1.2 SystemsIB Environmental Systems and Societies HL: Flashcards
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Question
Define system.
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- Define system.
- A set of interacting or interdependent components.
- What does a systems approach help with?
- Visualising complex interactions holistically, helping decision-making.
- How are storages and flows shown in diagrams?
- Storages as rectangular boxes; flows as arrows showing the direction of energy and matter movement.
- Distinguish transfers from transformations.
- A transfer changes location; a transformation changes the form or state of energy or matter.
- Distinguish open and closed systems.
- Open systems exchange energy and matter with surroundings; closed systems exchange only energy.
- Name the six spheres of the Earth system.
- Biosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, geosphere, atmosphere and anthroposphere.
- Define negative feedback.
- The output of a process inhibits or reverses the same process, reducing change.
- What maintains a steady state in an ecosystem?
- Negative feedback loops.
- Define positive feedback.
- A disturbance leads to its own amplification, destabilising the system.
- What is a tipping point?
- A point where a small change in one component has a large effect on the whole system, shifting it to a new state.
- What is a model?
- A simplified representation of reality used to show how a system works and predict its response to change.
- Why do models lose accuracy?
- Simplification involves approximation.
- What is an emergent property?
- A property of the whole system that arises from interactions between components.
- Define resilience.
- The tendency of a system to avoid tipping points and maintain stability.
- How do humans reduce the resilience of systems?
- By reducing storages and diversity.
Written by the Exaim team, led by Shaun Daswani (Head of Upper Secondary, Improve ME Institute; MSc Financial Mathematics, Imperial College London; BSc, UCL) and Jason Daswani (operational lead, Improve ME Institute; LSE).