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8th Grade Vocabulary 2015/2016
Week 1-Due 08/31/2015
Purpose: State the problem
Research: Find out about the topic
Hypothesis: Predict the outcome of the problem.
Experiment: Develop a procedure to test the hypothesis.
Analysis: Record the results of the experiment.
Conclusion: Compare the hypothesis to the experiments conclusion.
Week 2- Due 09/08/2015
Triple beam balance: A tool that measures mass.
Graduated cylinder: A tool that measures liquids and volume.
Meniscus: The point where you read a graduated cylinder(bottom of the curve).
Mass: The amount of matter in an object.
Volume: The amount of space an object takes up.
Week 3-Due 09/14/2015
Proton-Positively-charged particle located in the nucleus of an atom.
Neutron- Particle with a neutral charge located in the nucleus of an atom.
Electron-Negatively charged particle found outside the nucleus of an atom
Week 4-Due 09/21/2015
Valence Electron-Electrons in the outermost energy level of an atom.
Electron cloud- The region around the nucleus where an electron may be found.
Nucleus-Center of an atom, made up of protons and neutrons.
Atomic Number- Number of protons in the nucleus of one atom of an element
Atomic Mass-Average mass of one atom of an element (protons + neutrons)
Week 5- Due 09/28/2015
Periodic Table- Be able to label: group, period, alkali metals, alkaline earth
metals, halogens, noble gases, transition metals, lanthanides, actinides.
Week 6-Due 10/05/2015
Chemical change: A change in a substance that creates a new substance with
different properties from the original substance.
Chemical formula: A way to describe the number of atoms that make up one
molecule(atom) of a compound.
Compound: Pure substances formed by the chemical combination of elements
Chemical Equation: A way of writing changes in the arrangement of atoms during a
chemical reaction, using chemical symbols.
Element- Made up of one kind of atom, they are the building blocks of all matter.
You have to be able to label a chemical equation with these words.
Subscript
Week 7-Due 10/12/2015
Law of Conservation of Mass: States that matter can neither be created nor
destroyed, it can only change form.
Precipitate: The solid that is formed as a result of a precipitation reaction.
Chemical reaction: The process in which chemical change occurs, resulting in new
substances.
Exothermic Reaction: A chemical reaction in which heat energy is released and
causes the temperature of the immediate surroundings to rise.
Endothermic Reaction: A reaction in which heat energy is absorbed, cooling the
surroundings.
Week 8-Due 10/19/2015
Acceleration: The speeding up, slowing down, or change in direction of an object in
motion.
Gravity: The force that pulls objects toward each other.
Inertia: An object’s tendency to resist a change of motion.
Velocity: An objects speed and direction at a given instant.
Weight: A measure of the force of gravity on an object.
Week 9-Due 10/27/2015
Newton: A unit of measure equaling the force needed to accelerate 1kg of mass at
1 m per second
Speed: The distance traveled divided by the time it takes to travel that distance.
Force: A push or pull in a direction.
Net Force: Sum of all forces acting on an object.
Unbalanced forces: Occur when the net force on an object does not equal zero;
results in the object changing its motion.
Week 10-Due 11/02/2015
Quantitative: Observations that can be measured and recorded using quantities or
numbers.(Mass, length, volume….)
Qualitative: Characteristics or qualities that describe what is being observed; based on
a person’s opinion. Does not involve numbers or measurements.( color, texture,
taste…)
Newton’s 1st law: An object at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by an outside
force; an object will continue to travel in a straight line unless acted upon by an outside
force.(Law of Inertia)
Newton’s 2nd Law: For an object to accelerate or move in the direction of the force
placed upon it, you have to have enough force to overcome its mass.
Newton’s 3rd Law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Week 11: Due 11/09/2015
Pangaea: Ancient land mass believed to have broken up to form today’s continents
Continental Drift: Hypothesis that continents were once part of a single landmass that
broke apart and moved to their present positions.
Plate tectonics: The study of lithospheric plates, their movements, and earth features
that they affect.
Week 12: Due 11/16/2015
Fault: A crack in the Earth’s crust where rocks rub against each other, releasing energy
waves during an earthquake.
Convergent Boundary: Formed where two sections of Earth’s crust are colliding.
Divergent boundary: Forms where lithospheric plates are moving away from each
other.
Transform Boundary: Boundary between two lithospheric plates where the plates are
sliding past each other.
Week 13: Due 11/23/2015
Topography: Study of the shapes and features of the Earth’s surface.
Contour line: line that connects places on a topographic map that are all at the same
elevation.
Elevation: height above sea level.
Relief: The difference between the highest elevation point and the lowest elevation
point on a map
Contour line interval: The vertical difference in elevation between neighboring contour
lines.
Week 14: Due 11/30/2015
Convection-The transfer of thermal energy by the movement of currents within a fluid
or gas.
Atmosphere- An envelope of mixed gases are held to the Earth by gravity.
Jet Stream-The narrow wind belts found near the top of the troposphere.
Gulfstream- is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the
tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland
before crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
Humidity- The moisture in the air
Week 15-Due 12/07/2015
Psychrometer-Instrument used to measure moisture in the atmosphere.
Anemometer-Instrument used to measure wind speed.
Prevailing winds-A mid-latitude global wind that blows mostly in one direction.
Warm front-A transition zone between a mass of warm air and the cold air it is
replacing.
Cold front-A zone separating two air masses, of which the cooler, denser mass is
advancing and replacing the warmer.
Week16-Due 01/04/2016
Stationary front-A front between warm and cold air masses that is moving very slowly
or not at all.
High Pressure- A region where the atmospheric pressure at the surface of the planet is
greater than its surrounding environment.
Low Pressure- A region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of
surrounding locations.
Hurricane-A tropical cyclone with wind speeds of at least 74 mph or more.
Tornado- A violent, whirling wind that moves across the ground in a narrow path.
Week 17-Due 01/11/2016
El Nino-An unusual warming of the ocean water off the coast of Peru, it begins with
changes in the trade winds and air pressure of the south Pacific.
La Nina- An unusual cooling of the ocean waters off the coast of Peru.
Revolution-The orbit of a planet around the sun or a satellite around a planet.
Rotation- The spinning of an object.
Week 18-Due 01/25/2016
Autumnal Equinox-Marks the beginning of Autumn/fall it is one of two days in the year
when the hours of daylight equal the hours of darkness over Earth as a
whole.(September 22nd)
Vernal Equinox- Marks the beginning of Spring it is one of two days in the year when
the hours of daylight equal the hours of darkness over Earth as a whole(March 21 st)
Summer Solstice-The day with the longest period of daylight.(June 21st)
Winter Solstice-The day with the shortest period of daylight.(December 21st)
Week 19-Due 02/01/2016
Lunar Cycle-The continuous waxing and waning phases of the moon.
Waxing- Light increasing
Waning-Light decreasing
New Moon- The side of the moon that is facing Earth and is not reflecting light from the
Sun.
Full Moon- The side of the moon that is facing Earth and is fully reflecting light from the
Sun.
Crescent- A quarter(1/4th) of the moon.
Gibbous- Three quarters (3/4th) of the moon.
Week 20-Due 02/08/16
Lunar Eclipse-Occurs when the moon passes through Earth’s shadow.
Solar Eclipse-Occurs when the moon passes between Earth and the Sun, blocking the
Sun’s light from Earth.
Tide- Daily rise and fall of the oceans, caused mainly by the gravitational pull of the
moon.
Neap Tides: tides that are least extreme; happen twice a month, at first and 3rd quarter
moon phases
Spring tide: tides that are most extreme; occur twice a month, at full and new moon
phases.
Week 21-Due 02/15/2016
Light year: Distance light travels in a vacuum in one year, equal to 9.46 x10^12 km
Speed of Light: How fast light can travel in a second which is 299,792,458 meters per
second or 186,000 miles per second
Big Bang Theory: The Big Bang theorizes that space itself began expanding like the
surface of an inflating balloon. The Big Bang is not like an explosion of matter. It carried
matter with it as it expanded. There was no explosion; only an expansion that still
continues. Imagine an extremely tiny balloon expanding to the size of our current
universe.
Week 22: Due 02/22/2016
Electromagnetic spectrum – a classification of all forms of forms of radiation by
wavelength and frequency; used to study components of the universe
Star – luminous globe of gas which produces its own heat and light by nuclear reaction.
Universe – all of space and its contents
Week 23-Due 02/29/2016
Biotic: Living parts of an ecosystem
Abiotic: Nonliving parts of an ecosystem
Food Chain- path of food energy from the sun to the producer to a series of consumers
in an ecosystem.
Food Web- Arrangement of several overlapping food chains in an ecosystem
Week 24-Due 03/07/2016
Autotroph: An organism that makes its own food.
Heterotroph: An organism that obtains the energy it needs by feeding on other
organisms.
Parasitism- relationship between species in which one species (parasite) benefits and
the other (host) is harmed, but not usually killed.
Mutualism- Relationship between two species in which both species benefit.
Commensalism- Relationship between species in which one species is helped and the
other in not affected.
Symbiosis- A close relationship between two species.
Week 25- Due 03/21/2016
Organism: A living thing.
Community: Interactions of living organisms in an ecosystem
Population: All the members of a species living in a particular area at a particular time.
Ecosystem: All the living and nonliving things that interact with each other in an
environment