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Environment: The Science Behind the Stories, 4e (Withgott)
Chapter 2 Earth's Physical Systems: Matter, Energy, and Geology
2.1 Graph and Figure Interpretation Questions
Use Figure 2.1 to answer the following questions.
1) Within the water molecule, ______connect(s) two hydrogens to every oxygen.
A) chemical bonds
B) magnetic force
C) hydrogen bonds
D) isotopes
E) gravity
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Objective: 2.1 Fundamentals of environmental chemistry
2) Why is one end of each water molecule negative and one end positive?
A) Oxygen is larger, so it has a greater pull on the electrons.
B) Oxygen is larger, so it has a greater pull on the protons.
C) The two hydrogens present have a greater pull on the electrons.
D) The two hydrogens present have a greater pull on the protons.
E) Hydrogen bonds create a charge difference.
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Objective: 2.1 Fundamentals of environmental chemistry
3) What property of water is due to hydrogen bonds?
A) high pH+
B) low pH+
C) ability to change temperature quickly
D) ability to dissolve lipids
E) ability to form droplets
Answer: E
Diff: 2
Objective: 2.1 Fundamentals of environmental chemistry
4) Hydrogen bonds connect ______.
A) hydrogen atoms to oxygen atoms within the water molecule
B) oxygen atoms to other oxygen atoms
C) positive regions of one water molecule to negative regions of another molecule
D) hydrogen atoms to other hydrogen atoms
E) the nuclei of adjacent water molecules
Answer: C
Diff: 3
Objective: 2.1 Fundamentals of environmental chemistry
2.2 Matching Questions
Match the following.
A) ions
B) neutrons
C) protons
D) atoms
E) electrons
F) isotopes
G) molecules
1) The smallest components of elements that still maintain the chemical properties of the element
Diff: 1
Objective: 2.1 Fundamentals of environmental chemistry
2) Negatively charged particles
Diff: 1
Objective: 2.1 Fundamentals of environmental chemistry
3) Elements with the same atomic number but with different atomic masses
Diff: 1
Objective: 2.1 Fundamentals of environmental chemistry
4) Elements or molecules with a charge
Diff: 1
Objective: 2.1 Fundamentals of environmental chemistry
5) Charged particles located in the nucleus
Diff: 1
Objective: 2.1 Fundamentals of environmental chemistry
6) Combinations of elements held together with bonds
Diff: 1
Objective: 2.1 Fundamentals of environmental chemistry
Answers: 1) D 2) E 3) F 4) A 5) C 6) G
2.3 Multiple-Choice Questions
1) ______is defined as the number of protons plus the number of neutrons.
A) Mass number
B) Ionic number
C) Atomic number
D) Isotopic number
E) Nuclear number
Answer: A
Diff: 1
Objective: 2.1 Fundamentals of environmental chemistry
2) ______are composed of amino acids.
A) Proteins
B) Nucleic acids
C) Carbohydrates
D) Lipids
E) Bases
Answer: A
Diff: 1
Objective: 2.2 Molecular building blocks
3) ______are the primary water‑insoluble components of cell membranes.
A) Proteins
B) Nucleic acids
C) Carbohydrates
D) Acids
E) Lipids
Answer: E
Diff: 2
Objective: 2.2 Molecular building blocks
4) Skin, hair, muscles, and enzymes are classified as ______.
A) proteins
B) nucleic acids
C) carbohydrates
D) lipids
E) organelles
Answer: A
Diff: 1
Objective: 2.2 Molecular building blocks
5) Plastics are ______.
A) naturally occurring macromolecules
B) unstable and break down easily
C) synthetic polymers
D) assembled by enzymes in cells
E) synthetic proteins
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Objective: 2.2 Molecular building blocks
6) Which of the following represents an example of aerobic cellular respiration?
A) water + carbon dioxide + energy → glucose + oxygen + water
B) glucose + oxygen → water + carbon dioxide + energy
C) water + carbon dioxide → glucose + oxygen + water + energy
D) nitrogen + carbon dioxide + energy → methane + oxygen
E) nitrogen + oxygen + glucose → methane + carbon dioxide
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Objective: 2.4 Photosynthesis, respiration, and chemsynthesis
7) Which of the following represents chemosynthesis?
A) water + carbon dioxide + energy → glucose + oxygen + water
B) glucose + oxygen → water + carbon dioxide + energy
C) nitrogen + carbon dioxide + energy → methane + oxygen
D) glucose + water → methane + carbon dioxide
E) carbon dioxide + water + hydrogen sulfide → sugar + sulfuric acid
Answer: E
Diff: 2
Objective: 2.4 Photosynthesis, respiration, and chemsynthesis
8) The force causing water molecules to adhere to one another in interactions is called ______.
A) Van der Waals attractions
B) polar covalent bonds
C) nonpolar covalent bonds
D) acid–base attractions
E) hydrogen bonds
Answer: E
Diff: 1
Objective: 2.1 Fundamentals of environmental chemistry
9) Which of the following describes a property of pure water?
A) changes temperature rapidly
B) molecules are noncohesive
C) more dense as a solid
D) acidic pH+
E) dissolves many ionic and polar chemicals necessary for life
Answer: E
Diff: 2
Objective: 2.1 Fundamentals of environmental chemistry
10) Precipitation ______.
A) that is acidic has a low concentration of hydrogen ions
B) that is acidic would have a pH+ higher than 7
C) that is acidic would have a pH+ lower than pure water
D) that measures pH+ = 4 is twice as acidic as precipitation that measures pH+ = 5
E) has become increasing more basic in the last 100 years, due to industrial air pollution
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Objective: 2.1 Fundamentals of environmental chemistry
11) Bacteria use ______to break down hydrocarbons during bioremediation, just as we use them to digest food.
A) nucleic acids
B) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
C) isotopes
D) enzymes
E) alcohol molecules
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Objective: 2.2 Molecular building blocks
12) Which of the following is nota macromolecule?
A) DNA
B) cellulose
C) glucose
D) starch
E) chitin
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Objective: 2.2 Molecular building blocks
13) Which of the following describes mass wasting?
A) a volcanic eruption
B) the destruction of sedimentary rock by earthquakes
C) blockage of sunlight by volcanic ash
D) downslope movement of soil and rock due to gravity
E) agricultural damage resulting from a tsunami
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Objective: 2.5 Plate tectonics and rock cycles
14) River water held behind a dam is best described as a form of ______.
A) kinetic energy
B) potential energy
C) chemical energy
D) entropy
E) thermodynamics
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Objective: 2.3 Energy
15) During photosynthesis within plants, ______.
A) the high‑quality energy of the sun is converted to a lower quality
B) entropy increases
C) entropy stays the same
D) oxygen is consumed
E) there is net consumption of water and carbon dioxide
Answer: E
Diff: 2
Objective: 2.4 Photosynthesis, respiration, and chemsynthesis
16) Cellular respiration ______.
A) liberates carbon dioxide and water
B) results in a net consumption of energy
C) represents a decrease in entropy
D) requires the green pigment chlorophyll
E) involves a net consumption of water
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Objective: 2.4 Photosynthesis, respiration, and chemsynthesis
17) Undersea earthquakes and volcanic eruptions may produce ______.
A) mass wasting
B) pyroclastic flow
C) a tsunami
D) hurricanes
E) lahars
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Objective: 2.5 Plate tectonics and rock cycles
18) Earthquakes result from ______.
A) energy released from movement at plate boundaries and faults
B) surges of magma from the earth's core
C) global climate change
D) separation of layers within sedimentary rock
E) release of gases from the underlying mantle
Answer: A
Diff: 1
Objective: 2.5 Plate tectonics and rock cycles
19) Type of rock formed when magma or lava cools ______.
A) igneous
B) sedimentary
C) lithospheric
D) metamorphic
E) geothermal
Answer: A
Diff: 1
Objective: 2.5 Plate tectonics and rock cycles
20) The San Andreas Fault in California is an example of a(n) ______.
A) convergent plate boundary
B) transform plate boundary
C) divergent plate boundary
D) continental collision and uplift
E) tsunami
Answer: B
Diff: 1
Objective: 2.5 Plate tectonics and rock cycles
21) The force driving plate tectonics is ______.
A) solar radiation
B) freezing and thawing of water in the earth's crust
C) gravity
D) nuclear reactions in magma
E) heat in the deepest layers of the earth
Answer: E
Diff: 1
Objective: 2.5 Plate tectonics and rock cycles
22) Coal, oil, and natural gas are ______.
A) renewable
B) fossil fuels
C) part of a sustainable energy future
D) inorganic
E) synthetic
Answer: B
Diff: 1
Objective: 2.3 Energy
23) Consider the following processes: respiration, chemosynthesis, combustion, fermentation, polymerization and photosynthesis. How many of these result in the release of oxygen into the atmosphere?
A) none
B) 1
C) 2
D) 4
E) all
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Objective: 2.4 Photosynthesis, respiration, and chemsynthesis
24) When you burn a log in your fireplace you are converting ______.
A) chemical to thermal (heat) energy
B) thermal to electromagnetic energy
C) electromagnetic to chemical
D) chemical to nuclear energy
E) proteins to amino acids
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Objective: 2.3 Energy
25) Rock that has undergone heat or pressure that causes it to change form is called ______.
A) conglomerate
B) igneous
C) sedimentary
D) metamorphic
E) deformative
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Objective: 2.5 Plate tectonics and rock cycles
26) The process of subduction ______.
A) causes the formation of deep ocean trenches
B) occurs when denser ocean crusts slide beneath lighter continental crusts
C) is caused by volcanoes
D) occurs when plates pull apart
E) is responsible for hurricanes
Answer: B
Diff: 1
Objective: 2.5 Plate tectonics and rock cycles
2.4 Essay Questions
1) Briefly explain the concept of plate tectonics and why it is important for the study of geography
Answer: Plate tectonics make up the processes that move continental plates, underlie earthquakes and volcanoes, create mountain ranges, and shape shorelines. They determine much of the geography of Earth's surface.
Diff: 2
Objective: 2.5 Plate tectonics and rock cycles
2) In what ways are macromolecules essential to life? Describe the structures of three and describe their major role(s) in organisms.
Answer: Macromolecules provide critical components of organismal structure, energy storage and mobilization and genetic coding to name just a few of their many roles. Carbohydrates are made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen and have the general formula CO. Carbon and water exist in a 1:1 ratio. They are the primary components of plant cell walls and are the preferred energy source for many organisms. Proteins are chains of amino acids (amine group + carboxyl or acid group + central carbon). They are primarily structural molecules. They are blood transporters, aid in the function of the immune system, and promote metabolic reactions. Most enzymes are proteins. Nucleic acids are made of chains of nucleotides (phosphate + sugar + nitrogenous bases). They carry genetic information (genes) that coordinates all organismal functions and passes traits from generation to generation.
Diff: 3
Objective: 2.2 Molecular building blocks
3) What is the first law of thermodynamics, and why is it important?
Answer: This law says that the total energy and mass in the universe are constant and conserved. This law is important because it says that there is a finite amount of energy on Earth. Humans cannot make new energy. This Law has also saluted the balancing of all chemical reactions, where we acknowledge that mass is conserved, even though we may change its form. In terms of our management of resources, especially those that are non-renewable, it implies that efficient and sustainable use of energy and materials is extremely important since their abundance is limited.
Diff: 1
Objective: 2.3 Energy
4) Compare the first and second laws of thermodynamics.
Answer: The first law states that energy can change from one form to another; it cannot be created or lost. The total energy in the universe remains constant. However, the second law states that the universe will change from a more ordered state to a less ordered state. Entropy in the universe is increasing, as energy is converted from high to low quality. Organisms must consume energy to maintain structure and keep entropy at bay. Low quality energy from organisms is usually released into the environment as heat. For example, if you had a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, your digestive systems digests the starch to glucose and your cells then burn the glucose to produce energy to run your body, but most of it is lost as heat. The low-quality exhaust products of this process are carbon dioxide and water neither of which has any potential energy for you to use. Therefore, you have to keep taking in more chemical energy in food to keep your system running.
Diff: 2
Objective: 2.3 Energy
5) Briefly explain the overall processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Include a brief explanation of autotrophs and heterotrophs in your answer.
Answer: Photosynthesis is performed by autotrophs. In photosynthesis, light energy is converted into chemical energy (stored within the bonds of glucose). Water and carbon dioxide are consumed, and oxygen is released. In most autotrophs, photosynthesis occurs in the chloroplasts. Cellular respiration represents the reverse chemical process. It is performed by both autotrophs and heterotrophs to meet their energy needs. In cellular respiration, oxygen is consumed, and the bonds of glucose are broken to release energy (which is then used for work within the cell). Along with the energy, carbon dioxide and water are end products. In most organisms, cellular respiration takes place in the mitochondria.
Diff: 3
Objective: 2.4 Photosynthesis, respiration, and chemsynthesis
6) Why does chemistry play a central role in examining environmental issues? Provide an example from the text that illustrates how chemistry helps solve environmental problems.
Answer: Chemistry is the fine structure of matter and so is crucial to understanding how gases such as carbon dioxide and methane contribute to global climate change, how pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitric oxides cause acid rain, and how pesticides and other artificial compounds we release into the environment affect the health of wildlife and people. Chemistry is central in understanding water pollution and sewage treatment, atmospheric ozone depletion, hazardous waste and its disposal, and energy issues. An understanding of chemistry is also crucial to developing solutions to environmental problems. Bioremediation is one clear example.
Diff: 2
Objective: 2.1 Fundamentals of environmental chemistry
7) Describe the rock cycle, explaining how the three major types of rock form and break down.
Answer: All rocks can melt. At sufficiently high temperatures, liquid rock occurs, called magma. Magma may cool back into rock underground or may be released above ground through a volcano or vent in the form of ash or lava, which may then cool into rock on Earth's surface. Rock formed from the various types of magma is called igneous rock. Over time, wind, weather, and physical damage can erode rock into gravel, sand, silt, and clay particles.
Once rock has been broken down into small components they can be deposited, often in or along water features in layers. Over time, these are compressed into layered rock, called sedimentary rock. This, too, can erode back into smaller fragments.
Igneous or sedimentary rock buried underground and exposed to extreme forces of heat or pressure can change form into metamorphic rock, which may be quite different from its original form.
Diff: 3
Objective: 2.5 Plate tectonics and rock cycles
8) Briefly describe the environmental advantages and disadvantages of developing geothermal energy.
Answer: Geothermal energy takes advantage of specific geological conditions, such as those that occur commonly along the San Andreas Fault in California, where volcanic activity near the surface heats naturally occurring water which can be captured to turn a steam turbine and generate electricity. This is potentially a renewable and sustainable energy resource. However, in an attempt to raise the steam output, several attempts have been made to inject water from the surface into thermally active regions far below. The effect has been to destabilize deep rock formations with the potential to produce earthquakes. In working to achieve independence from non-renewable fossil fuels, we have to learn the rules of safe sustainable technologies and work within the confines that the natural system dictates.
Diff: 3
Objective: 2.5 Plate tectonics and rock cycles
2.5 Scenario-Based Questions
Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
Global climatic change has been a controversial topic. However, almost all environmental scientists agree that gases contribute to global climate change. Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, hydrochlorofluorocarbons, and water vapor are the main culprits. These "greenhouse gases" have increased dramatically in our atmosphere in the last 300 years, due to rapid industrialization. Human activities, chief among them the tapping and burning of fossil fuels for energy, significantly increase greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. With rising standards of living in developing countries, emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are expected to continue to rise. If unchecked, it is predicted that carbon dioxide levels will reach twice preindustrial levels by mid-century and double again by the end of the century. Computer models have shown that this rise alone could raise Earth's temperatures by 3 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100.
1) Why is water vapor a greenhouse gas?
A) The ionic bonds holding water vapor together help it trap heat.
B) Hydrogen‑containing compounds trap the most heat.
C) Water is a good conductor of electricity.
D) Water has a high heat capacity.
E) Water molecules dissolve many other chemicals.
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Objective: 2.1 Fundamentals of environmental chemistry
2) Nitrous oxide contributes indirectly to acid precipitation and directly to global warming. This can be explained by ______.
A) its ability to form compounds that raise pH+
B) its ability to form compounds that lower pH+
C) the ability of acids to raise the temperature of the substances which dissolve them
D) the airborne nature of all compounds containing nitrogen
E) the hydrogen bonds connecting the nitrogen and oxygen atoms in the molecule
Answer: B
Diff: 1
Objective: 2.1 Fundamentals of environmental chemistry
3) Overpopulation contributes to global warming when ______.
A) most of the population is vegetarian
B) there is also greater consumption of natural resources
C) we compromise our living standards
D) most people use public transportation
E) solar energy is used as the primary source of energy
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Objective: 2.4 Photosynthesis, respiration, and chemsynthesis
4) The primary source of increased levels of greenhouse gases on Earth is ______.
A) increased photosynthetic activity
B) loss of heterotrophs
C) modern human lifestyles
D) aerosol spray cans
E) asteroids falling to Earth
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Objective: 2.4 Photosynthesis, respiration, and chemsynthesis
5) Climatic change is a major concern for environmentalists because it can directly lead to ______.
A) an increase in the diameter of the ozone hole
B) more biodiversity on Earth
C) an decrease in the amount of geothermal energy