precipitation over Earth equals the amount of water that evaporates. Earth is considered a system because all of its parts interact.