Explore (Tasks/Activities)

Activity 2.1

Answer the following:

1. What ecological lesson can we learn from the controlled experiment on the clearing of
forests described in the Core Case Study that opened this chapter?

The ecological lesson that we can learn from the controlled experiment on the clearing of
forests is that trees are very important on preventing water eroding the soil. It is important
to stop deforesting.

2. Suppose you observe that all of the fish in a pond have disappeared. Explain how you
might use the scientific process described to determine the cause of this fish kill.

To determine the cause of the fish kill, the scientific process must be used. The problem
is that all fish in a pond have disappeared. The fish is in one pond. So there might be
someone poisoning the fish or some factories polluting the water. Then the data is
required.

3. Respond to the following statements:

a. Scientists have not absolutely proven that anyone has ever died from smoking
cigarettes.

It is true that no one has ever died from smoking cigarettes; they die because of the
diseases caused by smoking. The data shows the relationship between smoking and
those diseases, which means "if you smoke, you may have a higher probability to get the
disease," but not guaranteeing the certainty of getting the diseases.

b. The natural greenhouse effect—that certain gases such as water vapor and carbon
dioxide help to warm the lower atmosphere—is not a reliable idea because it is just a
scientific theory.

Firstly, "theory" is something well-tested so the phrase "just a theory," in a term of

science, is not accurate. Besides, the hypothesis needs some evidence to support it.

4. A tree grows and increases its mass. Explain why this is not a violation of the law of
conservation of matter.

This is not a violation of the law of conservation of matter because though the tree is
growing, it is not creating matters because it takes the nutrients from the environment.

5. If there is no “away” where organisms can get rid of their wastes due to the law of
conservation of matter, why is the world not filled with waste matter?

All things are made of atoms. Some organisms have the ability to break down the wastes
to smaller units and reuse them.
 Republic of the Philippines
CENTRAL BICOL STATE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE
San Jose, Pili, Camarines Sur 4418
ISO 9001:2015 www.cbsua.edu.ph
TÜV-R 01 100 1934918

6. Suppose someone wants you to invest money in an automobile engine, claiming that it
will produce more energy than is found in the fuel used to run it. What would be your
response? Explain.

It is not the purpose of driving a car. Besides, it does not make sense based on the
second law of thermodynamics.

7. Use the second law of thermodynamics to explain why we can use oil only once as a
fuel, or in other words, why we cannot recycle its high-quality energy.

The energy from burning fossil fuel is high-quality energy. The second law of
thermodynamics suggests that high-quality energy can be used to produce low-quality
energy, while low-quality energy cannot produce high-quality energy.

8. Imagine that for one day (a) you have the power to revoke the law of conservation of
matter, and (b) you have the power to violate the first law of thermodynamics. For each
of these scenarios, list three ways in which you would use your new power. Explain your
choices.

I prefer not to make a change. The total amount of energy in this universe is considered
unchanged, which may have some deeper meanings in it. If I have to violate the rules,
probably I can create something from nothing, cooling things down really quick, or
heating something up without a heat source.