Earth System (3 days)
Learning Excel Basics [Activity] Due Sept 4
Key terms and study questions:
Chapter 1 of Earth's Climate Text (all key terms), Review Questions 4 , 5 and 7
Chapter 4 [Key terms: Faint Young Sun paradox, thermostat, Gaia hypothesis, homeostasis. Review questions 1-5]
Interactive lecture questions.
What is a System?
Choose one of the following systems. Describe its different elements and how they interact with each other in terms of feedback:
· quitting smoking
· procrastination
· learning a new skill
· dieting
· studying/goofing off
Draw a causal loop diagram describing your system.
Negative Feedback: Describe a system with self regulating behavior.
Draw a causal loop diagram describing your system.
Positive Feedback: Discuss the explosive growth of the internet by identifying its positive feedback loops.
Is there a limit to the internet growth? If so discuss some of the limiting factors.
Negative feedback: The heating rate in degrees C per minute (DT/Dt) of a pot of water set on a warm (30 oC) room is DT/Dt=-0.5*(T-30), where T is the temperature of the water.
Assume that the water starts at 50 oC, find its temperature at 1, 2, 3, and 4 minute. Sketch this on a graph with T on the y-axis and time on the x-axis.
Assume that the water starts at 10 oC, find its temperature at 1, 2, 3, and 4 minute. Sketch this on the same graph with T on the y-axis and time on the x-axis.
Positive feedback. An interest rate of 10% on your savings account
balance, B, means that your savings increases at a rate of 10% per year.
DB/Dt=0.10*(B)
Starting with $1000.00 find the balance after 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 years. Sketch this on a graph with B on the y-axis and time on the x-axis.
How long does it take your balance to double?
Starting with $1000.00 and using a 20% interest rate find the balance after 1, 2, 3, and 4years. Sketch this on the same graph with B on the y-axis and time on the x-axis.
How long does it take your balance to double?