Life on earth is based on carbon. Living things acquire carbon from their environment - from air, water, soil, and rock and from other living things - through processes such as photosynthesis, respiration and decomposition. The carbon cycle model is a representation of the movement of carbon from sources to sinks through chemical and physical transfers. The carbon cycle activity allows students to see the effect of fossil fuel burning on the carbon cycle.

TEACHER RESOURCES Teacher Materials Student Activity Student    Assessment Learning    Goals/Standards COMPUTER MODEL PC Format Mac Format STELLATM software Web-based Simulation AUTHORS Don Shaffer   North East HS   North East, MD Kevin Wallace   Allegany HS   Cumberland, MD

THE MODEL DIAGRAM THE EQUATIONS ATMOSPHERE(t) = ATMOSPHERE(t - dt) + (T_Res + M_Res + T_Decomp + M_Decomp + Emissions - T_Photo - M_Photo) *dt INIT ATMOSPHERE = 690 MARINE(t) = MARINE(t - dt) + (M_Photo - M_Res - M_Death) *dt INIT MARINE = 7 M_DEAD_ORGANIC(t) = M_DEAD_ORGANIC(t - dt) + (M_Death - M_Decomp) *dt INIT M_DEAD_ORGANIC = 3000 TERRESTRIAL(t) = TERRESTRIAL(t - dt) + (T_Photo - T_Res - T_Death) *dt INIT TERRESTRIAL = 450 T_DEAD_ORGANIC(t) = T_DEAD_ORGANIC(t - dt) + (T_Death - T_Decomp) *dt INIT T_DEAD_ORGANIC = 700 FOSSIL_FUELS(t) = FOSSIL_FUELS(t - dt) + (- Emissions) *dt INIT FOSSIL_FUELS = 10000 T_Res = 23*(TERRESTRIAL/450) T_Photo = 48*(ATMOSPHERE/690) T_Decomp = 25*(T_DEAD_ORGANIC/700) T_Death = 25*(TERRESTRIAL/450) M_Res = 5*(MARINE/7) M_Photo = 35*(ATMOSPHERE/690) M_Decomp = 30*(M_DEAD_ORGANIC/3000) M_Death = 30*(MARINE/7) Emissions = 5.5

THE OUTPUT

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