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FOSS Science
Water Planet
Vocabulary
Investigation 1:
Sun – an average star at the center of the solar system around which all other solar-system bodies
revolve.
Moon – Earth’s natural satellite
Solar System – is the Sun and all the bodies that orbit it, including the planets and their moons, the
asteroids, and the comets.
Orbit – the path an object takes around another object; for example, Earth has an orbit around the
Sun.
Planet – a large natural object that orbits around a star, such as the Sun
Asteroid – a rocky object, which can be a few hundred meters to several hundred kilometers wide,
that orbits the Sun
Comet – a small body made of large chunks of ice, rocks, gas, and dust that orbits the Sun in a large
oval path
Gravity – the force of attraction between two objects; larger bodies, like the Sun, have a greater force
of gravity
Revolve – to travel in a path or orbit around another object; for example, Earth revolves around the
Sun
Revolution – occurs when an object travels in an orbit and returns to its starting position. It takes
Earth 1 year to make a complete revolution around the Sun
Kuiper Belt – a huge region beyond the gas giants made up of different size icy chunks of matter
FOSS Science
Water Planet
Vocabulary
Investigation 2:
Pendulum – a mass (bob) hanging from a fixed point that is free to swing to and fro
Cycle – a motion that repeats itself
Variable – anything you can change in an experiment that might affect the outcome
Standard – the basic procedure used in a controlled experiment, before changing any of the
variables
Experiment – an investigation designed to find out how variables affect outcomes
Controlled variable – a variable that is not allowed to change in an experiment
Controlled experiment – one in which one, and only one, variable is changed in order to assess its
effect
Independent variable – changed in an experiment to find out how it affects the experiment outcome,
what we know before the experiment starts (graphed on the X axis)
Dependent variable – changes in response to changes in the independent variable, what you find
out by doing the experiment (graphed on the Y axis)
Two-coordinate graph – display of experimental data that shows a relationship between an
independent variable and a dependent variable
Prediction – a reasoned estimation of a future event based on context, data, or experience
FOSS Science
Water Planet
Vocabulary
Investigation 3:
Evaporation – when water changes from liquid to gas
Condensation – the process by which water vapor changes into liquid water, usually on a surface
Water vapor – the gas state of water
Seriate – put objects in order by one property, like amount of water left
Thermometer – a tool used to measure temperature
Surface area – the area of a liquid exposed to or touching the air
Frost – frozen condensation, when water vapor contacts a surface below freezing, it condenses and
freezes as solid frost
Freezing point – the temperature at which water changes state from liquid to solid; for water it is 0ºC
Dew – water that condenses on surfaces when the temperature drops at night
Clouds – tiny droplets of water, usually high in the air
Fog – water droplets that condense from the air, close to the ground
FOSS Science
Water Planet
Vocabulary
Investigation 4:
solar energy – heat and light from the sun. Materials exposed to solar energy heat up. Soil and
water do not heat up at the same rate.
uneven heating – the result of different amounts of energy being transferred to adjacent surfaces
(land heats up and cools rapidly; water heats up and cools slowly)
energy transfer – the movement of energy from one place to another , or the change of energy from
one form to another (when air molecules bang into the hot surface of land, energy transfers to the air
molecules)
convection current – a circular movement of fluid (such as air) that is the result of uneven heating of
the fluid (air that is warmed by the hot land moves upward; warm air cools as it moves up, gets
denser, and starts to fall; rising and falling air sets up a big circular air current called a convection
current)
wind – air in motion, caused by the uneven heating of the Earth. It is the movement of denser air to
an area where air is less dense
atmosphere – the whole layer of air covering the earth
atmospheric pressure – the force caused by the mass of the air above you
meteorologist – scientists who study weather
weather – the condition of the atmosphere at a given time and place. Heat, moisture, and movement
are the three important variables that describe weather
weather forecast – a prediction of future weather conditions
compress – compress air is to squeeze the molecules into a smaller volume
pressure – the force or push caused by moving molecules
FOSS Science
Water Planet
Vocabulary
Investigation 5:
salt water – water with salt, ocean water
fresh water – water without salt that is found in lakes, rivers, groundwater, soil, and the atmosphere
water cycle – global water cycling system, water evaporates from earth’s surface and goes into the
atmosphere and condenses. It returns to earth’s surface as precipitation in a new location.
rain – liquid water that is condensed from water vapor in the atmosphere and falls to earth in drops
snow – precipitation in the form of ice crystals grouped together as snowflakes
sleet – precipitation in the form of ice pellets created when rain freezes as it falls to earth from the
atmosphere
hail – precipitation in the form of small balls or pellets of ice
weather – the condition of the atmosphere at a given time and place. Weather is described using
heat (temperature), moisture (water), and air movement (wind)
weather variables – data that meteorologists measure (temperature, wind speed & direction, air
pressure, cloud cover, and precipitation)
severe weather – out-of-the-ordinary and extreme weather conditions (thunderstorms, tornadoes,
drought)
tornado – rapidly rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground. Wind
speeds can reach 417 kph (260 mph) or more
hurricane – severe tropical storm or moving wind system that rotates around an eye
thunderstorm – severe weather that results from cold air flowing under a warm, humid air mass over
the land
drought – less-than-normal amount of rain or snow over a period of time
radiosonde – an instrument sent into earth’s atmosphere to measure temperature, pressure, and
humidity
weather map – map that shows weather data as a picture
front – the leading edge of a moving air mass, where warm air and cold air masses meet
warm front – contact zone where a warm air mass overtakes a cold air mass (shown on a weather
map by a red line with round bumps)
cold front – contact zone where a cold air mass overtakes a mass of warm, moist air (shown on a
weather map by a blue line with points)
stationary front – when a warm air mass and a cold air mass come together and stop moving
(shown on a weather map by a red and blue line with points on one side and bumps on the other)