Term | Definition |
wave | Any disturbance that transmits energy through matter or empty space |
medium | Substance through which a wave can travel |
vibration | complete back & forth motion of an object |
lontitudinal wave | Waves that need a medium |
electromagnetic wave | Waves that transfer energy without a medium |
transverse wave | Waves where particles vibrate in an up & down motion, perpendicular to the direction of the wave |
compression | When particles crowd together in a longitudinal wave |
trough | The lowest point between each crest |
crest | the highest point of a transverse wave |
rarefraction | area where particles in a longitudinal wave are spread apart |
mechanical wave | wave that needs a medium |
amplitude | maximum distance the particles of a waves' medium vibrate from their rest position |
frequency | number of waves produced in a given amount of time |
wavelength | distance from any point on a wave to an identical point on the next wave |
wave speed | the speed at which a wave travels through a medium |
reflection | bouncing back of a wave |
transparent | matter that allows light to pass through and produce an image. You can see through |
transluscent | matter that allows light but not an image to come through |
opaque | matter that does not allow light or an image to pass through. You can not see through it. |
refraction | bending of a wave |
diffraction | change in direction of a wave |
loudness | the extent to which you can hear a sound |
pitch | how high or low a sound is |
iris | colorerd part of the eye |
cornea | membrane that protects the eye |
middle ear | this is where the stirrup, anvil, and hammer are found |
smooth, hard surface | this type of surface is best for reflecting |
color deficiency | color blind |
atom | smallest part of an element |
100 | this is about the number of elements on the periodic table |
element | substances that can not be separated into simpler substances by chemical means |
solid | state of matter that has a definite shape and volume |
liquid | state of matter that has definite volume but not definite shape |
gas | state of matter without definite shape or volume |
volume | amount of space matter takes up |
mass | amount of matter an object has |
matter | anything that takes up space |
spread apart and move faster | what happens as atoms are heated |
solubility | property of a solute to dissolve |
energy | the ability to do work |
kinetic energy | energy of motion |
potential energy | stored energy |
mechanical energy | energy of motion and position (potential and kinetic) |
thermal energy | energy related to temperature |
electrical energy | energy of moving electrons |
heat | energy transferred between two objects of different temperatures |
warmer to cooler | how does heat travel |
conduction | transfer of energy from one object to another by direct contact |
convection | transfer of thermal energy by circulation of liquid or gas |
radiation | transfer of energy as electromagnetic waves |
ultraviolet rays | when your body absorbs them, you become warmer |
rotation | spin of a body on its axis that causes day and night |
orbit | path a body follows as it travels around another body in space |
revolution | one complete trip along an orbit that takes about a year |
ellipse | an elongated circle |
Newton | described force of gravity |
inertia | this is why the moon doesn't crash |
Earth's tilt and revolution around the sun | this causes seasons |
support life | because Earth has liquid water, an atmosphere and reasonable temperatures, it can do this |
new moon | phase of moon where it is not visible |
waxing | when the moon appears to be getting larger in the sky |
waning | when the moon appears to be getting smaller in the sky |
lunar eclipse | Earth comes between the sun and moon |
solar eclipse | when the moon comes between the Earth and sun |
eclipse | when the shadow of one celestial body fall on another |
a month | It takes about this long for the moon to go through its cycles |
tides | daily changes in the level of the oceans |
high tides | places where the oceans bulge |
tidal range | difference between levels of ocean water at high tide and low tide |
spring tide | largest daily range occurring at full moon and new moon |
neap tide | smallest daily tidal range occurring during 1st and 3rd quarter |
Side facing the moon | this is the part of the Earth that the moon has the strongest pull on |
crust | thin layer of hard rock that is the thinnest layer of the Earth that is also the least dense |
Core | innermost layer of the Earth made of iron and nickel that is the densest layer. |
mantle | thickest layer of the Earth that is made out of soft material |
nitrogen and oxygen | Earth's atmosphere is made up mostly of these two elements |
oceanic and continental | The crust is divided into these two plates |
plate tectonics | the shifting of the Earth's plates |
subduction | when one plate is forced under another plate |
fault lines or plate boundaries | where you find most earthquqkes and volcanoes |
lava | molten rock that has erupted from a volcano |
magma | molten rock inside a volcano |
seismology | the branch of science that studies earthquakes |
P waves | the fastest waves that travel back and forth |
S waves | second waves to arrive |
surface waves | slowest waves that cause the most damage from an earthquake |
divergent boundary | when plates pull apart from each other |
convergent boundary | when plates run into each other |
transform boundary | when plates slide past each other |
richter scale | measures the magnitude of earthquakes |
soil | a loose mixture of rock fragments, organic material, water and air that can support plant growth |
parent rock | a rock formation that is the source of the soil |
bedrock | layer of rock beneath the soil |
soil structure | the arrangement of soil particles |
soil fertility | soil's ability to supply nutrients to a plant |
soil horizons | layers of horizontal rock |
transpiration | the loss of water through a plant's leaves |
erosion | the transporting of soil by wind, water. or other means |
terracing | using a stair step approach on a hill for planting crops to prevent erosion. |
countour plowing | plowing diagonally on hills to prevent erosion |
crop roation | method farmers use to reduce nutrient depletion by planting different crops year after year. |
photosynthesis | process by which plants make food by taking in carbon dioxide and expelling oxygen |
cellular respiration | process in which cells use oxygen to get energy |
petal | the colorful part of the flower |
pistil | the female reproductive part of a flower |
stamen | the male reproductive part of a flower |
anther | top of the stamen where pollen is found |
sepal | modified leaves that protect the flower |
ovary | eggs are found in this part of the flower |
humus | dark organic material that is the remains of plant snd animals. |
chlorophyll | green pigment that absorbs energy in plants |
stoma | opening in a leaf's epidermis & cuticle |
pangaea | the name given to the continents when they were supposedly connected as one giant super continent |
ecology | the study of the interactions of living organisms with one another in the environment |
biotic | describes living factors in the environment |
abiotic | describes nonliving part of the environment |
population | a group of organisms of the same species that live in a specific area |
community | all of the populations of species in the same habitat that interact with each other |
ecosystem | a community of organisms and their abiotic environment |
biosphere | part of Earth where life exists |
herbivore | organism that eats only plants |
carnivore | organisms that eats only animals |
omnivore | organism that eats both plants and animals |
producers | make their own food (plants) |
consumers | eat to make energy |
decomposers | break down the tissue of dead organisms (fungi, mushrooms, bacteria) |
food chain | pathway of energy transfer through various stages as a result of the feeding patterns of a series of organisms |
food web | diagram that shows the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem |
energy pyramid | triangular diagram that shows an ecosystem's loss of energy which results as energy passes through the ecosytem's food chain |
prey | organism that is killed and eaten by another organism |
predator | an organism that eats all or part of an organism |
tropism | a plant's bending or moving toward or away from a stimulus (like light) |
dormancy | period of inactivity |
pillow lava | Lava that is formed underwater |