Matter
Anything that occupies space and has mass.
Mass
The amount of matter it contains.
Atom
Smallest particle that can contain the chemical properties of an element.
Element
A substance composed of atoms that cannot be broken down into smaller, simpler components.
Periodic Table
Lists all of the elements currently known.
Molecules
Particles containing more than one atom.
Compounds
Molecules that contain more than one element.
Atomic Number
The number of protons in the nucleus of a particular element.
Mass Number
The total number of protons and nuetrons in an element.
Isotopes
Various kinds of atoms.
Radioactive Decay
Spontaneous release of material from the nucleus.
Half-life
The time it takes for one half of the original radioactive parent atoms to decay.
Covalent Bonds
Elements that do not readily gain or lose electrons from compounds by sharing electrons.
Ionic Bonds
The bond is formed by the share of electrons.
Hydrgen Bonds
A weak chemical bond that forms when hydrogen atoms that are covalently bonded to one atom are attracted to another atom on another molecule.
Polar Molecule
One side is more positive and the other is more negative.
Capillary Action
Happens when adhesion of molecules to a surface is stronger than cohesion between the moelcules.
Acid
A substance that contributes hydrogen ions to a solution.
Base
A substance that contributes hydroxide ions to a solution.
pH
A scale that is a way to indicate the strength of acids and bases.
Chemical Reaction
Occurs when atoms seperate from the molecules they are a part of or recombine with other molecules.
Law of Conservation of Matter
States that matter cannot be created or destroyed.
Inorganic Compound
Compounds that either do not contain the element carbon or do not contain carbon but only carbon bound to elements other than hydrogen.
Organic Compound
Compounds that have carbon-carbon and carbon-hydrogen bonds.
Carbohydrates
Compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms.
Proteins
Made up of long chains nitrogen-containing organic molecules called amino acids.
Nucleic Acids
Organic compounds found in living cells.
DNA
Genetic material organisms pass onto their offsprings that contains the code of reproducing the components of the next generation.
RNA
Translates the codes stored in DNA and allows for the synthesis of proteins.
Lipids
Smaller biological molecules that do not mix with water.
Cell
A highly organized living entity that consists of the 4 types of the macromolecules and other substances in a watery solution surrounded by a membrane.
Energy
The ability to do work or transfer heat.
Elecrtomagnetic Radiation
A form of energy that includes but is not limited to visible light, ultraviolet light and infrared energy which we percieve as heat.
Photons
Massless packets of energy that travel at the speed of light and can move even through the vacuum of space.
Joule
The basic unit of energy in the metric system.
Power
The rate at which work is done.
Potential Energy
Energy that is stored but has not been released.
Kinetic Energy
Energy of motion.
Chemical Energy
Potential energy stored in chemical bonds.
Temperature
Measure of the average kinetic energy of a substance.
First Law of Thermodynamics
Just as matter can neither be created nor destroyed, energy is neither created or destroyed.
Second Law of Thermodynamics
Energy is transformed, the quantity of energy remains the same, but its ability to do work deminishes.
Energy Efficiency
The ratio of the amount of work that is done to the total amount of energy that is introduced into the system in the first place.
Energy Quality
The ease with which an energy source can be used for work.
Entropy
Always increasing in a system unless new energy from outside the system is added to create order.
Open System
Exchanges of matter or energy occur across sytem boundaries.
Closed System
Matter and energy exchanges across system boundaries do not occur.
Inputs
Addtions to a given system.
Outputs
Losses from the system.
System Analysis
How they determine inputs, outputs and changes in the system under various conditions.
Steady Rate
Whether inputs = outputs, so that the system is not changing over time.
Feedback
Results of a process feedback into the system to change the rate of that process.
Negative Feedback Loops
A system responds to a change by returning to its original state or at least by decreasing the rate at which the change is occuring.
Positive Feedback Loop
Amplifies changes.
Adaptive Management Plan
A strategy that provides flexibility so that managers can modify it as future changes occur.