Envi 11: Environmental Science

Lesson 2.2: Matter and Energy

Lesson Summary
To better understand the systems on our planet, we deal with the matter and energy of our
world. Understanding how matter and energy behaves is crucial very crucial in managing the
environment.

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, the students should explain how matter and energy behave.

Motivation Questions
Do you think tracking humanity’s energy consumption is vital to solving some major
environmental problems?

Discussion

Matter is recycled but doesn't disappear.

The matter is everything that takes up space and has mass. Matter exists in three distinct and
familiar states—solid, liquid, and gas—due to differences in the arrangement of its constitutive
particles (https://epdf.pub/principles-of-environmental-science-6th-edition.html). Water can exist
as ice (solid), as liquid water, or as water vapor (gas).

The matter is neither created nor destroyed but rather recycled repeatedly according to the
principle of conservation of matter under ordinary circumstances. (https://www.online-
sciences.com/chemistry/balanced-chemical-equations-law-of-conservation-of-matter-mass-law-
of-constant-ratios). Matter can be transformed or recombined, but it doesn't disappear;
everything goes somewhere (https://epdf.pub/principles-of-environmental-science-6th-
edition.html)

In wealthy societies, we use natural resources to produce an incredible amount of "disposable"

consumer goods. Eventually, there is no "away" where we can throw things we don't want
anymore (https://epdf.pub/principles-of-environmental-science-6th-edition.html).

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Vision: A globally competitive university for science, technology, and environmental conservation.
Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge TP-IMD-01
V0 07-15-2020
and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.
No. 20-001
 Envi 11: Environmental Science

Energy

If the matter is the material of which things are made, energy provides the force to hold
structures together, tear them apart, and move them from one place to another. And so, energy
is the ability to do work (https://epdf.pub/principles-of-environmental-science-6th-edition.html).

Thermodynamics defines the conservation and degradation of energy.

From the sun, there is a constant supply of energy needed for running biological processes.
Energy can be repeatedly used as it flows through the system, and it can be temporarily stored
in the organic molecule's chemical bonds. Still, eventually, it will be dissipated and unrestricted.

The study of thermodynamics deals with how energy is transferred to natural processes. More
definitely, it compacts with the rates of flow and the conversion of energy from one form or
quality to another. Thermodynamics is a complex, quantitative discipline, but you don't need a
great deal of math to understand some of the broad principles that shape our world and our
lives. (https://silo.pub/environmental-science-a-global-concern-y-3734613.html)

The first law of thermodynamics states that energy is conserved; that is, it is neither created nor
destroyed under normal conditions (https://silo.pub/environmental-science-a-global-concern-y-
3734613.html)

The second law of thermodynamics states that with each successive energy transfer or
transformation in a system, less energy is available. As the energy is used, it is degraded to
lower-quality forms, or it dissipates and is lost. (https://epdf.pub/principles-of-environmental-
science-6th-edition.html)

So, there is always less useful energy when you finish a process than before you started.
Because of this loss, everything in the universe tends to fall apart, slow down, and get more
disorganized (https://epdf.pub/principles-of-environmental-science-6th-edition.html).

Page 2 of 2
Vision: A globally competitive university for science, technology, and environmental conservation.
Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge TP-IMD-01
V0 07-15-2020
and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.
No. 20-001