Imagine that you are a scientist who has discovered a new object. You want to find out if the object is biotic or abiotic. You observe several characteristics about the new object. Which of these characteristics would tell you that the object is abiotic, or not alive?

Abiotic factors refer to non-living physical and chemical elements in the ecosystem. Abiotic resources are usually obtained from the lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere. Examples of abiotic factors are water, air, soil, sunlight, and minerals. Biotic factors are living or once-living organisms in the ecosystem.