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First Semester Vocabulary Exam Prep
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Name ___________________Period _____
air mass- a huge body of air that has similar temperature, humidity, and air pressure throughout.
air pressure- the pressure caused by the weight of a column of air pushing down on an area.
altitude- elevation above sea level.
astronomer- a scientist that studies the universe beyond Earth.
astronomy- the study of the moon, stars, and other objects in space.
atmosphere- the envelope of gases that surrounds Earth.
axis- an imaginary line that passes through Earth’s center and the North and South poles, about which Earth rotates.
barometer- an instrument used to measure changes in air pressure.
chlorofluorocarbons ( CFC’s)- Chlorine compounds that are the main cause of the depletion of our ozone.
cirrus- wispy, feathery clouds made mostly of ice crystals that form at high levels.
climate- the average, year-after-year conditions of temperature, precipitation, winds, and clouds in an area.
condensation- the process by which molecules of water vapor in the air become liquid water.
conduction- the direct transfer thermal energy from one substance to another substance that it is touching.
constructive force- a force that builds up mountains and landmasses on Earth’s surface.
controlled experiment- an experiment in which only one variable is manipulated at a time.
convection- the transfer of thermal energy by the movement of a liquid.
convection current- the movement of a fluid, caused by differences in temperature, that transfers heat from one part of the fluid to
another.
Coriolis effect- the effect of Earth’s rotation on the direction of winds and currents.
cumulus- fluffy, white clouds, usually with flat bottoms, that look like rounded piles of cotton.
data- facts, figures, and other evidence gathered through observations.
current- a large stream of moving air that flows throughout the air or a large stream of moving water that flows through the oceans.
decomposer- soil organism that breaks down the remains of organisms and digest them.
density- the amount of mass of a substance in a given volume; density= mass per unit volume or mass divided by volume
destructive force- a force that slowly wears away mountains and other features on the surface of Earth.
dew point- the temperature at which condensation begins.
drought- a long period of low precipitation.
Earth Science- the science that focuses on planet Earth and its place in the universe.
electromagnetic waves- waves that can transfer electric and magnetic energy through the vacuum of space.
elevation- the height above sea level
energy- the ability to do work or cause change
environmental scientist- a scientist who studies the effects of human activities on Earth’s land, air, water, living things and also tries
to solve problems relating to the use of resources.
equator- the imaginary line that circles Earth halfway between the North and South poles.
erosion- process by which water, ice, wind, or gravity moves weathered rock, or soil.
evaporation- the process by which water molecules in liquid water escape into the air as water vapor.
exosphere- the outer layer of the thermosphere where satellites are
fossil fuel- an energy-rich substance (such as coal, oil or natural gas) formed from the remains of organisms.
friction- the force that opposes motion of one surface as it moves across another surface.
geologist- a scientist who studies the forces that make and shape planet Earth.
geothermal energy- heat from Earth’s interior.
global warming- a gradual increase in the temperature of Earth’s atmosphere.
global winds- winds that blow steadily from specific directions over long distances.
globe- a sphere that represents Earth’s entire surface.
gravity- a force that pulls objects toward each other.
greenhouse effect- the process by which heat is trapped in the atmosphere by water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases that form
a “blanket” around Earth; the trapping of heat by a planet’s atmosphere.
greenhouse gases- gases in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide, that trap solar energy
heat- the transfer of thermal energy from one object to another because of a difference in temperature.
hemisphere- one half of the sphere that makes up Earth’s surface.
humidity- the amount of water vapor in a given volume of air.
hypothesis- a possible explanation for a set of observations or answer to a scientific question; must be testable
inferring- the process of making an inference, an interpretation based on observations and prior knowledge
infrared radiation- Electromagnetic waves, can be felt as heat
ionosphere- the lower part of the thermosphere; radio waves are present here.
jet streams- bands of high speed winds about 10 km above Earth’s surface; travel west to east
kinetic energy- energy that an object has due to motion
latitude- the distance in degrees north or south of the equator.
lithosphere- the land of Earth
local winds- winds that blow over short distances
longitude- the distance in degrees east or west of the prime meridian
manipulated variable- the one factor that a scientist changes during an experiment also called the independent variable.
mass- the amount of matter in an object
mercury barometer- an instrument that measures air pressure
First Semester Vocabulary Exam Prep
Name ___________________Period _____
62. mesosphere- the layer of Earth’s atmosphere immediately above the stratosphere, meteoroids cool during this layer and rarely reach
earth’s surface
63. meteorologist- a scientist that studies the causes of weather and tries to predict it.
64. observing- the process of using one or more of your senses to gather information.
65. ozone- a form of oxygen that has three oxygen atoms in each molecule instead of the usual two.
66. photochemical smog- a brownish haze of ozone and other chemicals that is formed when pollutants react with each other in the
presence of sunlight.
67. pollutant- a harmful substance in the air, water or soil
68. potential energy- energy that is stored and available to be used later
69. precipitation- any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches Earth’s surface ( rain, hail, sleet, snow)
70. predicting- the process of forecasting what will happen in the future based on past experience or evidence.
71. pressure- the force exerted on a surface divided by the total area over which the force is exerted.
72. radiation- the direct transfer of energy through space by electromagnetic waves.
73. rain gauge- an instrument used to measure precipitation.
74. relative humidity- the percentage of water vapor in the air compared to the maximum amount of water vapor that air can contain at a
particular temperature.
75. responding variable- the factor that changes as a result of changes to the manipulated, or independent, variable in an experiment,
also called the dependent variable.
76. rotation- the spinning motion of a planet on its axis.
77. runoff- water that flows over the ground surface rather than soaking into the ground.
78. science- a way of learning about the natural world through observations and logical reasoning; leads to a body of knowledge.
79. scientific inquiry- the ongoing process of discovery in science ; the way scientists study the natural world and propose explanations
based on the evidence they gather.
80. scientific law- a statement that describes what scientist expect to happen every time under a particular set of conditions.
81. scientific theory- a well tested concept that explains a wide range of observations.
82. solar energy- energy from the sun.
83. storm- a violent disturbance in the atmosphere.
84. stratosphere- the second lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere, ozone layer is directly above the stratosphere.
85. system- a group of related parts that work together.
86. temperature- a measure of how hot or cold an object is compared to a reference point.
87. thermal energy- the total energy of motion in the particles of a substance.
88. thermometer- an instrument used to measure temperature
89. thermosphere- the outermost layer of Earth’s atmosphere.
90. troposphere- the lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere, weather occurs and we live here.
91. ultraviolet radiation- electromagnetic waves with wavelengths that are shorter than visible light but longer than x-rays
92. variable- a factor that can change in an experiment; only one variable should be tested at a time.
101. visible light- electromagnetic radiation that can be seen with the unaided eye.
102. water cycle- the continual movement of water among Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, and land surface through
evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Be able to identify processes within a diagram.
103. water vapor- water in the form of a gas.
104. weather- the condition of Earth’s atmosphere at a particular time and place.
105. wind- the horizontal movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of lower pressure.
106. wind chill factor- a measure of cooling combining temperature and wind speed.
The Steps of the Scientific Method : Think Like A Scientist p. 784-785
Conduction Scientific Investigation p. 788-789
Lab Safety Rules, Procedures and Symbols : First and Front Page in Text
The exam will be presented with multiple choice, matching, and true/false type questions. Terms will be grouped
according to the unit of study rather than alphabetical as presented here.
You are expected to turn in your completed note cards for the following terms on the day of
the exam. The exam will take the majority of the scheduled time but please bring other
study material, a book, or coloring pages in case you have additional time.
Remember also, your optional extra credit project due dates!
Tournament Review Monday and Tuesday! Finish your note cards at home! Bring cards the day of your exam to turn in!
Be ready! Your team and your class period are counting on you!