Question

The Laws of Conservation of Mass and Energy and Interdependence: A Rabbit's Story (use this passage and photosynthesis to answer the assignment)

Using only information in the passage above, explain how the process of a rabbit eating plants and eventually decaying demonstrates the laws of conservation of matter and energy. include specific examples form the passage above that show matter/energy is conserved (reused/recycled).

Key words to include: photosynthesis, cellular respiration, matter, energy, sunlight, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and glucose.

Sentence starters:
1.The process of photosynthesis shows that matter and energy is conserved because...
2. The process of cellular respiration shows that matter and energy is conserved because...

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Using only information provided within the passage, provide two examples of ways in which matter is transferred in the carbon cycle.

Answers

GPT-4o mini
### Explanation of Conservation of Matter and Energy in a Rabbit's Story

1. **The process of photosynthesis shows that matter and energy is conserved because** plants utilize sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to produce glucose and oxygen. This transformation demonstrates the conservation of matter, as the materials (carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and water from the soil) are not lost but rather converted into new forms—glucose, which serves as energy stored in the plants, and oxygen, which is released as a byproduct. In this way, the matter from the environment is reused and recycled through the plant's growth.

2. **The process of cellular respiration shows that matter and energy is conserved because** when a rabbit eats plants, it takes in the glucose and oxygen produced through photosynthesis. In its cells, the rabbit uses cellular respiration to convert the glucose and oxygen back into energy, along with carbon dioxide and water as byproducts. The rabbit then releases carbon dioxide back into the environment, which can be used again by plants for photosynthesis. This cyclical process illustrates how matter and energy are continuously recycled; the original material from the plants is transformed but ultimately returns to the ecosystem.

### Examples of Matter Transfer in the Carbon Cycle

1. When plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis, they effectively take that matter from the air and incorporate it into their structure as glucose, illustrating a transfer of matter from the atmosphere into living organisms.

2. After a rabbit consumes the plants and undergoes cellular respiration, it releases carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere as a waste product. This movement of carbon from living organisms back to the atmosphere demonstrates another example of matter transfer within the carbon cycle.

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