Download Study Guide: Year 1 Science Final Exam WAVES

Study Guide:
Year 1 Science Final Exam
WAVES - Understand the properties of waves and the wavelike property of energy in earthquakes, light and sound.
6.P.1.1
 All waves transmit energy, not matter. (Waves are moving energy.)
 Energy will cause materials to vibrate. These vibrations are carried as “waves” and transfer energy.
 Most waves travel through matter. For example, sound is a form of energy that results when vibrating
materials produce waves that move through matter.
 Light waves are unique in their ability to travel through a vacuum (space) without having to move through
matter.
 Waves are created when something creates a vibration.
 Vibrations in materials create waves that spread away from the source.
 Waves can be described by their frequency
 Wavelengths are the distance between one peak
and the next.
 Waves move at different speeds in different
materials. (Fastest in solids – slowest in gasses)
 Earthquakes are vibrations in the earth that
release the (potential) energy stored in rocks.
 Earthquakes create seismic waves.
 Sound waves are longitudinal waves
 Light waves are transverse waves.
 Identify the basic characteristics of a
transverse wave: trough, crest, amplitude,
and wavelength.
 Identify the basic characteristics of a
longitudinal (compressional) wave:
amplitude, rarefaction, and compression.
6.P.1.2
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You see things when light waves leave it and then enter your eye.
Human eyes can see to only a narrow range of wavelengths of electromagnetic spectrum called the
visible light.
Different colors of light have different wavelengths.
Light travels in transverse waves.
Light is a form of energy emitted by the Sun as well as light-producing objects on Earth.
Light can be absorbed (taken in) or reflected (bounced off) objects depending upon the properties of the
object and the type and angle of light when it hits the object.
Some materials scatter light and others allow light rays to pass through, but refract (bend) the light by
changing its speed.
Investigate conditions that impair vision. Blindness, cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy are just a
few medical conditions that harm our ability to see.
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Investigate how the eye works: structures within the eye, functions of these structures in the eye.
Optical illusions. How are we fooled? It's because we learn to process certain images automatically. This is
because our early development "hard wired" our perceptions. As a result, we learn to subconsciously
interpret the images we see every day.
6.P.1.3
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You hear when sound waves enter the ear.
Sound is a form of energy that is caused when vibrating materials produce waves that move through
matter.
These waves have different characteristics such as frequency and amplitude, which will determine the
properties of sound such as pitch and loudness.
The human ear gathers sound waves as vibrations and converts them to electrical signals that are
interpreted by the brain.
Sound behaves differently as it travels through different solid materials.
Sound behaves differently as they travels through different states of matter.
Vocal cords work to produce sound: structure of vocal cords, function of vocal cords and conditions that
affect the sound vocal cords make.
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Investigate how the ear works: structures within the ear, functions of those structures, conditions that
affect hearing.
MATTER - Understand the structure, classifications and physical properties of matter.
6.P.2.1
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There are more than 100 elements that combine in a multitude of ways that make up all of the living and
nonliving things that we encounter.
Matter is composed of extremely small particles that are too small to be seen with a classroom microscope,
called atoms.
Matter (atoms) all have mass and take up space.
Atoms are the smallest part of an element that has the chemical properties of the element.
All atoms of the same element have the same properties. For example, all iron atoms have the same mass
and occupy the same amount of space.
This means that all matter has the same properties because of the atoms. For example, all pieces of iron are
made of iron atoms so all iron has the same properties.
Different elements have some different properties. For example, iron atoms are different from carbon
atoms or from atoms of any other element.
6.P.2.2
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Heat energy is in the disorderly motion of molecules.
Atoms and molecules are constantly in motion.
Adding heat means adding energy, which increases the motion of molecules. So, most substances expand
when heated.
Most substances can exist as a solid, liquid or gas depending on temperature.
Solids:
a. Rigid
b. Set volume
c. Set shape
d. Atoms are packed close together
e. Have some thermal energy so its atoms do vibrate. (However, this movement is very small and very
rapid, and cannot be observed under normal conditions.)
f. If heat is added a solid can become a liquid
Liquids:
a. Set volume
b. Can change their shape by flowing. Since the liquid molecules can move they will take the shape of
their container.
c. Liquids are similar to solids in that the particles touch but unlike solids the particles in a liquid are
able to move around.
d. Since particles are able to touch the densities of liquid will be close to that of a solid (water is a
special exception).
e. When heat is added a liquid can become a gas.
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Gases:
a. No definite volume or shape.
b. If unrestricted gases will spread out indefinitely.
c. If restricted they will take the shape of their container. (This is because gas particles have enough
energy to overcome attractive forces.)
d. Each of the particles are well separated resulting in a very low density.
6.P.2.3
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Characteristic properties like density, boiling point, melting point, and solubility do not change. They
are always the same for a specific substance – it does not matter how much of the substance there is. This
allows us to use these properties to identify different substances.
Physical properties involve things that can be measured without changing the chemical properties.
Matter can undergo physical changes, which affect only physical properties. Physical changes can involve
changes in energy.
Solubility means the amount of solute that can be dissolved in a specific volume of solvent under certain
conditions. A solute’s solubility depends on the chemical nature of the solvent. Another important factor
that influences solubility is the temperature of the system (the solute and the solvent). The most common
solvent is water.
Density is a property that describes the relationship between mass and volume.
Investigate the physical properties of pure substances in terms of the unique temperatures at which each
substance undergoes state changes.
Investigate that melting and freezing of a pure substance takes place at the same temperature and the
boiling temperature is the same as the maximum condensing temperature. The temperature remains
constant during state changes of pure substances.
HEAT TRANSFER – Understand characteristics of energy transfer and interactions of matter and energy.
6.P.3.1
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Energy can be transferred from one system to another (or from a system to its environment) in different
ways:
1. thermally, when a warmer object is in contact with a cooler one
2. mechanically, when two objects push or pull on each other over a distance
3. electrically, when an electrical source such as a battery or generator is connected in a complete
circuit to an electrical device by electromagnetic waves.
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Thermal energy is transferred through a material by the collisions of atoms within the material.
Heat flows through materials or across space from hotter to colder objects, until both objects are at
equilibrium.
Heat travels through solids, primarily by conduction.
Heat is circulated in fluids, both liquids and gases, through the process of convection.
Radiation is energy that travels across distances in the form of electromagnetic waves.
Over time, thermal energy tends to spread out through a material and from one material to another if they
are in contact (conduction). Thermal energy can also be transferred by means of currents in air, water, or
other fluids (convection). Page 4
6.P.3.2
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Light and other waves in the electromagnetic spectrum can warm objects.
How much an object’s temperature increases depends on how intense the light striking its surface is, how
long the light shines on the object, and how much of the light is absorbed.
When light interacts with matter it is either absorbed, transmitted, refracted) and/or reflected
(scattered). An example of scattering is when the sky is blue.
The sun is a major source of energy for changes on the earth’s surface. The sun loses energy by emitting
light. A tiny fraction of the light reaches the earth, transferring energy from the sun to the earth.
The sun’s energy arrives as light with a range of wavelengths
Visible spectrum is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to (can be detected by)
human eyes.
Electromagnetic radiation in this range of wavelengths is called visible light or simply light.
Infrared light has a longer wavelength than visible light and is detected most often by its heating effect.
Infrared imaging has applications in space exploration and with satellite imaging.
Ultraviolet light has shorter wavelengths than visible light. These waves lengths are responsible for
causing our sunburns. Most of these waves are blocked from entering Earth’s atmosphere by the ozone but
some days, more ultraviolet waves get through our atmosphere. Scientists have developed a UV index to
help people protect themselves from these harmful ultraviolet waves. These are the types of waves used in
tanning beds. 6.P.3.3
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Thermal energy is transferred through a material by the collisions of atoms within the material.
Over time, thermal energy tends to spread out through a material and from one material to another if they
are in contact (conduction).
Thermal energy can also be transferred by means of currents in air, water, or other fluids (convection).
In addition, some thermal energy in all materials is transformed into light energy and radiated into the
environment by electromagnetic waves; that light energy can be transformed back into thermal energy
when the electromagnetic waves strike another material.
As a result, a material tends to cool down unless some other form of energy is converted to thermal energy
in the material.
There are some things that we use daily that we want to conduct heat easily.
Most of these items are made of materials that conduct heat readily: aluminum, steel, copper. We call these
materials thermal conductors.
Similarly, there are things that we do not want to conduct heat (pot handles, spatula, cooking utensils) and
these items are generally made of materials that limit heat transfer. We call such materials thermal
insulators.
Expansion joint strips in bridges allow for the bridge to expand in hot weather and not break. These same
joint strips allow for the bridge to contract in cold weather and not break.
Electrical energy also passes through conductors.
An electrical conductor is a material through which an electrical current can flow easily.
An electrical insulator is a material through which electrical current does not readily flow.
Electrical conductors include most metals, while most nonmetallic solids (rubber, glass, porcelain, ceramic)
are insulators.
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EARTH IN SPACE – Understand the earth/moon/sun system, and the properties, structures, and predictable motions
of celestial bodies in the Universe.
6.E.1.1
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The number of hours of daylight and the intensity of the sunlight both vary in a predictable pattern that
depends on how far north or south of the equator the place is.
This variation explains why temperatures vary over the course of the year and at different locations.
The Earth’s moon revolves around the Earth as both go through space and revolve around the Sun.
From Earth, our moon appears in a series of phases that repeat in a regular cycle.
Since the rotational period of the moon is the same as its period of revolution around the Earth, the same
side of the moon is always viewed from Earth.
The moon and the Sun each exert a gravitational pull on the Earth.
These gravitational forces can be aligned or in opposition to one another.
These forces as well as the Earth rotation have a major impact on the Earth’s ocean tides.
Ocean tides follow a predictable pattern.
The alignment of the Sun, Earth and Moon can produce shadows on the Earth or Moon resulting in Lunar
or Solar Eclipses. Eclipses are also predictable.
The Earth’s north-south axis is tilted at an angle, as compared with the plane of its revolution around the
Sun.
The rotation of the Earth causes all parts of the Earth to experience periods of daylight and darkness.
The revolution of the Earth around the Sun on its tilted axis along with its daily rotation causes varying
lengths of daylight on the Earth’s surface as well as changes in the directness and intensity of sunlight.
This results in a yearly cycle of seasons for much of the Earth’s surface.
The tilt of the Earth’s axis also results in the seasons being ‘reversed’ in the Northern and Southern
hemispheres. (e.g.: winter in North America corresponds to summer in South America.)
6.E.1.2
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Eight planets of very different size, composition, and surface features move around the sun in nearly
circular orbits.
Some planets have a variety of moons and even flat rings of rock and ice particles orbiting around them.
Some of these planets and moon show evidence of geologic activity.
One moon, many artificial satellites, and debris orbit the earth.
The Solar System consists of the Sun, planets, moons, asteroids, meteors, comets, dust, gases and
primarily empty space.
The Sun is the major source of heat and light for the solar system.
Everything in the solar system is under the direct influence of the Sun’s gravitational pull.
Planets are the largest objects in the solar system and due to the Sun’s gravitational pull, they revolve
around the sun with known frequencies.
Atmosphere is a layer of air, made up of many layers and gases that surround the Earth’s surface keeping
humans safe from the sun’s radiation.
The Earth formed in just the right place with just the right ingredients for life to flourish.
Our planet has liquid water, a breathable atmosphere and a suitable amount of sunshine to sustain life.
6.E.1.3
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Space exploration has allowed humans to learn much about the workings of the solar system, the
composition of planets and moons, and the effects of many types of solar radiation on the Earth and its
inhabitants.
In preparing for the challenges of space exploration, people have developed tools and products that have
become very important in enriching our lives.
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Humans have traveled to the moon, landed probes on Mars and Venus, and sent probes speeding past
Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus.
An International Space Station, through the joint effort of many countries, was built to allow space to be
studied continually.
We also had the Hubble Telescope built so scientists could learn much more about the uniqueness of
Earth and its place in our solar system and universe.
Scientists have also learned that there are millions of galaxies in space, each containing solar systems.
Many of our modern conveniences such as microwaves and hand held calculators are the result of products
developed for use in the space program.
The Chandra X-ray Observatory is part of NASA’s fleet of “Great Observatories” along with the Hubble
Space Telescope, the Spitizer Space Telescope and the now de-orbited Compton Gamma Ray Observatory.
Chandra allows scientists from around the world to obtain X-ray images of exotic environments to help
understand the structure and evolution of the universe.
Other telescopes, such as the Fermi-Gamma-ray Space Telescope have unveiled a previously unseen
structure centered in the Milky Way. The feature spans 50,000 light-years and may be the remnant of an
eruption from a supersized black hole at the center of our galaxy.
GEOLOGY (THE LITHOSPHERE)- Understand the structure of the earth and how interactions of constructive and
destructive forces have resulted in changes in the surface of the Earth over time and the effects of the lithosphere on
humans.
6.E.2.1
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The earth is composed mostly of rock.
Three-fourths of the earth’s surface is covered by a relatively thin layer of water (some of it frozen), and the
entire planet is surrounded by a relatively thin layer of gas we call the atmosphere.
The Earth has a solid inner core that is surrounded by a liquid outer core.
The inner core is a solid section of the Earth and is unattached to the mantle, being suspended by the
molten outer core.
The inner core is predominantly iron metal with significant amounts of the nickel.
This inner layer in mutual combination with the rotational motion of the Earth creates a dynamo effect
where a force field is generated. This field is also known as Earth’s magnetic field.
In terms of the physical aspects of the outer core, the layer is dense but not as dense as pure molten iron.
Surrounding the entire dense, metallic core is a thick, hot, convective layer called the mantle.
The crust consists of many continental and oceanic plates that have slowly moved and changed positions
on the globe throughout geologic time.
6.E.2.2
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Earth is made up of 4 different layers: inner core, outer core, mantle, crust.
The earth's plates sit on a dense, hot, somewhat melted layer of the earth called the asthenosphere.
The plates move very slowly, pressing against one another in some places and pulling apart in other places,
sometimes scraping alongside each other as they do.
Mountains form as two continental plates, or an ocean plate and a continental plate, press together.
There are worldwide patterns to major geological events (such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and
mountain building) that coincide with plate boundaries.
Lithospheric plates on the scale of continents and oceans constantly move at rates of centimeters per year
as a result of movements in the mantle coupled with characteristics of the plates themselves.
Major geological events, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain building, result from these
plate motions.
The crustal plates range in thickness from a few to more than 100 kilometers.
Ocean floors are the tops of thin oceanic plates that spread outward from mid-ocean rift zones; land
surfaces are the tops of thicker, less-dense continental plates.
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Earth is made up of 4 different layers: inner core, outer core, mantle, crust.
Seismologists have studied how wave energy travels through the different layers of Earth.
Waves have characteristics: frequency, wavelength, amplitude and speed.
During an earthquake, energy is released into the Earth as: Primary waves, Secondary waves and
Surface waves.
6.E.2.3
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Although weathered rock is the basic component of soil, the composition and texture of soil and its
fertility and resistance to erosion are greatly influenced by plant roots and debris, bacteria, fungi, worms,
insects, rodents, and other organisms.
The upper-most layer of the continental crust is covered by soil.
The ingredients in soils can vary from place to place and around the Earth.
Different soils have many properties such as texture, particle size, pH, fertility and ability to hold
moisture.
Depending upon the combination of properties, soils have great variability in their ability to support
structures and plant growth.
Forces deep inside Earth and at the surface produce a slow cycle that builds, destroys, and changes the
rocks in the crust.
Plate movements start the rock cycle by helping to form magma, the source of igneous rocks.
Plate movements also cause faulting, folding and other motions of the crust that help to form
sedimentary and metamorphic rock.
Minerals form as hot magma cools inside the crust, or as lava hardens on the surface.
When these liquids cool to a solid state, they form crystals.
When elements and compounds that are dissolved in water leave a solution, crystallization of minerals
occurs.
Soil is a mixture of: rock particles, minerals, decayed organic matter, water and air.
Soil forms as rock is broken down by weathering and mixes with other materials on the surface.
6.E.2.4
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The environment may contain dangerous levels of substances that are harmful to human beings.
Therefore, the good health of individuals requires monitoring the soil, air, and water and taking steps to
make these factors safe for all organisms.
Human activities have affected Earth’s soil layers both positively and negatively. Measures taken to control
the negative impacts include: vegetative cover, agricultural practices such as (contour plowing,
conservation plowing), land use, nutrient balance (crop rotation), maintaining soil quality.
Technology, such as remote sensing using satellites, has allowed humans to better study the human
impact on soil quality and erosional processes so that the soil can be protected and preserved.
Over time, remote sensing information can tell us how humans are constantly changing the surface of the
Earth and what impact these changes are likely to produce.
Technologies can also assist in finding ways to help prevent erosion. It is important that humans be
stewards (caretakers) of the soil.
PLANTS – Understand the structures, processes and behaviors of plants that enable them to survive and reproduce.
6.L.1.1
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Animals and plants have a great variety of body plans and internal structures that contribute to their being
able to make or find food and reproduce.
The process of sexual reproduction in flowering plants takes place in the flower, which is a complex
structure made up of several parts.
Some parts of the flower are directly involved in fertilization and seed production.
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Other flower parts have functions in pollination.
A flower is made up of six parts: petals-are leaf like, usually colorful structures arranged in a circle around
the top of a flower stem.
Sepals are modified leaves that encase the developing flower. They are sterile floral parts and may be
either green or leaf like or composed of petal like tissue.
Inside the circle of petals are the stamens. A stamen is the male reproductive structure of a flower.
At the tip of the stamen is the anther. The anther produces pollen that contains sperm.
At the center of the flower, attached to the top of the flower stem lie one or more pistils. The pistil is the
female structure of the flower. The bottom portion of the pistil enlarges to form the ovary, a structure with
one or more ovules, each containing one egg.
When fertilization occurs the ovary grows into the fruit or vegetable.
The length of night or dark period controls flowering.
6.L.1.2
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One of the most general distinctions among organisms is between plants, which use sunlight to make their
own food (photosynthesis) and animals, which consume energy-rich foods.
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are complementary processes.
Plants carry on photosynthesis and cellular respiration where food is broken down into energy. The
requirements of one process are the products of the other.
Leaves have an epidermis with a waxy cuticle and stomata that help prevent water loss.
Guard cells that surround and control the size of the opening in stomata.
The loss of water through the stomata is called transpiration.
The opening and closing of guard cells regulate transpiration.
ECOSYSTEMS AND BIOMES – Understand the flow of energy through ecosystems and the responses of populations to
the biotic and abiotic factors in their environment.
6.L.2.1
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Food provides molecules that serve as fuel and building material for all organisms.
Plants use the energy from light to make glucose (sugars) from carbon dioxide and water.
Green plants are the producers of food that is used directly or indirectly by consumers.
Plants can use the food they make immediately or store it for later use.
Energy flows through ecosystems in one direction, from the sun through producers to consumers to
decomposers.
Matter is transferred from one organism to another and between organisms and their environments.
Water, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and oxygen are substances cycled between the living and non-living
environments.
Decomposers return nutrients to the environment—such as fungi on fallen logs, mold on bread.
Bacteria have an important role in the guts of animals and plant roots at it relates to the recycling of
matter.
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6.L.2.2
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Changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of individual organisms and entire species.
Dormancy is a period of inactivity in a mature seed prior to germination; seed remains dormant until
conditions are favorable for growth and development of the new plant.
Plants have mechanisms that enable them to respond to their environment.
Plants grow, reproduce, and shift the position of their roots, stems and leaves in response to environmental
conditions such as gravity, sunlight, temperature and day length.
Tropism is a plant’s turning or bending movement of an organism toward or away from an external
stimulus such as light, heat or gravity.
If the tropism is positive, the plant grows toward the stimulus.
If the tropism is negative, the plant grows away from the stimulus. This enhances the survival rate for that
plant in a given environment.
6.L.2.3
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The world contains a wide diversity of physical conditions, which creates a wide variety of environments:
freshwater, marine, forest, desert, grasslands, mountain, and others.
In any particular environment, the growth and survival of organisms depend on the physical conditions.
Environmental factors that affect an organism’s ability to survive in its environment, such as food
availability, predators, and temperature, are limiting factors.
A limiting factor is any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the existence, number, reproduction, or
distribution of organisms. For example, at high elevations, temperatures are too low, winds too strong and
the soil too thin to support the growth of large trees. Vegetation is limited to small, shallow-rooted plants,
mosses, ferns and lichen.
Factors that limit one population in a community may also have an indirect effect on another population.
For example, a lack of water could limit the growth of grass in a grassland, reducing the number of seeds
produced. The population of rabbits dependent on those seed for food will also be reduced and the hawks
depending on the rabbits will be reduced too as a result of a decrease in their food supply.
Another factor for survive is the ability of an organism to withstand fluctuations in biotic and abiotic
environmental factors.
The limits of an organism’s tolerance are reached when the organism receives too much or too little of
some environmental factor. Organisms become fewer as conditions move toward either extreme of the
range of tolerance (too much or too little).
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Vocabulary:
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Abiotic factors = non-living parts of an ecosystem
Absorption = to be taken in
Adaptation = a form or structure modified to fit a changed environment
Amplitude = measurement from mean (midline) to top or bottom of the wave
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Anther = the pollen bearing part of the stamen
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Asteroid = rocky and/or metal object orbiting the Sun, smaller than a dwarf planet
Atmosphere = the gases surrounding a planet
Atom = smallest part of matter that has the properties of an element
Biome = a living community of plants and animals in a specific environment
Boiling Point = temperature at which a substance changes from a liquid to a gas
Cellular respiration = bringing oxygen into the cell to produce energy for cellular processes
Chandra X-ray Observatory = one of NASA’s Great Space Based Observatories.
Chlorophyll = green chemical plants use to absorb sunlight
Comet = ball of dust, gas and ice that orbits the Sun usually very distant
Composition = what something is made of; the ingredients
Compression = in a gas - reduction in volume and increase in pressure
Conduction = heat transfer by touch or contact (heat transfers from warmer object to cooler
object)
18. Conservation plowing = plowing is done along the natural curves of the land
19. Consumers = organisms that eat other organisms for energy
20. Contour plowing = plowing aligned with slope to avoid erosion
21. Contraction = reduction in size
22. Convection = heat transfer in fluids (gas and liquid) through currents of rising heat and sinking
cooler fluids
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Core = center of the Earth has two parts; inner core and outer core
Crest = highest point on a wave
Crop rotation = changing crops from season to season to replenish nutrients in the soil
Crust = outer most layer of the Earth; made of solid rock; just below the soil layers
Crustal plate = lithosphere unit that floats on the mantle (moves inches each year)
Cuticle = thin film covering the surface of plants
Day = when a plant makes one complete turn on its axis
Decomposers = an organism, usually bacteria or fungus, that breaks down the cells of dead plants
and animals into simpler substances.
Density = mass divided by volume
Desert biomes = a living community of plants and animals in a desert environment
Disturbance = event that causes change to a system
Dormancy = state of rest or inactivity
Earthquakes = vibrations in the Earth’s crust
Eclipse = shadow of the Earth on the moon (lunar eclipse) or the moon’s shadow on the Earth
(solar eclipse)
Electromagnetic spectrum = light energy scale, from high energy to low: gamma rays, x-rays,
ultraviolet, visible, infrared, microwave, radio
Elements = basic building blocks of matter, the smallest unit of an element is an atom
Energy = not matter, energy is the ability to do work
Energy Flow = transfer of energy from one body or place to another
Environment = the natural world as affected by human activity
Equator = an imaginary line drawn around the earth equally distant from both poles, dividing the
earth into northern and southern hemispheres and constituting the parallel of latitude 0°.
Erosion = the process of breaking down rock or washing away soil by wind or water.
Expansion = increase in size
Fermi-Gamma-Ray Telescope = Space based gamma-ray telescope used to study black holes and
neutron stars
Fertility = ability to reproduce, as in ability to have children
Food chains = a series of processes by which food is produced, sold and eventually consumed
Food webs = a series of organisms related by predator-prey and consumer-resource interactions;
the entirety of interrelated food chains in an ecological community.
Forest biomes = a living community of plants and animals in a forest environment
Frequency =
Freshwater biomes = a living community of plants and animals in a freshwater environment
Galaxy = a system of millions or billions of stars, together with gas and dust, held together by
gravitational attraction
Gas = an air-like fluid substance which expands freely to fill any space available, irrespective of its
quantity
Germination = begin to grow and put out shoots after a period of dormancy or inactivity.
Glucose (sugars) = a simple sugar that is an important energy source in living organisms
Grassland biomes = a living community of plants and animals in a grassland environment
Gravity = the force that attracts a body toward the center of the earth, or toward any other
physical body having mass
Guard cells = each of a pair of curved cells that surround a stoma, becoming larger or smaller
according to the pressure within the cells
Habitat = the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism
Hearing = the ability to perceive sounds
Heat = a form of energy arising from the random motion of the molecules of bodies, which may be
transferred by conduction, convection, or radiation
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62. Heat flow = heat moves from hot to cold via conduction, convection, or radiation
63. Hemisphere = a half of the earth, usually as divided into northern and southern halves by the
equator, or into western and eastern halves by an imaginary line passing through the poles
64. Hubble telescope – space based telescope studying the visible light spectrum. One of NASA’s great
observatories.
65. Igneous rock = a rock that solidified from lava or magma
66. Infrared = has a wavelength just greater than that of the red end of the visible light spectrum but
less than microwaves. Heated objects emit infrared radiation.
67. Insulators = a substance that does not readily allow the passage of heat
68. Intensity = the measurable amount of a property, such as force, brightness, or a magnetic field
69. International Space Station = orbiting multinational science laboratory built, maintained and
populated with astronauts from many countries
70. Land use = involves humans managing and changing natural environment or wilderness into
habitats such as arable fields, pastures, and managed woods
71. Light = electromagnetic radiation that includes gamma rays, x-rays, ultraviolet, visible, infrared,
microwave, and radio waves
72. Limiting factors = an environmental factor that tends to limit population size
73. Liquid = a substance normally a gas that has been liquefied by cold or pressure
74. Lithosphere = the rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle
75. Longitudinal waves = a wave of compression and rarefaction, by which sound is propagated in an
elastic medium such as air
76. Magnetic Field = a region around a magnetic material or a moving electric charge within which the
force of magnetism acts
77. Mantle = the region of the earth's interior between the crust and the core, that consists of hot,
dense rock
78. Marine biomes = a living community of plants and animals in a saltwater environment
79. Mass = the quantity of matter that a body contains
80. Matter = something that occupies space and possesses mass, distinct from energy
81. Medium = the substance in which an organism lives or is cultured
82. Melting Point = the temperature at which a given solid will melt
83. Metamorphic rock = a type of rock which has been changed by extreme heat and pressed into
unique shapes
84. Meteor = a small body of matter from outer space that enters the earth's atmosphere and appears
as a streak of light as a result of friction with the Earth’s atmosphere
85. Minerals = a solid inorganic substance that occurs in nature
86. Molecule = a group (two or more) of atoms bound together
87. Motion = the action or process of moving or being moved
88. Negative Tropism = moves away from stimulus – example is the stem of a plant or the trunk of a
tree grows up, opposing the force of gravity
89. Nutrients = a substance that provides food essential for growth and the maintenance of life
90. Ocean basin = anywhere on the earth which is covered mainly by sea water
91. Organic material
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92. Ovary = the hollow base of the carpel of a flower, containing one or more ovules
93. Parent rock = original rock from which something else was formed. It is mainly used in the
context of soil formation where the parent rock will have a large influence on the nature of the
resulting soil.
94. Particle size = also called grain size, refers to the diameter of individual grains of sediment
95. Particle = a tiny portion of matter
96. Petals = segments of a flower, which are modified leaves and are typically colored
97. Phase Change = transitions between solid, liquid and gaseous states of matter
98. Phases of the Moon = shape of the sun light’s reflection from the surface of the moon to the Earth.
Phases include New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning
Gibbous, and Waning Crescent
99. Photosynthesis = the process where green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to
synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water. Photosynthesis in plants generally involves the
green pigment chlorophyll and generates oxygen as a byproduct.
100. Phototropism = the orientation of a plant or other organism in response to light, either toward the
source of light (positive phototropism) or away from it (negative phototropism).
101. Physical changes = affects the form of a chemical substance, but not its chemical composition
102. Pistil = the female organs of a flower, comprising the stigma, style, and ovary
103. Planets = heavenly bodies moving in an elliptical orbit around a star
104. Plate tectonics = a theory explaining the structure of the earth's crust and many associated
processes as resulting from the interaction of rigid lithospheric plates that move slowly over the
underlying mantle
105. Positive tropism = moves toward a stimulus – example is the roots of a plant that grow down, with
the force of gravity
106. Primary waves = the fastest traveling seismic waves and can travel through solids, liquids, and
gases
107. Probes = an unmanned exploratory spacecraft designed to transmit information about its
environment
108. Producers = any organism that absorbs the sun's energy and converts it into food
109. Properties = an attribute, quality, or characteristic of something
110. Pure Substance = a form of matter that has constant chemical composition and characteristic
properties
111. Radiation = the energy transmitted by radiation, as heat, light, electricity, etc.
112. Rarefaction = segment of one cycle of a longitudinal wave during its travel or motion, the other
segment being compression
113. Recycling Matter = Unlike energy, elements are not lost and replaced as they pass through
ecosystems. Instead, they are recycled repeatedly. All chemical elements that are needed by living
things are recycled in ecosystems, including carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and
sulfur. Water is also recycled.
114. Reflect = throw back (heat, light, or sound) without absorbing it
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115. Refract = make (a ray of light) change direction when it enters at an angle
116. Relative position = A point defined with reference to another position, either fixed or moving
117. Remote sensing = the scanning of the earth by satellite or high-flying aircraft in order to obtain
information about it
118. Respiration = a process in living organisms involving the production of energy, typically with the
intake of oxygen and the release of carbon dioxide
119. Revolution = the movement of an object in a circular or elliptical course around another
120. Rock cycle = processes undergone by rocks in the earth's crust, involving igneous intrusion,
erosion, deposition as sedimentary rock, metamorphism
121. Rotation = the movement of an object about its axis
122. Satellite = an artificial body placed in orbit around the earth or moon or another planet in order to
collect information or for communication
123. Scatter = light bounces off particles in the Earth’s atmosphere, causing the blue color we see in the
sky
124. Seasons = each of the four divisions of the year (spring, summer, autumn, and winter) marked by
particular weather patterns and daylight hours, resulting from the earth's changing position with
regard to the sun
125. Secondary waves = An S wave, or shear wave, is a seismic body wave that shakes the ground back
and forth perpendicular to the direction the wave is moving
126. Sedimentary rock = types of rock that are formed by the layering material at the Earth's surface
and within bodies of water
127. Sepal = each of the parts of the calyx of a flower, enclosing the petals and typically green and
leaflike
128. Sight = the sense through which a person or animal becomes aware of light, color, etc., by using the
eyes
129. Soil = the upper layer of earth in which plants grow, a black or dark brown material typically
consisting of a mixture of organic remains, clay, and rock particles
130. Soil quality = the capacity of a specific kind of soil to function, within natural or managed
ecosystem boundaries, to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or enhance water and
air quality, and support human health and habitation
131. Solar radiation = radiant energy emitted by the sun from a nuclear fusion reaction that creates
electromagnetic energy
132. Solar System = the collection of eight planets and their moons in orbit around the sun, together
with smaller bodies in the form of asteroids, meteoroids, and comets
133. Solid = firm and stable in shape; not liquid or fluid; frozen
134. Solubility = the ability to be dissolved, esp. in water
135. Sound = vibrations that travel through the air or another medium and can be heard when they
reach a person's or animal's ear
136. Stamen = the male fertilizing organ of a flower, typically consisting of a pollen-containing anther
and a filament
137. Stewardship = the management or care of something, particularly the management of the
environment
138. Stimulus = a thing or event that evokes a specific functional reaction in an organ or tissue
139. Stomata = tiny pores in the epidermis (skin) of the leaf or stem of a plant, forming a slit of variable
width that allows movement of gases in and out of the intercellular spaces
140. Surface waves = a seismic wave that travels along or parallel to the earth's surface
141. Texture = the feel, appearance, or consistency of a surface or a substance
142. Thermal Energy = heat in a substance that results from the vibration of atoms and molecules
143. Tides = the alternate rising and falling of the sea, usually twice in each lunar day at a particular
place, due to the attraction of the moon and sun
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144. Tolerance = an allowable amount of variation of a specified quantity
145. Transfer = to move from one place to another
146. Transpiration = process by which moisture is carried through plants from roots to small pores on
the underside of leaves, where it changes to vapor and is released to the atmosphere
147. Transverse waves = a wave vibrating at right angles to the direction of its movement
148. Trough = opposite of a crest, so the minimum or lowest point in a wave
149. Tundra biomes = a living community of plants and animals in a tundra environment
150. Ultraviolet = a wavelength shorter than that of the violet end of the visible spectrum but longer
than that of X-rays
151. Vegetative cover = relating to or typical of vegetation, plants, or plant growth
152. Vibration = move or cause to move continuously and rapidly to and fro
153. Visible light spectrum = electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye, and is
responsible for the sense of sight
154. Vocal chords = folds of membranous tissue that project inward from the sides of the larynx to form
a slit across the glottis in the throat, and whose edges vibrate in the airstream to produce the voice
155. Volcano = a mountain or hill, typically conical, having a crater or vent through which lava, rock
fragments, hot vapor, and gas are being or have been erupted from the earth's crust
156. Volume = the amount of space that a substance or object occupies
157. Wave = a disturbance that travels through a medium from one location to another location
158. Wavelength = the distance between successive crests of a wave; points in a sound wave or
electromagnetic wave
159. Weathering = Any of the chemical or mechanical processes by which rocks exposed to the weather
undergo changes in character and break down
160. Year = the time taken by a planet to make one revolution around the sun
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