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Unit BB
Lunar Cycle & Tides Vocab. 8th Grade
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| lunar cycle | the Moon’s repeated pattern of movement and changes in appearance, caused by its revolution around Earth |
| moon phases | the different shapes that the Moon appears to have, caused by the Moon’s orbit around Earth |
| waxing phases | when the Moon appears to be getting larger |
| waning phases | when the Moon appears to be getting smaller |
| crescent moon | the shape of the Moon that is less than a quarter moon |
| gibbous moon | the shape of the Moon that is greater than a quarter moon, but not full |
| full moon | the entire disk of the moon is lit up and visible |
| first quarter moon | half the disk is illuminated, and the cycle is in the waxing phases |
| third quarter moon | half of the disk is illuminated, and the cycle is in the waning phases |
| new moon | when the Moon is between the Sun and Earth so that none of the illuminated portion is seen from Earth |
| illuminated | lit up |
| lumen | the SI unit to measure brightness of light |
| gram | the SI unit to measure mass |
| meter | the SI unit to measure distance |
| Celsius | the SI unit to measure temperature |
| liter | the SI unit to measure volume (not sound) |
| ocean tide | twice daily changes in the level of ocean water |
| gravitational pull | attraction between two objects due to the invisible force of gravity |
| high tide | when the tide causes the ocean to reach its greatest elevation |
| low tide | when the tide causes the ocean to reach its lowest elevation |
| spring tide | the largest daily tidal range, which occur when the Sun, Earth, and Moon line up |
| neap tide | the smallest daily tidal range, which occur when the Sun, Earth, and Moon form a 90 degree angle |
| tidal range | the difference between the heights of the high tide and the low tide in an area |