Back to AI Flashcard MakerBiology /Edexcel Biology Gcse - Natural Cycles and Decomposition Part 3
What happens to water in the key process of the water cycle: | Condensation
After evaporation water can cool and convert from gas to liquid, often forming clouds.
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Key Terms
Term
Definition
What happens to water in the key process of the water cycle: | Condensation
After evaporation water can cool and convert from gas to liquid, often forming clouds.
What happens to water in the key process of the water cycle: | Transport
Water within clouds can be blown many miles by strong winds and so transported to other areas.
What happens to water in the key process of the water cycle: | Precipitation
Precipitation occurs when rain, snow, hail and sleet fall from the sky.
What happens to water in the key process of the water cycle: | Surface runoff
Much water will be absorbed into the ground after precipitation but if a large volume falls or the ground is already wet some water can run along the ...
What happens to water in the key process of the water cycle: | Infiltration
This occurs when water that has fallen as precipitation is absorbed into the ground. This can then be stored within underground rocks called aquifers.
What happens to water in the key process of the water cycle: | Transpiration
Plants need to maintain a constant stream of water to their leaves for transport and support. They allow some water to evaporate as water vapour from ...
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
What happens to water in the key process of the water cycle: | Condensation | After evaporation water can cool and convert from gas to liquid, often forming clouds. |
What happens to water in the key process of the water cycle: | Transport | Water within clouds can be blown many miles by strong winds and so transported to other areas. |
What happens to water in the key process of the water cycle: | Precipitation | Precipitation occurs when rain, snow, hail and sleet fall from the sky. |
What happens to water in the key process of the water cycle: | Surface runoff | Much water will be absorbed into the ground after precipitation but if a large volume falls or the ground is already wet some water can run along the surface of the ground. |
What happens to water in the key process of the water cycle: | Infiltration | This occurs when water that has fallen as precipitation is absorbed into the ground. This can then be stored within underground rocks called aquifers. |
What happens to water in the key process of the water cycle: | Transpiration | Plants need to maintain a constant stream of water to their leaves for transport and support. They allow some water to evaporate as water vapour from their leaves so it is continually 'pulled' to their leaves from the soil. |
The production of potable water | How drinking water is provided | Drinking water is usually provided by precipitation.There are problems in supplying potable, drinkable water in some areas of the world, especially where there is drought. |
The production of potable water | Seawater | Seawater is a very abundant source of water, but its high salt content makes it unsuitable as drinking water. However, pure water can be produced from seawater by distillation. This is also known as thermal desalination. |
Distillation of seawater | During distillation, the seawater is boiled. The water vapour is then cooled and condensed to form pure water - leaving the salt behind. |
The disadvantages of producing drinking water by distillation of seawater include: | it is expensive because large amounts of thermal energy are needed to heat the seawater it increases the use of fossil fuels - which are non-renewable resources carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels contribute to global warming |
Another method of desalination is reverse osmosis: | step by step | 1) salt water is forced at high pressure into a vessel with a partially permeable membrane 2) the pressure causes water molecules to move in the opposite direction to osmosis from a concentrated salt solution (low water concentration) to a lower salt concentration (higher water concentration) 3) water molecules pass across the membrane leaving the salt behind, so pure water is available for drinking |
Osmosis and reverse osmosis | Osmosis is the movement of water across a partially permeable membrane from a region of higher water concentration to a lower water concentration. Reverse osmosis water moves, due to pressure, in the opposite direction. |
What is nitrogen needed for? | Nitrogen is essential for the formation of amino acids which form proteins. The nitrogen cycle is a model that explains how nitrogen is recycled. |
Nitrogen in the air | There's lot of nitrogen in the air – about 78% of the air is nitrogen. Because nitrogen is so unreactive, it cannot be used directly by plants to make protein. Only nitrates are useful to plants, so we are dependent on other processes to convert nitrogen to nitrates in the soil. |
Stage one of the nitrogen cycle | Nitrogen gas from the air is converted to nitrate compounds by nitrogen-fixing bacteria in soil or root nodules. Lightning also converts nitrogen gas to nitrate compounds. The Haber process is a man-made process where nitrogen gas is converted into ammonia which is used to make fertilisers. Farmers use fertilisers like ammonium nitrate to help crops to grow and increase yields. |
Stage two of the nitrogen cycle | Ammonia is converted to nitrates by nitrifying bacteria in the soil. |
Stage three of the nitrogen cycle | Plants absorb nitrates from the soil and use these to build up proteins. The plant may be eaten by an animal, and its biomass used to produce animal protein. |
Stage four of the nitrogen cycle | Decomposers break down the bodies of dead organisms, urine and faeces resulting in nitrogen being returned to the soil as ammonia. This ammonia is converted to nitrates by nitrifying bacteria. |
Stage five of the nitrogen cycle | In some conditions denitrifying bacteria in the soil break down nitrates and return nitrogen back to the air. This is usually in waterlogged soil. Improving drainage reduces this effect, making the soil more fertile by retaining more nitrates. |
Farmers can increase the nitrate content of soil using two methods: | Crop rotation | - Using fertilisers |