Natural Science

Homework#5

Martinez, Renz D
BS Psychology B2019
3.1 Carbon-Oxygen Cycle

The carbon oxygen cycle is the process by which plants use carbon dioxide for respiration during

photosynthesis and produce oxygen. During this process, carbon dioxide becomes part of the plant, and

when the plant dies in a carbon-rich state it is possible for it

to become a fossil fuel.

Carbon is present in the atmosphere in the form of a gas

called carbon dioxide. During photosynthesis, plants use

carbon dioxide from air and water molecules alongside the

sun's rays to produce energy in the form of glucose. This

takes place in the leaves but is also a process adopted by

algae and phytoplankton. Oxygen is generated as a

byproduct of this process, and it enters the atmosphere for

other organisms to use. While there, carbon attaches to oxygen and carbon dioxide is formed, which

means carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere again.

During photosynthesis, some carbon locks into the plant. When people use plants that have been dead for

hundreds of years as fossil fuels, they interrupt the natural carbon oxygen cycle that makes some carbon

become stationary while allowing others to remain in the atmosphere. When people burn fossil fuels,

excess carbon is released into the atmosphere. As a result, levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are

much higher than they used to be.

3.2 Water Cycle

The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, is the continuous movement of water from the

earth’s surface to the atmosphere and then back to the ground. It is a continuous process. Hence, it

does not have a starting or an ending point. Thus, the water present on earth has been in circulation

since the evolution of the earth. Water goes through all the three states, solid-liquid-gas, in the

process. There are several factors that assist the water cycle, the sun, air currents to name a few.
The stages involved in a complete water cycle are:

 Stage I: Evaporation and Transpiration The sun’s energy heats up the lakes, rivers, oceans,
swamps and other water bodies which subsequently increase the temperature of the water present
in them. Consequently, some water evaporates as vapour into the air. The rising air currents take
the vapour up in the sky. Simultaneously, plants and trees also lose water to the atmosphere in the
form of vapour which rises up in the sky.

 Stage II: Condensation As the vapours rise high, the cooler temperatures make them cool down
and turn back into liquid – condensation. Wind and air currents move the moisture around,
leading to the formation of clouds.

 Stage III: Precipitation Wind movements cause the clouds particles to collide. As they become
water laden, they develop into rain bearing clouds and fall back onto the earth’s surface by the
process known as precipitation. This may occur in the form of rain, hail, snow or sleet depending
upon the temperature conditions.

 Stage IV: Runoff and Infiltration The precipitation either runs off into oceans, rivers and ground
surface or is absorbed into the soil (infiltration).