SUMMARY:

1. (Chemicals Involved) The carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous and water cycles all involve water and compounds in their cycles. The water can be present as a solid, liquid or gas and is very adaptable to bonding with other chemicals, which is also notable in the compounds. Oxygen and hydrogen atoms are also minorly involved in all the cycles within a compound. Carbon dioxide (CO2), sugar (C6H12O6) and CaCO3 are all involved in and only in the carbon and oxygen cycles. Oxygen (O2) is involved in the carbon, oxygen and water cycles and not the nitrogen or phosphorous cycles. On the other hand, nitrogen and phosphorous don’t involve any chemicals from the other cycles, excluding water (H2O).

2. (Phases of Chemicals) The carbon, nitrogen and water cycles all involve solid, liquid and gas phases. The oxygen cycle includes the phases of solids and gases. The phosphorous cycle includes the phases of solids and liquids. All the chemicals are a solid, at least one time in their cycle.

More specifically, all the chemical cycles include organic matter, water and soil. All the chemical cycles also either occur or have a chemical reaction in the atmosphere.

3. (Movement Mechanisms) The carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous cycles all have biological, geological and chemical movement mechanisms. The movement mechanisms of the oxygen cycle are biological and chemical. The movement mechanisms of the water cycle are biological and geological. All the chemicals experience a biological movement mechanism at one time in their cycle. Their biological effects all pertain to organic matter where they make up sugar, bone density, protein and respiration. The chemicals are returned to the cycle upon decay. Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous and water all experience a geological movement mechanism. Carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and phosphorous all have biological and chemical movement mechanisms. Geologically, all the chemical cycles involve water (H2O) and soil, and most of them are found in rocks.

4. (Reaction Types) While the water cycle has no chemical reactions, the carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and phosphorous cycles all involve synthesis type reactions. The carbon, nitrogen and oxygen cycles all involve combustion reactions. The nitrogen cycle is the only cycle with a double replacement reaction. No one specific reaction type occurs in all the chemical cycles. The combustion reaction types involved in the carbon and oxygen cycles are mainly due to the burning of fossil fuels whereas the combustion of nitrogen is from the nitrogen fixation in the atmosphere. The synthesis reaction types involved in the carbon and oxygen cycles are from photosynthesis, whereas the synthesis in the nitrogen and phosphorous cycles are from oxidation.