Chapter 2: Earth as a System

1
Chapter 2 Earth as a System

• STUDY NOTES

2
Chapter 2 Section 1Earth A Unique Planet
3
1. Earths circumference is about 40,000 km, and
its shape is an ________ ___________.

• oblate spheroid

4
2. According to the law of gravitation, the
force of attraction between two objects depends
on the masses of the objects and the __________
between them.

• distance

5
3. The lower boundary of Earths crust is called
the ________.

• Moho

6
4. The solid, plastic layer of the mantle is
called the _________.

• asthenosphere

7
5.The force of attraction that exists among all
matter in the universe is called _________.

• gravity

8
6. The mesosphere is the strong, lower part of
the _______ between the asthenosphere and the
outer core.

• mantle

9
7. The _______ is the thin and solid outer most
layer of the Earth above the mantle

• crust

10
8.The lithosphere is the solid, outer layer of
Earth that consists of the crust and the rigid
upper part of the ________.

• mantle

11
9. The ________ is the central part of Earth
below the mantle.

• core

12
10. The _______ is the layer of rock between
Earths crust and core.

• mantle

13
Chapter 2 Section 2Energy in the Earth System
14
1. Evaporation, condensation, and precipitation
are part of the _____ _______.

• water cycle

15
2. Plants capture and transfer solar energy in a
process called ___________.

• photosynthesis

16
3. Because Earths interior is warmer than its
surface layers, hot materials move toward the
surface in a process called ________.

• Convection

17
4. The largest ecosystem on Earth is the
________.

• biosphere

18
5. In general, ecosystems react to change by
_____ _______.

• restoring
• balance

19
6. The transfer of energy throughout an
ecosystem begins when plants capture solar _____
through photosynthesis.

• energy

20
7. A community of organisms and their abiotic
environment is called an ___________.

• ecosystem

21
8. The _____ is the part of Earth where life
exists.

• biosphere

22
9. The ____ is a mixture of ____ that surrounds a
planet or moon.

• atmosphere
• gases

23
10. The _____ is the portion of Earth that is
water.

• hydrosphere

24
11. The _____ is the mostly solid, rocky part of
Earth.

• geosphere

25
12. An open system is a system in which both
matter and energy are _____ with the surroundings.

• exchanged

26
Chapter 2 Section 1green bookThe Cycles of
Matter
27
1. All organic molecules contain __________.

• carbon

28
2. Bacteria in soil change nitrogen gas into
other forms in a process called ____ ______.

• nitrogen fixation

29
3. Carbon is stored as a type of rock called
______ in the______.

• carbonate
• geosphere

30
4. Carbon moves between the environment and
living things in the _______ _______.

• carbon cycle

31
5. ______ is transferred between systems, but it
cannot be created or destroyed, according to the
_____ law of thermodynamics.

• Energy
• first

32
6. Groundwater is an important part of the
_______ cycle.

• water

33
7. In a cycle of matter, matter moves between the
environment and _____ things.

• living

34
9. Most animals get the carbon they need by
______ plants.

• eating

35
10. Organisms need _______ to build proteins for
DNA.

• nitrogen

36
11. _________ is when plants use carbon dioxide
to make sugars.

• Photosynthesis

37
12. The sun, internal convection, and gravity are
important sources of ________ in the Earth system.

• energy

38
13. Transpiration is one part of the _______
cycle.

• water

39
The End!!!