Key terms water cycle precipitation infiltration transpiration
CYCLING OF MATTER
carbon cycle carbon sink carbon source
In this chapter, you will learn to: / understand that matter cycles through the living and non-living parts of the Earth
/ describe the water cycle / describe the carbon cycle.
Matter
We know that matter is anything that takes up space and has a mass (see chapter 14) and that the quantity of matter stays the same because it is cycled between the living and non-living parts of the Earth (see chapter 9).
Water and carbon are two forms of matter that are crucial for life on Earth. A supply of clean water is essential to humans. As is a supply of carbon, which can be found in our food in carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
? TEST TUBE
1. Research what percentage of the human body is made up of: a. water
b. carbon 2. Matter can exist as a solid, liquid or gas. Name the form water takes in each of these three states. The water cycle
Water changes state as it moves through the Earth. The series of processes that cause these changes is called the water cycle.