Week
1-2: Energy and Society
Characteristics
of Open Systems
How
Do Systems Work?
Structural
Features
Systems
have structure and process energy
Components
include input, throughput and output
Feedback
loops exist which permit the system to make adjustments
Open
systems depend on an outside source of energy
Entropy
& Negative Entropy
Energy
transformations are not 100% efficient (Law of Entropy)
As
systems
use energy, entropy increases
Systems
must gain negative entropy to compensate for entropy losses
Entropy
includes energy losses, system deterioration, disorder and waste
Negative
Entropy includes structure, order and energy availability
An
Open
System needs an excess of negative entropy
Net
energy yield is the amount of energy remaining at end of process
Stable
systems have a high degree of homeostasis
Energy
Needs for a System
Operational
Energy (enough energy to maintain an
ongoing
system)
Energy
for Emergency Response to unexpected
perturbances
Energy
for Growth and Elaboration of system
Elaboration
of Open Systems
As
systems
expand and become more elaborate, their structures change
Levels
of organization increase and coordination becomes necessary
Information
processes must be well developed
Usable
information coding must be in place
Integration
of system parts is essential
Cycles
of Events
Open
Systems have repetitive cycles of events that help the system function
Cycles
in natural systems include daily and seasonal patterns
Examples:
trophic relationships and reproductive patterns
Organizational
systems feature cycles related to the complexity and stage of
development
of the system
Equifinality
Equifinality
suggests that different systems can reach the same endpoint by
following
different pathways
Goal
of an open system is to achieve optimal stability over time,
i.e.,
greater homestasis and negative entropy
More
diverse systems tend to have greater chances for stability
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Copyright
Gaytha
A. Langlois, Ph.D., 1999
Bryant
University, Smithfield, RI 02917
e-mail:
langlois@bryant.edu
Last
Updated: August 2006