Earth Science: Age, Temperature, and Atmosphere

Questions and Answers

Temperature has no effect on chemical reactions.

High temperatures speed up all chemical reactions.

Low temperatures slow down chemical reactions. (correct)

Only high temperatures can support life.

It acts as a solid barrier to protect organisms.

It interferes with necessary reactions.

It only exists in liquid form for organisms.

It is essential for various biological reactions. (correct)

It provides only oxygen for organisms.

It provides insulation and protects from UV radiation. (correct)

It has no role in biological processes.

It aids in increasing surface temperatures significantly.

It allows Earth to hold a significant amount of atmosphere. Signup and view all the answers

Sunlight. Signup and view all the answers

It could obstruct the synthesis of biological molecules. Signup and view all the answers

The carbon cycle. Signup and view all the answers

By preventing the escape of atmospheric gases. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Earth is approximately 4.543 billion years old.
Initially, the environment was inhospitable for life; conditions changed over time allowing life to evolve from microorganisms to complex organisms.

Temperature influences the movement of atoms, molecules, and organisms.
Low temperatures result in ice formation, making liquid water unavailable; high temperatures can degrade essential biological molecules.
Earth's temperature is within the optimal range to support life.

Water is crucial for biological processes; its absence disrupts necessary life reactions.
Ice at the poles and liquid water near the equator provide diverse habitat conditions for living organisms.
Different states of water on Earth facilitate various life forms.

The atmosphere provides insulation from solar radiation and shields against meteoroids.
Greenhouse gases (e.g., CO2, CH4) retain heat, preventing Earth from becoming too cold; the ozone layer protects against harmful UV radiation.
Essential gases like nitrogen and carbon dioxide are supplied by the atmosphere.
Earth's size and distance from the sun enable it to maintain a sufficient atmosphere; gravity assists in retaining atmospheric components.

Sunlight is the primary energy source for life on Earth, used extensively by plants and photosynthetic bacteria.
Chemosynthetic organisms depend on chemical energy for their biological processes.
Earth's optimal positioning relative to the sun allows for effective harnessing of solar energy.

Nutrients are vital for the construction and maintenance of organisms' body structures; their scarcity can limit biological molecule synthesis.
Earth has efficient nutrient cycling processes, including the water, carbon, oxygen, phosphate, and nitrogen cycles.
Volcanism contributes to nutrient cycling by replenishing essential elements.