What is the fast carbon cycle? What steps are there? What is the slow carbon cycle? What steps are there? How do plants take up carbon atoms? How do animals take up carbon atoms? W... What is the fast carbon cycle? What steps are there? What is the slow carbon cycle? What steps are there? How do plants take up carbon atoms? How do animals take up carbon atoms? What happens with the ocean when there is more carbon dioxide in the air?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about different aspects of the carbon cycle, including its processes and impacts. It addresses how plants and animals interact with carbon dioxide and the consequences of increased carbon in the ocean.
Answer
Fast cycle: photosynthesis, respiration. Slow cycle: rock formation, volcanism. Plants photosynthesize CO2. Animals consume organic matter. More CO2 acidifies oceans.
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The fast carbon cycle involves photosynthesis, respiration, and decomposition. Plants take in CO2 and release it back through respiration or decomposition. Animals obtain carbon by eating plants.
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The slow carbon cycle involves rock formation and volcanic activity. Carbon gets stored in the ocean as calcium carbonate and is slowly released by volcanic eruptions over millions of years.
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Plants take up carbon through photosynthesis, using CO2 to form organic compounds.
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Animals acquire carbon by consuming plants or other animals.
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More CO2 in the air increases ocean acidity, decreasing pH levels.
Answer for screen readers
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The fast carbon cycle involves photosynthesis, respiration, and decomposition. Plants take in CO2 and release it back through respiration or decomposition. Animals obtain carbon by eating plants.
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The slow carbon cycle involves rock formation and volcanic activity. Carbon gets stored in the ocean as calcium carbonate and is slowly released by volcanic eruptions over millions of years.
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Plants take up carbon through photosynthesis, using CO2 to form organic compounds.
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Animals acquire carbon by consuming plants or other animals.
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More CO2 in the air increases ocean acidity, decreasing pH levels.
More Information
The fast carbon cycle works over months to centuries and is driven by living organisms. In contrast, the slow carbon cycle occurs over millions of years, involving geological processes.
Tips
Avoid confusing the timelines of fast and slow cycles. Understand that fast cycles involve biological processes, while slow cycles involve geological changes.
Sources
- The Fast Carbon Cycle - NASA Earth Observatory - earthobservatory.nasa.gov
- The Carbon Cycle - NASA Earth Observatory - earthobservatory.nasa.gov
- The ocean and the carbon cycle - Science Learning Hub - sciencelearn.org.nz
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