Definition | |
aquifer | area of ground water collected in a layer of rock or soil |
artesian well | "self-pumping" well |
atoms | most basic units of matter |
basic | substance having a pH of 8 |
bedrock | layer of solid rock below the soil |
capillarity | upward movement of water through a tiny space in response to surface tension |
compounds | substances composed of two or more elements bonded together |
data | facts |
decompose | breakdown of organisms' particles |
density | measures how tightly packed matter |
elements | substances composed of only one type of atom |
humus | substance composed of decayed organisms particles |
hypothesis | sensible explanation to a scientific problem |
law | theory that has never been proven false |
loam | type of sol that contains a mixture of sand, silt, clay & humus |
mass | measures the amount of matter in an object |
matter | substance of the physical world |
mineral | any soil material primarily derived from nonliving matter |
nitrates | formed by lightning, nitrifying bacteria and nitrogen-fixing bacteria |
nitrogen | nutrient in soil that stimulates rapid growth of leaves , giving plants a green color |
nodules | allow nitrogen-fixing bacteria to form swellings on roots of legumes |
organic | any soil material primarily derived from living organisms |
pedology | study of soil |
pH scale | scale used to measure acidity and bascity of substances |
phosphorus | nutrient in soil that is necessary for cell division & growth and also promotes plant maturation. Helps fruit "firm up" |
pore spaces | air pockets found in the soil |
potassium | primary plant food element found in the ashes of burned fruits, encourages root growth & fruit formation |
recycling | reusing old materials |
sand | substance in soil that allows water to drain |
saturated | when spaces in soil become completely filled with water |
science | study of the matter & movement of God's physical creation |
topsoil | top 2 to 6 inches of soil |
variable | condition present only in an experimental group, only one for each experiment |
water table | upper surface of ground water |
weathering | process that breaks rocks down into soil |
weight | measures the pull of gravity on an object |