10.1 What Are Systems

What two things can systems be when it comes to outside influence?
When it comes to outside influence, systems can either be:

  1. Open - Affected by outside influence.
  2. Closed - Not affected by outside influence.

What type of system is Earth in regard to energy flow and why?
In regard to energy flow, Earth is an open system because it is powered almost entirely by the rays of the Sun.

What type of system is Earth in regard to matter?
In regard to matter, Earth is a closed system.

What happens to matter on Earth since it is a closed system?
Since Earth is a closed system, matter is used and reused in different places, for different purposes, and in different states.

Examples of systems
  • Ecosystems.
  • The water cycle.
  • The weather systems.
  • The rock cycle.
  • Plumbing.
  • The electrical grid.
  • Less tangible cultural, economic, social, and political systems.'

...

Parts, Interactions, and Emergent Properties

...