Four of the Five Statements Below Apply to the Phosphorus

question 53

Multiple Choice

Four of the five statements below apply to the phosphorus cycle. Which one does not apply?

• A) Phosphorus cycles from land to water and back again.
• B) Phosphorus does not exist in a gaseous state.
• C) Dissolved phosphorus enters aquatic ecosystems from the atmosphere.
• D) Phosphorus will probably be depleted during the 21st century.
• E) Erosion from clear-cutting and agriculture accelerate phosphorus loss.

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Definitions:

Real Solutions

The solutions of an equation that are real numbers, as opposed to imaginary or complex numbers.

Quadratic Equation

A mathematical equation where the highest power of an unknown variable is square.

Square Root Property

States that if x^2 = a, where a is a non-negative real number, then x = ±√a, identifying two possible solutions for x.

Factoring

The process of breaking down an expression into its simpler components or factors that, when multiplied together, result in the original expression.