| A | B |
|---|
| earth science | an organized body of knowledge about the Earth |
| geology | study of the origin, history, and structure of the solid earth and earth processes |
| oceanography | study of the Earth's marine environment |
| meteorology | study of the atmosphere and its variations |
| astronomy | study of the bodies in the universe beyond the Earth |
| geosphere | the solid portion of the Earth |
| hydrosphere | the water portion of the Earth |
| atmosphere | the gases enveloping the Earth |
| ecology | the study of the complex relationships between organisms and their nonliving environment |
| ecosystem | a community of organisms and the environment they live in |
| biosphere | the living part of the planet Earth |
| pollution | waste products or impurities which contaminate the environment |
| biodegradable | waste materials that can be decayed by microorganisms |
| scientific methods | organized, logical approach to problem solving |
| observation | using the senses of sight, touch, taste, hearing, and smell to gather information |
| measurement | the comparison of one aspect of an object to a standard unit |
| hypothesis | a possible solution or explanation based on facts gathered through observation |
| experimentation | a scientific procedure carried out to certain guidelines |
| variable | a factor that may be changed in an experiment |
| controlled experiment | an experiment designed to test only 1 variable |
| control | a factor in an experiment that is not altered by design |
| theory | a hypothesis that is supported by the results of experimentation |
| scientific law | a rule that correctly describes a natural phenomenon |
| spectrum | all the colors of the rainbow combined |
| wavelength | the horizontal distance from the crest of a wave to the next crest |
| elements | substances that cannot be broken down into simpler forms by ordinary chemical means |
| Doppler Effect | the apparent shift in wavelength due to the motion of the object or the observer |
| spectroscope | an instrument used to identify elements present in stars |
| background radiation | low levels of energy evenly distributed throughout the universe |
| big bang theory | the widely accepted explanation of the origin of the universe |
