Question

1. which of the following is not true about matter in the biosphere? *

human activity does not affect the movement of matter
matter is transferred in one direction through the biosphere
biogeochemical cycles transform and reuse molecules
the total amount of matter decreases over time

Explanation:

• Option 1: Human activities like deforestation, burning fossil fuels, etc., clearly affect the movement of matter (e.g., carbon cycle). So, the statement “Human activity does not affect the movement of matter” is false.
• Option 2: Matter is cycled (not transferred in one - direction) in the biosphere through biogeochemical cycles.
• Option 3: Biogeochemical cycles (like carbon, nitrogen cycles) do transform and reuse molecules. For example, in the nitrogen cycle, nitrogen is converted from one form (e.g., atmospheric \(N_2\)) to another (e.g., \(NH_4^+\) for plant uptake) and then recycled.
• Option 4: According to the law of conservation of mass, the total amount of matter in a closed system (the biosphere can be considered as a relatively closed system for this context) remains constant over time. It just changes forms.

Answer:

A. Human activity does not affect the movement of matter