Chapter 2 Notes
Name:___________________________
Science, Matter, Energy, and Systems
2-1 What Do Scientists Do?
2-2 What Is Matter and What Happens When It Undergoes Change?
2-3 What Is Energy and What Happens When It Undergoes Change?
2-4 What Are Systems and How Do They Respond to Change?
1. Describe the controlled scientific experiment carried out at the Hubbard Brook Experimental
Forest.
2. Section 2-1. What is the key concept for this section?
3. What is science?
(a) Describe the steps involved in the scientific process.
4. What is data?
(a) What is a model?
5. Define:
(a) scientific hypothesis
(b) scientific theory
(c) scientific law (law of nature).
1
6. Summarize Jane Goodall’s scientific and educational achievements.
7. What is peer review and why is it important?
8. Explain why scientific theories are not to be taken lightly and why people often use the term
“theory” incorrectly.
9. Explain why scientific theories and laws are the most important and most certain results of
science.
10. Distinguish among tentative science (frontier science), reliable science, and unreliable
science.
11. What are four limitations of science in general and environmental science in particular?
12. Section 2-2. What are the two key concepts for this section?
13. What is matter?
(a) Distinguish between an element and a compound and give an example of each.
Science, Systems, Matter, and Energy
14. Define the following and give an example of each.
(a) Atoms
(b) Molecules
(c) ions
15. What is the atomic theory?
16. Define the following
(a) Protons
(b) Neutrons
(c) Electrons
17. What is the nucleus of an atom?
18. Distinguish between the following regarding elements
(a) atomic number
(b) mass number
19. What is an isotope?
20. What is acidity?
(a) What is pH?
21. What is a chemical formula?
22. Distinguish between the following and give an example of each.
(a) organic compounds
(b) inorganic compounds
3
23. Define the following and give an example of each.
(a) complex carbohydrates
(b) proteins
(c) nucleic acids
(d) lipids.
24. What is a cell?
25. Define the following
(a) gene
(b) trait
(c) chromosome.
26. Define the following and give an example of each
(a) physical change
(b) chemical change (chemical reaction)
27. What is a nuclear change?
28. Define and explain the differences
(a) natural radioactive decay
(b) nuclear fission
(c) nuclear fusion.
29. What is the law of conservation of matter and why is it important?
Science, Systems, Matter, and Energy
30. Section 2-3. What are the two key concepts for this section?
31. What is energy?
32. Define and give an example of each
(a) kinetic energy
(b) potential energy
33. What is heat (thermal energy)?
34. Define and give two examples of electromagnetic radiation.
35. Define and distinguish between renewable energy and nonrenewable energy.
36. What are fossil fuels and how are they formed?
(a) Why are they nonrenewable?
37. What is energy quality?
(a) Distinguish between high- quality energy and low- quality energy and give an example of
each.
38. What is the first law of thermodynamics (law of conservation of energy) and why is it
important?
39. What is the second law of thermodynamics and why is it important?
(a) Explain why the second law means that we can never recycle or reuse high- quality
energy.
5
40. Define and give an example of a system.
41. Distinguish among the inputs, flows (throughputs), and outputs of a system.
42. Why are scientific models useful?
43. What is feedback?
(a) What is a feedback loop?
44. Distinguish between and give an example of each in a system,.
(a) positive feedback loop
(b) negative (corrective) feedback loop
45. Distinguish between and give an example of each in a system.
(a) time delay
(b) synergistic interaction (synergy)
46. What is a tipping point?
47. What are this chapter’s three big ideas? Explain how the Hubbard Brook Experimental
Forest controlled experiments illustrated the three scientific principles of sustainability.
Write this answer on your own notebook paper and attach it to the notes.
Science, Systems, Matter, and Energy