Understanding Material Systems, Atmosphere, and Climate
A material system is a set of interrelated elements.
Homogeneous Systems
A homogeneous system is when its appearance is uniform, and the different components are not distinguished by the naked eye. It appears as a single substance.
Heterogeneous Systems
A heterogeneous system is when the components are distinguished at a glance and are formed by various substances.
Physical Processes
Physical processes are those that do not alter the substance.
Mixtures
Mixtures are systems where the different substances can be separated using physical procedures. Mixtures can be heterogeneous or homogeneous.
Pure Substances
Pure substances are usually homogeneous material systems from which different substances cannot be separated using physical procedures.
Disolution (Solution)
A solution is a homogeneous mixture consisting of two or more pure substances that are present in varying quantities and can be separated by physical processes.
General Properties of a Pure Substance
These properties serve to differentiate one pure substance from another.
Element
An element is a pure substance that cannot be decomposed into simpler ones.
Simple Substance
A simple substance consists of a single element.
Compound
A compound is a substance consisting of two or more elements combined in fixed proportions.
The Terrestrial Atmosphere
The terrestrial atmosphere is a homogeneous mixture of gases called air. Water vapor and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere allow radiation from the sun to enter but reflect and return it to the surface.
Atmospheric pressure, resulting from the weight of the atmosphere above the Earth’s surface, varies with altitude and temperature.
Wind currents form when air moves from high to low pressure areas.
Humidity
Humidity is the amount of water vapor contained in a given air mass.
Precipitation
Precipitation is important to living things because rain soaks the earth and is used by vegetation, forming and infiltrating groundwater, which is an important water reserve for living organisms. Snow on the surface without melting also serves as a water reserve until the thaw.
Climate
Climate is the succession of atmospheric phenomena that prevail in a particular region and are repeated annually.
Weather
Weather is the description of all atmospheric phenomena that occur at a specific time and place.
The Terrestrial Atmosphere (Repeated)
The terrestrial atmosphere is a homogeneous mixture of gases called air. The water vapor and carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere allow radiation from the sun to enter but reflect and return it to the surface.
Atmospheric pressure, resulting from the weight of the atmosphere exerts on the earth’s surface, varies with altitude and temperature.
Wind currents are formed when air moves from high to low pressure.
Humidity (Repeated)
Humidity is the amount of water vapor that contains a given air mass.
Precipitation (Repeated)
Precipitation is important to living things as: the rain soaked earth is used by vegetation forming and infiltrating groundwater, which is an important water reserve for living. There is snow on the surface without melting is also a reserve of water until the thaw.
Climate (Repeated)
Climate is the succession of atmospheric phenomena that prevail in a particular region and repeated annually.
Weather (Repeated)
Weather is the description of all atmospheric phenomena that occur at a specific time or place.