EESA01H3 : Textbook Notes
3 Jun 2011
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cycles flows of elements, compounds, and energy from reservoir to reservoir through the earth system. open system a system that exchanges energy, matter, and information with other systems: system that receive inputs of both energy and matter and produce outputs of both. The input and output essentially neutralize each other"s effects, stabilizing the system. ex: furnace turns on when room cold, off when room hot www. notesolution. com: positive feedback loop a feedback loop in which output of one type acts as input that moves the system in the same direction. The input and output drive the system further toward one extreme or another. ex: spread of cancer; cells multiply out of control. common in systems altered by human impact. dynamic equilibrium the state reached when processes within a system move in opposite directions at equivalent rates so that their effects balance out: i t is dynamic meaning constantly adjusting.
