Tuesday, June 21, 2011

4.9 - Carbon Cycle



- 1. Photosynthesis - CO2 + H20 ----Photosynthesis (Chlorophyll)----> Glucose + O2
    - CO2 comes from the atmosphere = 0.03%
    - Reduces the atmospheric CO2 


- 2. Feeding - Producer ---> primary consumer (takes carbon from the producer and grows)  ---> secondary consumer
    - All respire sending out CO2 into the atmosphere 


- 3. Respiration - Glucose + O2 ---enzymes in the cell---> energy + CO2 + H2O 
    - Adds CO2 to the atmosphere 


- 4. Decomposition - death of organic molecules ----bacteria, fungi----> CO2 


- 5. Combustion - fossil fuels - Compression and pressure of animals and plants. Results in oils and coals -----combustion---> CO2
    - Industrial and vehicles combust fuel for their movement 
    - natural combustion - Lightning striking vegetation = forest fries, grassland fires






Tuesday, June 14, 2011

4.14 - Enhanced Greenhouse effect



- Greenhouse effect caused by pollution - CO2, CH4, Water Vapour  (greenhouse gases) 
- The gases increase their concentration in the upper atmosphere 
- leads to the infrared light from the planet being increasingly reemitted back down towards the earths surface rather then escaping into space. 
- This raises the average global temperature = global warming. 


Consequences: 
- Melting of ice capes in the polar regions resulting in more water in the oceans so..
- Raised sea levels this would then change the.. 
- Ocean currents 
- Change the way wind is generated 
- All lead to the larger Picture = Climate Change. 
- Result in the change of the distribution of the worlds biomes 

4.13 - Greenhouse Gases



- Burning of fossil fuels releases CO2, NO2 and SO2. 
- CO2 and NO2 are Green house gases. 
- SO2 absorbs infrared 
- released from factories and vehicles (industrial) and burning of coals (domestic) 


- Farming - cows emit methane gas (CH4) - about 90% of the atmospheric gas. Huge amount


- Evaporation of water - forms water vapour  - clouds significant contributor to the greenhouse effect. 


- Refrigeration/ Solvents - CFCs - Carbon, Fluorine and Chlorine - absorption of UV light and catalytic break down 

4.12 - Greenhouse Effect



- a) UV light from the sun - sort wave length or high energy 
- b) 50% of this light is reflected back into space (plants reflect)
- c) absorption on the surface - UV --> infrared 
- d) infrared light - long waves 
- e) lost to space as heat 
- f) greenhouse gases (water vapour, CO2, methane) 
- g) infrared light hits the GHG and absorb the energy then reemits it in all directions, including downwards 
     - The ones that go down towards the surface are what cause the temperature to rise. 


Enhanced greenhouse effect 
if you raise the levels of GHG they will absorb more of the escaping infrared radiation and emit it backwards towards the earth. - High temperatures so climate change. 


CFCs - ozone layer 
           - Carbon, Florine, Chlorine
Cl3F ---sunlight---> CCl2F- +Cl-      = this breaks down O3 into O2. 
- O3 is much better at absorbing UV light


 - depletion of the ozone layer 



4.11 - Gas Pollution



Sulphur Dioxide 
- SO2 - as a gas is added to the atmosphere. 
- Added by combustion of fossil fuels -  in factories - burning of fossil fuels (coals, oils) - gases given off = SO2.
- Added from combustion in vehicles - combustion of oils and gases for petrol = SO2
- In the atmosphere - SO2 + H2O ---> Sulphuric Acid. 
Sulphuric Acid is found in clouds so when it rains it is acid rain. 
- Acid rain effects plants and animals. = 
- Trees become 'burned' on the surface from the acid. 
- The root system is effected - acid rain causes calcium and magnesium ions to be leached (means the plant can't obtain calcium or magnesium so it suffers from clorosis (yellowing of the leaves) so it can no longer grow) 
- Acid rain - forms streams - form into the lakes. 
- In lakes the acid rain reduces the pH - releases Aluminium ions which affects the fish. 
- The aluminium is what thickens the mucus of the gills on the fish and reduces the fishes ability to take O2 from the water - suffocates, dies. 


Carbon Monoxide 
- CO as a gas
- Produced when fossil fuels (coal, gas) are burned with insufficient O2
- Combines with the hemoglobin in the red blood cells and forms carbomino hemoglobin 
- Blocks hemoglobin from carrying oxygen around the body 
- Reducing the oxygen circulation 
- Toxic 
- Too much carbon monoxide can me fatal, death 



Thursday, May 12, 2011

4.7 - Energy Efficiency




- pyramid of energy 
- 100% of producer at the start but only 10% makes it to the primary consumer level and only 1% makes it to the secondary consumer level 
- Causes of Losses 
- 100kj of grass energy - represents grass eaten by the herbivore 
- only 10kj of the original 100kj will become of the mouses body and tissue 
- reasons for this: mouse have to walk around and fine their food and carry out the process of respiration 
- not ALL 100kj is available for the mouse such as the cellulose (cell wall) cannot be digested and this contains energy - this is lost in the form of feces 
- 90kj of energy left is lost from respiration and undigested food 
- When the owl eats the mouse it can only get 1% of the original 100% so it gets 1kj of grass
- Losses in the owl is from respiration, producing energy for flight, digestion, movement, the nervous system 
- not ALL of the mouse is available to the mouse 
- ALL organisms finally die and are broken down by micro-organisms living on the dead and decaying remains of other micro-organisms 



4.6 - Energy and substances in food chains






- Bushgrass eaten by impala - Bushgrass is the producer, Impala is the primary consumer, leopard is the secondary consumer, lion is the tertiary
- producer turns light energy into chemical energy - takes the form of organic molecules including carbohydrates, proteins and lipids --> what we call food 
- These molecules are composed of C-H bonds, C-O bonds, C-C bonds, O-H bonds and C-N bonds - ALL represent energy 
- C H O N are the substances/matter - contain the energy from the sunlight 
- Impala consumes this for growth and respiration and life processes - then the leopard consumes the impala passing on the same molecules, reorganizes them into leopard form and then to the lion who reorganizes them as well 
- What is passing is the 'matter' and energy (in the bonds)