MASTER VOCABULARY LIST FOR SCIENCE 2013-2014

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MATTER anything that has mass and takes up space

ATOM building blocks of matter
ELEMENTS pure substance that cannot be broken down into any new substance
HEAT form of energy related to the motion of atoms
MOTION - movement
PHASE a stage or period while something is changing
PARTICLES small pieces that make up a substance
PURE SUBSTANCE made of only one substance
DENSITY the amount of matter in a given space
MELTING POINT the temperature at which an object melts
MASS THE AMOUNT OF MATTER IN AN OBJECT
VOLUME THE AMOUNT OF SPACE AN OBJECT TAKES UP
SOLUBILITY - The amount of a substance that can be dissolved in a given amount of solvent.
SOLUTE - A substance that is dissolved in another substance
SOLVENT - A substance, usually a liquid, capable of dissolving another substance
SATURATION - The state of a compound or solution that is fully saturated
PHYSICAL CHANGES a change in form, shape, or size of matter but still remains the same
CHEMICAL CHANGES a change that forever changed matter into something new
ENERGY THE ABILITY TO DO WORK OR CAUSE CHANGE
CONDUCTION THE TRANSFER OF HEAT FROM ONE PARTICLE OF MATTER TO ANOTHER ( DIRECT CONTACT )
CONVECTION The transfer of heat by movement of a fluid
RADIATION The direct transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves
TRANSFER move from one place to another
ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES energy that travels through space in the form of waves
ABSORB to take in
WAVELENGTH the distance between the crest of one wave to the crest of the next
SCATTER separate in different directions
REFRACT to bend
TRANSMIT - to send
VISIBLE SPECTRUM part of the electromagnetic spectrum we can see
ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM the range of wavelengths in which electromagnetic radiation extends
INFRARED invisible wavelength greater than red that is associated with heat
ULTRAVIOLET invisible wavelength that is shorter than violet light
WAVE a disturbance
THERMAL ENERGY form of energy created by heat
THERMAL CONDUCTORS materials that easily spread heat ( metals )
THERMAL INSULATORS materials that block heat or cold or dont spread heat easily ( wood, plastic )
ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS materials that easily transmit electrical current
ELECTRICAL INSULATORS materials that resist the flow of electrical current
EXPANSION to get larger
CONTRACTION to get smaller
LIGHT form of energy that comes from the Sun or something that produces light
SOUND form of energy that comes from a force that vibrates a material or medium
EARTHQUAKES sudden movement of Earths crust that releases stress in the form of waves

45. VIBRATION a disturbance that follows a rhythm

46. DISTURBANCE a change or interruption, can be a vibration
47. LONGITUDINAL WAVES - a wave in which the substance the wave travels through moves in the same
direction of the wave itself. Sound waves are longitudinal waves.
48. TRANSVERSE WAVES Waves that go up and down perpendicular to the direction the wave travels. (
electromagnetic waves )
49. TROUGH lowest part of a wave
50. CREST highest part of a wave ( peak )
51. AMPLITUDE distance from reference point to peak or trough. See a diagram. Also related to loudness.
52. RAREFACTION region of a longitudinal wave that is less dense ( more spread out ).
53. COMPRESSION region of a longitudinal wave that is more pressed together ( more dense ).
54. VISIBLE LIGHT part of the electromagnetic spectrum that humans can see
55. SIGHT the ability to see
56. REFLECT to bounce off an object
57. MEDIUM material that sounds can travel through ( states of matter )
58. FREQUENCY the rate of how many vibrations per unit of time. Same as pitch. Measure in Hertz (Hz)
59. PITCH description of how high or low the sound seems to a person
60. LOUDNESS describes the energy of a sound. Measured in Decibels (dB )
61. VOCAL CORDS bands of tissue in your larynx ( located in your throat ) that vibrate to produce sound
62. HEARING ability to perceive sounds
63. CORE The central region of the Earth
64. MANTLE Layer of hot, solid material between the crust and the outer core
65. CRUST the layer of rock that forms Earths outer surface
66. LITHOSPHERE a rigid layer made up of the uppermost part of the mantle and the crust
67. COMPOSITION what a material is made out of
68. RELATIVE POSITION a point of location described by other places or things around it
69. CRUSTAL PLATE - a rigid layer of Earth's crust that is believed to drift slowly
70. OCEAN BASIN - a great depression occupied by the ocean on the surface of the lithosphere
71. VOLCANO a weak spot in the crust where magma has come to the surface
72. HEAT FLOW heat will flow from warmer objects or area to a cooler one
73. PANGEA - the name of the single landmass that broke apart 200 million years ago and gave rise to today's
continents
74. PLATE TECTONICS - the theory that pieces of earth's lithosphere are in constant motion, driven by convection
currents in the mantle
75. CONTINENTAL DRIFT - the hypothesis that the continents slowly move across Earth's surface
76. PRIMARY WAVES seismic waves that compress and expand the ground
77. SECONDARY WAVES seismic waves that vibrate from side to side and up and down
78. SURFACE WAVES seismic wave that forms when primary and secondary waves reach the surface
79. SOIL loose, weathered material on the Earths surface in which plants can grow
80. ENVIRONMENT - The surroundings in which an organism lives; provides the specific things an organism needs
81. PARENT ROCK - The rock mass from which parent material is derived
82. ORGANIC MATERIAL - Something from living organisms
83. WEATHERING the chemical and physical processes that break down rock at Earths suface
84. EROSION process by which water, ice, wind, or gravity moves weathered rock and soil
85. TEXTURE the look and feel of a rocks surface, determined by size, shape, and pattern of grains
86. PARTICLE SIZE describes a rocks texture by grain size ( fine, coarse, none )

87. PH - Measures the acidity of a solution. A pH of 7 is neutral. Smaller numbers are more acidic and larger
numbers are more alkaline
88. FERTILITY measure of how well soil supports plant growth
89. ROCK CYCLE forces deep inside Earth and on the surface that slowly builds, destroys, and changes rocks in
the crust
90. IGNEOUS ROCK rock that forms from the cooling of molten rock at or below the surface
91. SEDIMENTARY ROCK rock that forms when particles from other rocks or the remains of plant and animals
are pressed and cemented together
92. METAMORPHIC ROCK rock that forms from an existing rock that is changed by heat, pressure, or chemical
reactions
93. MINERALS naturally occurring, inorganic solid that has a crystal structure and a definite chemical
composition
94. SOIL QUALITY - the capacity of a specific kind of soil to function, within natural or managed ecosystems, to
sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or enhance water and air quality, and support human health and
habitation
95. STEWARDSHIP - a person whose responsibility is to take care of something
96. VEGETATIVE COVER - soil, plant life or other natural feature within an area instead of any man made surface
97. CONTOUR PLOWING - plowing along the contour of the land(hill) to minimize soil erosion
98. CONSERVATION PLOWING - technique where farmers plow with the curve of the land instead of in straight
rows
99. LAND USE - the human use of land
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CROP ROTATION - system of rotating crops
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REMOTE SENSING - scanning of the earth by satellite or high-flying aircraft to obtain information about it
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SEASONS - one of the four quarters into which the year is commonly divided
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TIDES the periodic rise and fall of the level of water in the ocean
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SOLAR ECLIPSE blocking of sunlight to Earth that occurs when the moon is directly between the Earth
and the sun.
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LUNAR ECLIPSE blocking of sunlight to the moon that occurs when Earth is directly between the sun
and the moon.
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ROTATION the spinning motion of a planet on its axis
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REVOLUTION the movement of an object around another object
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HEMISPHERE - Either the northern or southern half of the Earth as divided by the equator, or the eastern or
western half as divided by a meridian, especially the prime meridian

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EQUATOR imaginary line that splits the Earth into the Northern and Southern hemisphere
PHASES one of the different apparent shapes of the moon as seen from Earth
PROPERTIES - characteristics of a substance
SURFACE - the outer face or side of something
ATMOSPHERE - The mixture of gases surrounding the Earth or other celestial body, held in place by gravity. It

forms distinct layers at different heights

GRAVITATIONAL FORCE - the force by which every mass or particle of matter, including photons, attracts and
is attracted by every other mass or particle of matter

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SUSTAIN to support
SOLAR RADIATION - energy in the form of light
PROBES - an instrumented spacecraft for exploring the upper atmosphere, space, or a celestial body in order to

get information about the environment, physical properties

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INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION - The International Space Station is a space station, or a habitable artificial

satellite in low Earth orbit.

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HUBBLE TELESCOPE a space telescope, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet,
visible, and near infrared. The telescope is named after the astronomer Edwin Hubble.
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CHANDRA X-RAY OBSERVATORY - The Chandra X-ray Observatory is a space telescope launched on STS-93 by
NASA on July 23, 1999. Chandra is sensitive to X-ray

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FERMI-GAMMA-RAY TELESCOPE - is a space observatory being used to perform gamma-ray astronomy
observations from low Earth orbit
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AXIS imaginary line that passes through Earths center and the North and South poles, about which
Earth rotates at 23.5 degrees
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TERRESTIAL PLANET a planet with a rocky, hard surface: first four planets
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GAS PLANET large planets with no rocky surface, made of gases: outer planets
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DWARF PLANET planet too small to be considered one of the planets: Pluto
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PETALS colorful parts of the flower that attract pollinators and surround the reproductive parts
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SEPALS leaf-like parts that protect the young bud of the flower
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STAMENS male reproductive parts of the flower
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ANTHER part of the flower that produces and hold pollen
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PISTIL female reproductive part of the flower
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PHOTOSYNTHESIS process by which a plant makes food by using sunlight, water, carbon dioxide to
make glucose and oxygen
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RESPIRATION exchange of gases, breathing
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TRANSPIRATION the loss or transfer of water out of a plant through the stomata
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CUTICLE waxy protective layer of the plant
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STOMATA small openings on the leaf of a plant
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GUARD CELLS cells that control the opening of the stomata
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SUGARS(GLUCOSE) food that is created by the plant from photosynthesis
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CELLULAR RESPIRATION process where cells use oxygen to burn food for energy
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FOOD CHAINS simple diagram showing the direct feeding relationship among organisms
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FOOD WEBS complex diagram showing all the feeding relationships in an ecosystem
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PRODUCERS organisms that make their own food
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DECOMPOSERS organisms that break down dead or decaying matter
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CONSUMERS organisms that have to eat
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STIMULUS something that causes a change in behavior
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DORMANCY period of inactivity
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TROPISM the response to a stimulus ( see notes )
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ABIOTIC FACTORS non living factors of an ecosystem like sunlight, water, temperature
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BIOME an area of living and nonliving parts that interact and share similar features
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LIMITING FACTORS factors that limit the growth of a population like disease, food source, space
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TOLERANCE ability to put up with
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OMNIVORE eats both plants and animals
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CARNIVORE eats only animals
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HERBIVORE eats only plants
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Organism a living thing