Practice Questions
Science and Systems:
1. Explain the difference between a hypothesis and a theory.
2. What is science?
3. What is incorrect about the following statement? “Professor X has proven that deepledorf
butterflies migrate from Canada to Brazil”
4. Respond to the following statement: “The greenhouse theory – that certain gases such as carbon
dioxide, warm the atmosphere – is not a reliable idea because it is only a scientific theory.
5. What is the difference between a scientific law and a societal law? Can each be broken?
6. What is the difference between positive and negative feedback? Give an example of each.
7. What is the difference between an open and closed system?
8. Explain why melting permafrost is an example of positive feedback.
9. Explain how residence time can give important information about an ecosystem.
10. Explain how earth as a system could be considered both a closed and open system.
Matter and Energy:
1. What is matter composed of? Name the parts.
2. How is an isotope different from an atom?
3. Describe two uses for isotopes.
4. Why are some isotopes referred to as “stable”? How does this characteristic affect the usefulness of
the isotope?
5. For each of the following, name the element, the type of ion that it is, and how the number of
electrons have changed to create the ion: H+, Na2+, Cl-
6. Define pH.
7. Provide the reaction for photosynthesis. How many atoms of carbon are involved? How many
oxygen?
8. List three macronutrients and explain why each is considered a building block for life.
9. Which of the following wavelengths should we be concerned about due to their ionizing effects?
Why? Microwaves, x-rays, tv rays
Biogeochemical cycles:
1. Explain why bacteria are the real rulers of earth.
2. What is a biogeochemical cycle? Why is the cycling of matter essential to life?
3. Why do farmers not need to apply carbon to grow their crops but often need to add fertilizer
containing nitrogen and phosphorus?
4. List the major storage compartments of water.
5. What are the major elements that form the building blocks of life?
6. Use a diagram to illustrate how water cycles through earth’s systems.
7. What would happen to the hydrologic cycle if there was no evaporation?
8. How would the carbon cycle change if there were no organisms involved?
9. Explain why nitrogen fixing organisms are important to the Nitrogen cycle.
10. Describe two ways that humans affect the Nitrogen cycle.
11. What is the name of the main processes involved in the nitrogen cycle?
12. What change to nitrogen occurs through the process of ammonification? What would happen if this
process didn’t occur?
13. Discuss the similarities and differences between the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles.
14. What role does Guano have in the phosphorus cycle?
15. Compare and contrast nitrogen fixation with denitrification.
16. How does fertilizer production affect the phosphorus cycle?
17. Describe two ways that sulphur enters the atmosphere.
18. Name the major reservoirs for carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. How are these reservoirs impacted by
human activity?
19. Describe how organisms participate in each of these biogeochemical cycles: carbon, nitrogen,
sulphur, and phosphorus.
Ecosystems:
1. Describe three characteristics common to all ecosystems.
2. Explain how heat flows through ecosystems.
3. Trace the pathway for energy starting from the sun and going through three trophic levels.
4. Using the second law of thermodynamics, explain why there is a sharp decrease in usable energy as
energy flows through a food web.
5. Describe the difference between a detritus feeder and decomposer.
6. Trace the pathway(s) of solar radiation from the sun to earth.
7. Define trophic level.
8. Create a food chain containing 5 trophic levels and with the following: top carnivore, secondary
consumer, herbivore, autotroph, decomposer
9. Define limiting factor.
10. Describe one limiting factor in oceans that is not important in terrestrial environments.
11. Describe the two kinds of biological production.
12. Explain the difference between production and productivity.
13. Explain why respiration is important for energy flow through an ecosystem.
14. Explain why a tropical rainforest is more productive than a desert.
15. Describe the global pattern of ocean productivity.
16. Describe the global pattern of terrestrial productivity.
