Cycles of Matter CH 19.1

Cycles of Matter
Chapter 19 Section 1
Objectives:
Diagram the water cycle and explain its
importance to living things
Diagram the carbon cycle and explain its

importance to living things
Diagram the nitrogen cycle and explain

its importance to living things
The Water Cycle:
Definition:
the movement of water between the oceans,

atmosphere, land, and living things
Water Cycle facts:
There are about 1.4 billion cubic
kilometers of water in the Earth system (1
cubic kilometer = 264 billion gallons!)
Only a small fraction of this exits the

atmosphere (3,000km³)
Ifall the water in the atmosphere fell to

Earth at one time, the land would be
covered with about 2.5cm of water
More Water Cycle facts:
Plants play an important role
Of the 1200km³ of water that enters the

atmosphere every day, as much as 120km³
is released by plants as they transpire
One acre of cornfield can transpire as

much as 15,000L of water every day!!
Water vocabulary:
Evaporation
Condensation
Precipitation
Transpiration
Runoff
Groundwater
How Water Moves:
Evaporation: the sun’s heat causes water
to change from liquid to vapor
Condensation: vapor cools and returns to

the liquid state
Precipitation: water that falls from the

atmosphere to the land and oceans in the
form of rain, snow, sleet, and hail
How water moves:
Transpiration: the process by which
plants release water vapor into the air
through stomata; other organisms also
release vapor through expiration
Runoff: precipitation that falls on land
and flows into streams, rivers, and lakes
Groundwater: precipitation that seeps into
the ground and is stored in spaces
between or within rocks.
Basic Water Cycle:
http://water.tamu.edu/images/roundwatercycle.jpg
Advanced USGS Water Cycle:
Visit this link for practice:
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercyclegue
ss.html
Follow along on your handout…how

many can you find??
Answer page for USGS water cycle:
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercyclehi.
html
Water & Life:
Allorganisms are composed of mostly
water
Water helps to transport nutrients & wastes

Also helps to regulate temperature
All water taken in is returned to the

environment (ex: plants – transpiration)
The Carbon Cycle:
Besides water, organic molecules (carbon
containing)) are the most common
molecules in living things
Definition:the exchange of carbon

between the environment and living things
Carbon Cycle vocabulary:
Photosynthesis
Respiration
Decomposition
Combustion
Carbon Cycle terms:
Photosynthesis:
◦ the basis for the carbon cycle
◦ Plants use CO2 from the air to make sugars
◦ Most animals get the carbon and energy they
need by eating plants
Respiration:
◦ Sugar molecules are broken down to release
energy
◦ Carbon is returned to the environment
◦ CO2 and water are released as by products
Carbon Cycle terms:
Decomposition:
◦ Breakdown of substances into simpler
molecules
◦ Ex: fungi & bacteria break decompose organic
matter, CO2 and water are returned to the
environment
Combustion:
◦ Breakdown organic matter using fire
◦ Ex: burning wood or fossil fuels
◦ Releases CO2 into the atmosphere
Facts:
Carbon may remain in the environment
for millions of years before becoming
available for living things to use
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that

traps heat in the atmosphere
Human activities can alter the historical

balance of the global carbon cycle
The Carbon Cycle (basics):
http://www.starsandseas.com/SAS_Images/SAS_ecol_images/SAS_ecol_physical/cycle_carbon_4.jpg
The Carbon Cycle:
http://eo.ucar.edu/kids/green/images/carboncycle_sm.jpg
Carbon Cycle Animation:
Let’s go to the EPA Climate Change
website to check out the carbon cycle in
action…
http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/carbon
_cycle_version2.html
When you are done…take the quiz!!

The Nitrogen Cycle:
Definition:the movement of nitrogen
between the environment and living
things
Organismsneed nitrogen to build proteins

and DNA for new cells
Nitrogen Cycle vocabulary:
Nitrogen fixation
Nitrification
Denitrification
Assimilation
Ammonification
Nitrogen Cycle basics:
http://www.starsandseas.com/SAS_Images/SAS_ecol_images/SAS_ecol_physical/Nitrogen_Cycle-4.jpg
Vocabulary applied:
Nitrogen fixation: bacteria in the soil convert
nitrogen gas into forms that plants can use
Nitrification: bacteria make nitrogen
available to the roots of plants (conversion of
nitrogen containing compounds to nitrates &
nitrites)
Denitrification: to remove nitrogen by
reducing nitrates to nitrogen gas,
replenishing the atmosphere
Nitrogen Cycle revisited:
Nitrogen Cycle vocabulary:
Assimilation: plants absorb ammonium
and nitrate from the soil
Ammonification: (mineralization)
conversion of organic nitrogen back into
ammonium
The Nitrogen Cycle:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nitrogen_Cycle.svg
Nitrogen Cycle animation:
BBC GCSE Bitesize – Science Natural

Polymers
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesiz
e/science/21c/food/naturalpolymersrev3.s
html
Check out the animation and put it all
make the connection!
Another Nitrogen Cycle diagram:
http://www.nicksnowden.net/images/Nutrient_Cycles/nitrogen_cycle_cartoon.gif

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Cycles of Matter

Diagram the carbon cycle and explain its

Diagram the nitrogen cycle and explain

the movement of water between the oceans,

Only a small fraction of this exits the

Ifall the water in the atmosphere fell to

Of the 1200km³ of water that enters the

One acre of cornfield can transpire as

Condensation: vapor cools and returns to

Precipitation: water that falls from the

Follow along on your handout…how

Water helps to transport nutrients & wastes

All water taken in is returned to the

Definition:the exchange of carbon

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that

Human activities can alter the historical

When you are done…take the quiz!!

Organismsneed nitrogen to build proteins

BBC GCSE Bitesize – Science Natural

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