| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| absorb | to take in or soak up, dark objects _________ light and heat |
| adaptation | a change in an organism that helps it survive in its environment |
| air pressure | the weight of the air above an area, barometers measure ________________ |
| algae (phytoplankton) | single-celled plantlike organism that produce huge amounts of oxygen |
| amoeba | a single-celled bloblike member of Kingdom Protista |
| amphibian | a group of vertebrates with moist skin, they spend part of their life underwater |
| amplitude | measures how high or low a wave is |
| anemometer | measures wind speed, "mom" says don't go out when its windy without a coat |
| Aristotle & Ptolemy | believed our solar system was "Earth-centered" |
| atom | the smallest bit of matter, made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons |
| bacteria | smallest, most primitive living thins, single-celled, no organelles, Monera |
| balance | an instrument that compares the mass of two objects |
| behavioral adaptation | a change in an organisms behavior to help it survive, porcupine rolling up in a ball when threatened, birds flying south for the winter |
| Benjamin Franklin | discovered that lightening was a form of static electricity |
| carbon dioxide | a compound needed by plants for photosynthesis: 1 carbon & 2 oxygen |
| cell | the smallest unit of living things |
| chemical change | a change that results in something new, cannot easily be undone: burnt toast |
| chlorophyll | the green pigment in plants used for photosynthesis |
| circumference | the distance (perimeter) around a circle |
| cirrus | high wispy clouds |
| climate | the average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time |
| closed circuit | an electrical circuit must be closed for electricity to flow |
| community | Populations of species that live in the same place at the same time together |
| compound | two or more elements held together by chemical bonds: NaCl CO2 H2O |
| compression | the part of a sound wave where the molecules of matter are packed closely together |
| concave | a lens or mirror that is wider on the edges and thinner in the middle |
| condense | to change from a gas to a liquid |
| conductor | a material that easily transmits electricity or heat |
| constant | something in an experiment that does NOT change |
| consumer | an organism that eats other organisms |
| continental rise | part of the ocean floor just below the continental slope, it is there because of landslides |
| continental shelf | the shallow part of the ocean floor near the shore, there is much life there because sunlight reaches the bottom there |
| continental slope | the steep "drop-off" from the continental shelf to the deep ocean |
| contract | to become smaller |
| convection | the circular motion of matter when heated: rice cooking on stove |
| convergent boundaries | where two tectonic plates are moving together: trenches, mountains, and volcanoes from here |
| convex | a lens or mirror that is wider in the middle and thicker at the edges |
| Copernicus & Galileo | believed that the sun was the center of our solar system |
| core | the center part of the earth made up of solid iron and nickel |
| crust | the thin, rocky, outer layer of the earth |
| cumulonimbus | dark, stormy clouds |
| cumulus | clouds that are fluffy and white with flat bottoms. They usually indicate fair weather. |
| current | the river-like movement of water in the ocean |
| decomposer | organisms like bacteria, fungi, and worms that break down dead organisms |
| density | how tightly or loosely packed matter is |
| dependent variable | the factor in an experiment that changes as a result of the manipulation of the independent variable |
| deposition | when sediment is placed by water, wind, or gravity |
| dispersion | when light waves pass through a prism, the rays are spread out or dispered |
| dissolve | when a solid mixes completely in a liquid to form a solution |
| divergent boundaries | when two tectonic plates move apart from each other: mid-ocean ridges are formed here |
| dogwood | the state tree of Virginia |
| dormancy | a period of inactivity: volcanoes and plants can be dormant |
| earthquake | the shaking or moving of the earth's crust do to tectonic movement |
| echo | a reflected sound wave bouncing off of a hard, smooth surface |
| ecosystem | is a community of living organisms (plants, animals and microbes) together with the nonliving components of their environment (things like air, water and mineral soil), interacting as a system |
| electromagnet | wire around certain iron-bearing metals (iron nail) and creating a closed circuit is an example of a simple _____________. |
| electron | the smallest subatomic particle, negative (-) charge |
| element | the pure and simple substance that cannot be broken down any farther |
| embryo | The embryo within the seed begins as a single cell, the zygote. The basic organs of the plant body can be found in the embryo. |
| erosion | the carrying away of sediment due to weathering |
| evaporation | the state change from a liquid to a gas without high heat |
| expand | to become bigger, when water freezes into ice, it expands |
| extinct | when a species of organisms finally die out |
| fahrenheit | the temperature scale for which 32 degrees is freezing and 212 degrees is boiling |
| fault | a break in the earth's surface, earthquakes often occur here |
| ferns | a group of plants that reproduce with spores instead of seeds |
| filament | the thin metal wire in a light bulb that glows when hot |
| focus | the place that an earthquake begins |
| force | a push or pull on an object |
| fossil | the ancient remains of a plant or animal |
| frequency | the number of times a wave passes a certain point in a certain amount of time |
| fresh water | water containing very little dissolved salt, found in lakes, streams and rivers |
| friction | the force that creates heat when two objects rub against another |
| front | the boundary between air masses of different temperature and humidity |
| fungus | a kingdom of living things that absorb food from dead or dying organisms: mushrooms, molds, yeast, mildew |
| Galileo | helped to invent and make the telescope better |
| geologist | a scientist who studies the earth and rocks |
| granite | an igneous rock found under the continents |
| Gulf stream current | a warm water current that travels by the east coast of the U.S. |
| habitat | the place or kind of place in which an animal or plant naturally lives. An organism’s ___________ provides food, water, shelter, and space |
| hibernate | when an organism sleeps for long periods of time in the winter months |
| humidity | the amount of moisture in the air which is measured by a hygrometer |
| hypothesis | a prediction about the relationship between variables. A hypothesis is an educated guess/prediction about what will happen based on what you already know and what you have already learned from your research. It must be worded so that it is ?testable.? |
| igneous rock | rock formed from cooled lava or magma |
| independent variable | the factor in an experiment that is altered by the experimenter. The independent variable is purposely changed or manipulated |
| inference | a possible explanation based on background knowledge and available data |
| instinct | something that an organism does without thinking, it is inborn |
| insulator | a material that does not transmit electricity or heat easily |
| invertebrate | an animal without a backbone |
| kilogram | a metric measure of mass that is equal to about 2 pounds |
| kinetic energy | the energy of motion |
| lava | hot, molten rock that has been erupted to the surface of the earth |
| leaf | the part of the plant where photosynthesis takes place |
| lens | a curved glass object that bends, or refracts, lighty |
| light | a from of energy that travels from the sun to earth in waves |
| lightning | a form of static electricity found in the atmosphere |
| limestone | a sedimentary rock formed from ancient sea shells |
| liquid | one of the three states of matter that has a definite volume, but no definite shape |
| magma | hot, molten rock that is found under the earth's surface |
| mammal | a group of vertebrates that are warm-blooded, have fur, and produce milk |
| manipulate | to change or alter |
| mantle | the middle layer of the earth made mostly of molten rock |
| marble | a metamorphic rock prized for its beauty, used in statues and countertops |
| mass | the amount of matter in an object |
| matter | anything that has mass and takes up space (volume) |
| melting point | the temperature at which a solid becomes a liquid |
| membrane | a thin covering that allows certain materials in and out |
| mercury | the only element that is a metal and a liquid |
| metamorphic rock | rock that has been "changed" by high heat and pressure under the earth's surface |
| metamorphosis | when something undergoes a dramatic "change" |
| meteorologist | a scientist who studies and reports the weather |
| meter | a metric measure of length that is about equal to one yard |
| Michael Faraday | invented the electric motor |
| microscope | a scientific instrument that allows us to see very small objects |
| mixture | a combination of two or more compounds that can be separated easily |
| mold | a type of fungus that grows on living things |
| molecule | the very smallest bit of a compound |
| molten | when something is hot and melted |
| monera | the kingdom of living things that includes the bacteria |
| moss | a non-vascular plant that grows near moisture |
