Standards: SC.912.L.17.10, SC.912.L.17.14, SC.912.N.3.

5,

Name _______________________________ Date: ___________ Period: _______

Chapter 3.1 – Earth’s Environmental Systems Study Guide

Vocabulary: Know the defentions of each term.
 Atoms- basic unit of matter

 Nucleus- contains protons and neutrons

 matter- any material that has mass and occupies space

 element- a substance that cannot be broken down into other substances

 molecule- Two or more atoms joined by covalent bonds

 compound- substance composed of atoms of two or more different elements

 lipid- chemically diverse compound that does not dissolve in water

 hydrocarbon- an organic compound combining hydrogen and carbon

 solution- a mixture in which all the ingredients are evenly distributed

 macromolecule- a large organic molecule that includes, proteins, nucleic acid,

carbohydrates, and lipids

 protein-an organic compound made up of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen,

and sometimes sulfur

 nucleic acid-the macromolecule that carries hereditary information including

DNA and RNA

 carbohydrate-a organic compound that consists of atoms, hydrogen, hydrogen

and oxygen

 pH- a measure of the acidity or alkalinity

Atoms and Elements

 Atoms are the basic unit of matter.
 Nucleus: Contains protons and neutrons
 Electrons: Move around the nucleus and have a negative charge.
 An element is a substance that cannot be broken down into other substances.
 Ion:  An atom loses or gains an electron and becomes charged (+ or -)

Bonding
 Covalent bonds: Electrons are shared.
 Ionic bonds: A positive ion attracts a negative ion.
 Molecule: Two or more atoms joined by covalent bonds
 Compound: Substance composed of atoms of two or more different elements

Organic and Inorganic Compounds

 Organic compounds: Consist of covalently bonded carbon atoms and
often include other elements, especially hydrogen
 Hydrocarbons: Organic compounds, such as petroleum, that contain
only hydrogen and carbon
 Inorganic compounds: Lack carbon-to-carbon bonds
 Organic compounds include natural gas, petroleum, coal and gasoline

Water 
 A mixture is a combination of elements, molecules, or compounds that are not
bonded chemically. 
 Solutions are mixtures in which all ingredients are equally distributed.
 Mixtures can be solids, liquids, or gases.
 Hydrogen bonding gives water many unique properties:
 High specific heat: Resists temp changes
 Much energy needed to break water bonds
 Helps to maintain a constant body temp
 Adhesion: polar water sticks to other molecules
 Cohesion – water sticks to itself
 Resistance to temperature change
 Less dense when frozen
 Ability to dissolve many other molecules

Acids, Bases, and pH

 The separation of water molecules into ions causes solutions to be acidic, basic, 
or neutral.
+ -
 pH of 7—Neutral: Equal concentrations of H  and OH
+
 pH below 7—Acidic: Relatively high concentration of H
 -
 pH above 7—Basic: Relatively high concentration of OH