A system that does not allow transfer of energy or matter outside its boundaries?

A system that does not allow transfer of energy or matter outside its boundaries?

• A. Open System
• B. Percolation
• C. Throughflow
• D. Closed System

Answer: (D)

The idea being tested is how we define a system by what can cross its boundaries. If nothing can leave or enter the boundary—no matter or energy crosses it—the system is closed in this context. All exchanges and changes happen inside the boundary, with no external inputs or outputs of water or energy. Open systems, by contrast, allow both energy and matter to cross the boundary, so inputs and outputs occur. Percolation and throughflow describe how water moves within the soil and across the landscape, not how the system exchanges with its surroundings, so they’re about internal processes rather than boundary transfer. Therefore, the description fits a closed system.

The idea being tested is how we define a system by what can cross its boundaries. If nothing can leave or enter the boundary—no matter or energy crosses it—the system is closed in this context. All exchanges and changes happen inside the boundary, with no external inputs or outputs of water or energy. Open systems, by contrast, allow both energy and matter to cross the boundary, so inputs and outputs occur. Percolation and throughflow describe how water moves within the soil and across the landscape, not how the system exchanges with its surroundings, so they’re about internal processes rather than boundary transfer. Therefore, the description fits a closed system.