| A | B |
|---|
| science | A way of learning about the natural world through observations and logical reasoning. |
| observing | The process of using one or more of your senses to gather information. |
| inferring | The process of making an inference, an interpretation based on obervations and prior knowledge. |
| predicting | The process of forecasting what will happen in the future based on past experience or evidence. |
| scientific inquiry | The process of discovery in science. The way in which scientists study the natural world and propose explanations. |
| hypothesis | A possible explanation for a set of observations or answer to a scientific question that is testable. |
| controlled experiment | An experiment in which only one variable is manipulated at a time. |
| variable | A factor that can change in an experiment. |
| manipulated variable | The one factor that a scientist changes during an experiment. |
| responding variable | The factor that changes as a result of changes to the manipulated, or independent, variable in an experiment. |
| data | Facts, figures, and other evidence gathered and written down through observations. |
| scietific theory | A well-tested concept that explains a wide range of observations. |
| energy | The ability to do work or cause change. |
| atmosphere | The envelope of gases that surrounds Earth. |
| hydrosphere | Earth's water and ice. One of the four "spheres". |
| lithosphere | A rigid layer made up of the uppermost part of the mantle and the crust. |
| biosphere | All living things. One of the four spheres into which scientists divide Earth. |
| matter | Anything that has mass and takes up space. |
| wave | A disturbance that transfers energy from place to place. |
| heat | The transfer of thermal energy from one object to another because of a difference in temperature. |
| thermal energy | The total energy of motion in the particles of a substance. |
| earth science | The science that focuses on planet Earth and its place in the universe. |
| topography | The shape of the land determined by elevation, relief, and landforms. |
| elevation | Height above sea level. |
| relief | The difference in elevation between the highest and lowest parts of an area. |
| plain | A landform made up of flat or gently rolling land with low relief. |
| mountain | A landform with high elevation and high relief. |
| plateau | A landform that has high elevation and a level (flat) surface. |
| map | A flat model of all or part of Earth's surface as seen from above. |
| scale | Used to compare distance on a map or globe to distance on Earth's surface. |
| degree | A unit used to measure distances around a circle. |
| latitude | The distance in degrees north or south of the equator. |
| longitude | The distance in degrees east or west of the prime meridian. |
| topographic map | A map that shows the surface features of an area. |
