1. A scientist mixes two liquids in a sealed flask, which causes a gas to form and the flask to feel warm. If the total mass of the sealed flask and its contents was 250 grams before the reaction, what will the total mass be after the reaction is complete?
- A. Less than 250 grams because some mass was converted to heat.
- B. 250 grams
- C. More than 250 grams because a gas was formed, which has more volume.
- D. It is impossible to know without identifying the specific gas produced.
2. In a closed ecological system like a biodome, if the amount of carbon stored in plants and soil increases, what must be true about the amount of carbon in the atmosphere within that system?
- A. It must have decreased.
- B. It must have also increased.
- C. It must have remained unchanged.
- D. It was converted to pure oxygen.
3. If an apple is left to rot inside a sealed, airtight container, what will happen to the total mass of the container and its contents over time?
- A. The mass will decrease as the apple decomposes into simpler substances.
- B. The mass will increase as fungi and bacteria grow and multiply.
- C. The mass will stay exactly the same.
- D. The mass will fluctuate but ultimately decrease as matter is destroyed.
4. A sealed flask contains yeast, sugar, and water. As the yeast ferments the sugar, carbon dioxide gas is produced. If the entire setup is weighed before and after fermentation, what change in mass will be observed?
- A. The mass will increase because a gas is produced.
- B. The mass will decrease because the sugar is consumed.
- C. The mass will not change.
- D. The mass will change depending on the room's air pressure.
5. Which statement best describes the Law of Conservation of Matter?
- A. The total amount of energy in a system always remains constant.
- B. During any process in a closed system, the total amount of matter remains the same.
- C. Matter can be converted into energy, but it cannot be destroyed.
- D. Biological organisms can create new matter from energy to support their growth.
6. According to the principle of balancing reservoirs in a closed carbon cycle, what is the expected outcome if a massive amount of carbon is transferred from the biotic reservoir to the abiotic reservoir through decomposition?
- A. The total amount of carbon in the system will decrease significantly.
- B. The amount of carbon in the abiotic reservoir will increase.
- C. The amount of carbon in the biotic reservoir will also increase to maintain balance.
- D. The transfer will have no effect on the concentration of carbon in either reservoir.
7. In a perfectly closed ecosystem with no carbon entering or leaving, what happens to the total amount of carbon over time?
- A. It gradually decreases as organisms use it for energy.
- B. The total amount of carbon remains constant.
- C. It increases during periods of plant growth and decreases during decomposition.
- D. It is slowly converted into other elements like nitrogen and oxygen.
8. A scientist is studying a sealed terrarium containing plants and decomposers. If measurements show that the amount of carbon in the biotic reservoir has increased by 5 grams, what must be true about the carbon in the abiotic reservoir (the air inside the terrarium)?
- A. It has also increased by 5 grams.
- B. It has decreased by 5 grams.
- C. It has remained unchanged, as the carbon was created by the plants.
- D. Its change cannot be determined without knowing the rate of decomposition.
9. What fundamental principle explains why a decrease of carbon in the atmosphere (abiotic reservoir) must be accompanied by an equal increase of carbon in biomass (biotic reservoir) within a closed system?
- A. The theory of evolution
- B. The law of conservation of energy
- C. The law of conservation of matter
- D. The principle of competitive exclusion
10. In the context of the carbon cycle, which of the following best describes the abiotic reservoir?
- A. The total mass of living organisms in an ecosystem.
- B. The non-living parts of an ecosystem, such as the atmosphere, where carbon is stored.
- C. The process by which plants convert carbon dioxide into organic compounds.
- D. The carbon found exclusively within the soil from decomposed organic matter.