AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
SUMMER ASSIGNMENT 2011-2012
YOU DO NOT NEED A TEXTBOOK
All the materials are also available on our school website
The assignments below will introduce you to AP
Environmental Science as well as give us a head start on
the course, so we can complete the requisite activities
prior to the AP test in May. Several of these assignments
should be review for you, others will help you understand
the many topics and controversies involved in the study of
environmental science, while others will help you
appreciate the world in which you live. None of the
assignments are particularly time-consuming. We will
review all of this work the first week of school, but if you
have questions as you progress through the activities, you
may contact me during the summer via e-mail at
hbhaskar@wcboe.org
ALL THE WORK SHOULD BE TYPED (SINGLE SPACE).
The assignments may be done in any order, but the
following is recommended, and this is how they are
presented in this packet:
1.Scientific notation and Unit Conversion: Perform
operations using scientific notation . You will have a quiz
on this section the first week of school.
2. Outline and Answer chapters 3 questions: Read and
outline chapters 3. Use a note-taking strategy that works
best for you. You should have notes on the most
important information in the chapter. After outlining the
chapter, answer the Chapter questions. You will have a
test on this chapter the second week of school.
3. Environmental Laws and treaties : Summarize the
environmental laws and treaties
4. Silent Spring : Read the book and answer the questions
for each section.
1. Operations in Scientific Notation
done in the same power of 10. The final answer should be
3
converted to 1.165 x 10 as well.
One other note about addition and subtraction: units of
measure, if present, must be the same. For example, in the
numbers above, if both represented a distance
measurement such as meters, they could be added.
However, if one was centimeters and the other meters, a
common unit, say meters, must be chosen and the
centimeter measurement must be converted to meters
before the operation occurs.
Multiplication & Division
Multiplication in scientific notation is carried out in two
parts. First, multiply the numbers that occur before the
exponents. You need not align the decimal places. Second,
add the exponents. See the example that appears below.
Example #3
4
20.0 x 10
1.2 x 102
6
24.00 x 10
The final answer should appear in proper scientific
7
notation such as 2.4 x 10 .
Division is the same except that exponents are subtracted.
Example #4
5
20.0 x 10
1.2 x 102
3
16.7 x 10
The final answer should appear in proper scientific
4
notation such as 1.7 x 10 .
Complete the problems below. Do not use calculators.
Show the setup for the problem and the calculations on a
separate sheet of paper.(No calculators are allowed on
the AP exam). Be careful to display scientific notation as
required. Also, include units in your answer! You will
have quiz on scientific notations the first week of school.
3
Addition & Subtraction
As with regular numbers, addition and subtraction with
exponents require that decimal places be aligned.
Compare the following two addition examples.
Example #1
19.45
4.30
23.75
Example #2
2
1.23 x 10
10.42 x 102
2
11.65 x 10
In Example #2 above, the number 1042 was converted
3
from 1.042 x 10 in scientific notation to align the decimal
places. Addition and subtraction are carried out just like
addition and subtraction of regular problems, but must be
3
1. (2.3 x 10 g) + (3.5 x 10 g)
=
3
2. (2.3 x 10 cm) + (3.5 x
2
2
9. (1.17 x 10 m) x (8.49 x
10 m) =
4
3. (7.88 x 10 mol) - (1.55 x
4
3
10. (4.5 x 10 m) x (1.5 x 10
2
10 mol) =
m) =
5
4. (5.6 x 10 kg) - (8.91 x
2
5
11. (5.2 x 10 kg) / (1.3 x
2
10 kg) =
10 kg) =
-5
5. (4.72 x 10 mg) + (4.66 x
-5
4
12. (3.21 x 10 mg) / (5.3 x
4
10 mg) =
10 mg) =
3
6. (6.79 x 10 L) + (6.79 x
2
6
13. (4.34 x 10 L) x (2.01 x
-3
10 L) =
10 min) =
3
7. (2.3 x 10 m) + (3.5 x
3
2
10 kg) =
3
10 cm) =
10 cm) =
4
8. (4.7 x 10 kg) x (1.1 x
4
14. (4.7 x 10 kg) x (1.1 x
2
2 2
10 m) / (2.1 x 10 s ) =
-
Unit Conversion
In these practice problems, I am going to ask you to
stick to ONLY the following conversions between the
English and metric system
For all problems, please show your dimensional
analysis setup and give your answer to the correct
significant figures. Remember you can use any of the
conversions shown above.
1. Convert 3598 grams into pounds.
2. Convert 231 grams into ounces.
3. A beaker contains 578 mL of water. What is the
volume in quarts?
4. How many ng are there in 5.27x10-13 kg?
5. What is 7.86 x 10 -2 kL in dL?
6. What is 0.0032 gallons in cL?
2. Read Chapter 3 outline the chapter and answer the
following questions: Science, Systems, Matter, and
Energy Science and Critical Thinking. The same material is
also available on our school website.
1. Sketch the simplified outline of “what scientists do”.
2. Distinguish between a “scientific hypothesis” and a
“scientific theory”.
3. Non-scientists often criticize scientific theories for being
just “theories”. Explain how
this criticism illustrates a misunderstanding of the term.
4. What is a “controlled experiment”? How is singlevariable analysis done?
5. Contrast “inductive reasoning” with “deductive
reasoning”.
6. Contrast “frontier science” with “consensus science”.
Models and Behavior of Systems
7. Define the term “system” and the key components of
systems (inputs, flows, stores, and outputs).
8. What is a “feedback loop”? Describe the two types –
positive and negative feedback loops.
9. Explain how an increasing city population can lead to
both positive and negative feedback loops. (i.e. the
increase in population may lead to further increases or to
a stabilization of the population)
10. Describe the connection of a “time delay” with the
“threshold level” in complex systems.
11. What is “synergy”?
12. Explain Eric Davidson’s “Law of Conservation of
Problems” in the implementation of
technology to solve environmental problems.
Matter: Forms, Structure and Quality
13. What is a compound? What is a molecule?
14. Briefly describe the structure of the atom in terms of
nucleus, protons, neutrons and
electrons. What do the “atomic number” and “mass
number” refer to?
15. What are ions? What are isotopes?
16. Describe the pH scale for acids and bases (acidity and
alkalinity).
17. What are “organic compounds”? Briefly describe the
major types listed by Miller (hydrocarbons, chlorinated
hydrocarbons, chlorofluorocarbons, and simple
carbohydrates).
18. Distinguish between “genes” and “chromosomes”.
What is DNA?
Energy: Forms and Quality
19. How is energy defined? Distinguish between “kinetic
energy” and “potential energy”.
20. List the different types of “electromagnetic radiation”
21. What is meant by “ionizing radiation”? Which forms of
electromagnetic radiation are ionizing?
22. Define “convection”, “conduction” and “radiation”.
Physical and Chemical Changes & the Law of
Conservation of Matter
23. What is the difference between a physical change and
a chemical change?
24. State the “Law of Conservation of Matter”.
25. Explain what Miller means when he says there is no
“away” in “to throw away”.
26. What are the three factors that determine how
harmful a pollutant is?
27. Give two examples each for degradable, slowly
degradable and non degradable pollutants.
28. What is a “biodegradable” pollutant?
Nuclear Changes
29. What is a radioisotope?
30. How is “gamma radiation” different from “alpha
particles and beta particles”?
31. What is the definition of “half-life”?
32. What is the largest natural source of radiation
exposure to humans? What is the largest humangenerated source?
33. What are the two ways that ionization radiation harms
cells? Briefly describe each.
34. Contrast nuclear “fission” and nuclear “fusion”.
Two Laws Governing Energy Changes
35. State the first law of thermodynamics. What does it
mean?
36. State the second law of thermodynamics. Connections:
Mater and Energy Change Laws
37. Describe the three types of economies Miller lists here
(High throughput, Matter Recycling and Low throughput).
3. Environmental Laws and Treaties
Directions: Write a summary of each of the following
laws, acts or treaties. Include abbreviations for each act
and the year they were passed/amended.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
Antarctic Treaty
Atomic Energy Act
Cairo Conference on Population and Development
Clean Air Act
Clean Water Acts
Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation Liability Act
Consumer Product Safety Act
Convention of Climate Change and the Kyoto
Protocol
Convention of Ozone Depletion and the Montreal
Protocol
Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species
Declaration of the Conference on the Human
Environment (Stockholm Declaration)
Endangered Species Act
Energy Planning and Community Right-to-Know
Act
Energy Policy Act
Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act
Food Quality Protection Act
Lacey Act
Law of the Sea Convention
Madrid Protocol
Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act
National Wildlife Refuge System Act
National Environmental Policy Act
Nuclear Waste Policy Act
Occupational Safety and Health Act
Ocean Dumping Ban Act
Oil Pollution Act
Pollution Prevention Act
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
Safe Drinking Water Act
Soil Conservation Act
Solid Waste Disposal Act
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act
Taylor Grazing Act
Toxic Substance Control Act
Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
Wilderness Act
4. SILENT SPRING- BOOK REVIEW
Read Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson and answer the
questions that accompany the text. Have the answers
typed and prepared to hand in This assignment will be
graded on accuracy, completeness of answers and effort.
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson; Houghton Mifflin, Oct
2002. ISBN-13: 9780618249060 or ISBN-10: 0618249060.
Chapter One: “A Fable for Tomorrow”
1) Explain how the title of the book can be derived
from Chapter One.
Chapter Two: “The Obligation to Endure”
1) Explain the cycle of Strontium 90 when released
into the environment.
2) How long does it take for life to adjust to natural
environmental hostilities?
3) How do human produced pollutants differ from
natural environmental chemicals?
4) Why does Carson believe insecticides should be
called biocides?
Chapter Three: “Elixirs of Death”
1) How were chemical pesticides originally
discovered and used?
2) What are some of the dangers of the use of
arsenic?
3) Explain how DDT is passed on and concentrated
in a food chain.
4) Describe the dangers of the chemical known as
dieldrin.
5) What is “potentiation” and why is it a serious
hazard?
6) What is a systemic insecticide and how does it
work?
7) What does a mutagen do?
Chapter Four: “Surface Waters and Underground Seas”
1) Describe some ways that insecticides can
inadvertently enter human water supplies.
2) What happened in Clear Lake California?
3) How can city water supplies from reservoirs be
inadvertently poisoned by humans?
Chapter Five: “Realms of the Soil”
1) Give some specific examples of how some
pesticides can affect the beneficiary components of
the soil.
2) What kind of chemical problem affected baby
food and peanuts?
Chapter Six: “Earth’s Green Mantle”
1) How do humans judge the value of a plant?
2) What is happening to the sage plant community
out west and why?
3) Describe the fall of the Bridger National Forest.
4) Describe some methods of biological control that
are safer than chemicals.
Chapter Seven: “Needless Havoc”
1) Describe the effects of indiscriminate Japanese
Beetle control done in the Greater Detroit area.
2) Describe the impact of Sheldon, Illinois’ Program
of Pest control
1) How did DDT affect the milk supply in the US?
2) How did Sales Bonanza use the fire ant issue to
increase their sales?
3) How did the agricultural department in Texas get
farmers to use chemicals?
Chapter 11: “Beyond the Dreams of the Borgias”
1) What is Carson referring to when she writes
that there is a human price for the use of
toxins?
2) Why is it so crucial that human beings begin to
see themselves as an essential part of the
natural world?
3) Why did she believe that people resisted
thinking about themselves in those terms?
Chapter 12: “The Human Price”
1) Carson invokes the term ecology (p189) to
describe the web of life – or death… What
role does this concept play in her analysis?
Chapter 13: “Through a Narrow Window”
1) Do you agree that the project of controlling
nature is arrogant, foolish, and dangerous, as
Carson argues? Why or why not?
Chapter 14: “One in Every Four”
3) What are the advantages of biological control of
the Japanese Beetle?
Chapter Eight: “And No Birds Sing”
1) Explain the connection between the demise of
the elm tree and the disappearance of birds in
North America.
2) Explain the research results of John Mehner on
robins at Michigan State University.
1) After reading Silent Spring, how would you
characterize its author? Is she a science writer? An
environmental activist? A philosopher?
Chapter 15: “Nature Fights Back”
1) Explain how Carson thinks “Nature Fights Back.”
What examples does she offer to support this
idea?
Chapter 16: “The Rumblings of an Avalanche”
3) Discuss why spraying elm trees to “protect” them
actually ended up hurting them.
4) Make a comparison between the 1959 Parathion
assault in river bottomlands of Southern Indiana
and the current suburbia assault on residential
lawns.
Chapter Nine: “Rivers of Death”
1) What were the pros and cons of the Fire Ant
Eradication Program?
2) Summarize the findings of Dr. Herbert R. Mills in
Florida.
Chapter 10: “Indiscriminately from the Skies”
1)How are Darwin’s ideas of survival of the fittest
so well illustrated by Carson’s observations on the
effects of pesticides?
Chapter 17: “The Other Road”
1) Explain what alternatives are available to chemical
insecticides. Why are these alternatives more ecologically
sound?
Summary: Write a brief paragraph stating your
environmental views before and after reading this book.
Do you think that Rachel Carson has a valid point? Do you
believe that her views are timeless? Do you believe that
there is hope for the human race and for our planet?