| A | B |
|---|
| classify | to arrange in a specific order or group by categories based on similarities |
| cleavage | a property used to describe how easily a mineral breaks apart along smooth surfaces |
| characteristic | a feature, quality, property or trait of an object or organism |
| chemical change | process by which substances are changed into different substances with different properties |
| community | populations of different species of organisms living together in the same geographic area |
| complete metamorphosis | type of insect development characterized by the presence of a larval stage with different feeding habits |
| climate | the average pattern of weather that occurs in a certain location over many years |
| comet | an object made of rock, ice, dust, and gas that revolves around the Sun |
| attraction | a term used to describe the magnetic force exerted by oppositely charged objects or to describe the gravitational force that pulls objects toward each other |
| balanced forces | forces that are equal in size but opposite in direction |
| behavior | a plant or animal action, reaction, or activity that occurs in response to stimuli |
| carnivore | an animal or plant that consumes or obtains nutrients from animals |
| absorb | to take up and store energy without reflecting or transmitting that energy |
| adaptation | a characteristic of an organism that increases its chance of survival in its environment |
| analyze | to examine methodically by separating into parts and studying their interrelatedness |
| asteroid | an object that is found in the solar system, orbits the Sun, and is much smaller than a planet |
| erosion | the process by which rock, soil, and other weathered earth materials are moved from one place to another |
| evaporation | the process by which water is changed from a liquid to a gas (water vapor); a stage of the water cycle |
| endangered species | species whose population is so small that it is in danger of extinction |
| environment | an area that includes all living organisms and the surrounding physical features such as air, water, soil, weather, and landforms |
| food chain | a diagram representing the transfer of energy from the Sun through producers and a series of consumers |
| force | a push or pull that one object exerts on another object with or without direct contact. (e.g. friction, gravity). |
| experiment | a scientific test or procedure that is carried out under controlled conditions to answer a scientific question |
| extinct species | a species that no longer exists |
| conduct | to transmit heat or electricity through a medium |
| consumer | an organism that feeds on other organisms for food |
| conclusion | a statement that tells what an investigation showed, based on observations and data |
| condensation | the process by which water is changed from a gas (water vapor) to a liquid; a stage of the water cycle |
| data | measurements or observations collected and recorded in an experiment or investigation |
| ecosystem | all the living and nonliving things that interact with each other in an environment |
| control group | a group in a scientific experiment that serves as a reference for comparison |
| controlled variable | a factor or condition in a scientific experiment that is purposefully kept the same |
| hardness | a property of a mineral that describes how easily it can be scratched |
| hemisphere | half of Earch (i.e., Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western) |
| friction | a force that opposes motion through direct contact |
| germination | the process by which plants begin to grow from seed to spore or from seed to bud |
| igneous rock | a type of rock that forms from cooled magma or lava |
| incomplete metamorphosis | type of inscet developement characterized by the similar appearance of pre-adults and adults |
| herbivore | an animal that obtains nutrients only from plants |
| humidity | a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air |
| insulator | a material used to reduce or prevent the transfer of electricity heat or sound |
| invertebrate | an animal that lacks a backbone |
| inference | an explanation based on evidence that is not directly observed |
| inherited trait | a trait or characteristic that is passed from on parent to offspring |
| life cycle | the stages of an orgainism's growth and development |
| luster | a property of a mineral that describes how it appears when it reflects light |
| investigation | an organized scientific study of the natural world that may include making systematic observations, asking questions, gathering information, analyzing data summarizing results, drawing conclusions and/or communicating results |
| larva | an early stage in the live cycle of an organism that will undergo complete metamorphosis |
| mechanical energy | a type of energy an object has due to its motion or position |
| metamorphic rock | a type of rock that is formed over time from existing rock due to extreme pressure and/or heat |
| mass | the amout of matter a subject or object has |
| matter | anything that takes up space and has mass |
| nutrient | a substance that an organism needs to survive and grow |
| nymph | a pre-adult insect udergoing incomplete metamorphosis |
| mineral | a solid material formed in nature on or in Earth's crust with its own properties |
| moon | a natural object that orbits a planet |
| organism | a living thing |
| outcome variable (dependent variable) | a factor usually being measured or observed that responds to or depends on another factor (test variable) |
| observation | information about the natural world gathered throug the senses and/or scientific instuments |
| omnivore | an organism that obtains nutrients from both plants and animals |
| pitch | the relative frequency (high or low) of a sound as perceived by a listener |
| planet | a large body in space that orbits a star and does not produce its own light |
| physical change | a type of change that involves the physical properties of a substance |
| pistil | the female reproductive structure of a flowering plant |
| vertebrate | an animal that has a backbone |
| volume | the amount of space an object or substance occupies |
| valid | a term used to describe the certainty of data or results of an investigation or experiment |
| variable | an event, condition, or factor that can be changed or controlled in order to study or test a hypothesis in a scientific experiment |
| weather | the condition of the atmosphere at a given time and place |
| weathering | the process by which rocks and other surfaces are broken down |
| water cycle | the continuous movement of water through the environment by evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff |
| water vapor | the gas state of water |
| pollinate | to transfer the pollen from the male reproductive structure to fertiliz flowering plants |
| population | all members of the same species living together at the same time in the same area |
| polar zone | a climate zone characterized by very little precipitation and extremely cold temperatures |
| pollen | the fine dust like powder that contains the male reproductive cells of seed-bearing plants |
| predict | to state what one thinks will happen under certain conditions based on data or observation |
| prey | an organism that is hunted and/or eaten by another organism (predator) |
| precipitation | a form of water (e.g., hail, rain, sleet, show) that condenses in the atmosphere and falls to Earth's surface |
| predator | an organism that obtains nutrients from other organisms |
| reflect | to bounce light, sound, or heat off of a surface |
| repel | to force away or apart |
| producer | an organism that produces its own food |
| pupa | a stage in the life cycle of an insect that occurs between larva and adult |
| sedimentary rock | a type of rock formed from layers of sediment |
| soil | the loose top layer of Earth's surface made of weathered rock and organic matter |
| revolution | the motion of one object around another object |
| rotation | the turning of an object on its axis |
| speed | the distance traveled by an object in a given amount of time |
| spore | a seed like structure that produces a new plant (e.g. ferns or mosses) |
| solar system | a system of planets and other bodies that orbit a star |
| species | a group of the same kind of organisms that can mae and produce offspring that can reproduce |
| state of matter | the form matter can take (e.g., solid, liquid, gas) |
| streak | the color of the powder of a mineral when it is rubbed on a streak plate |
| stamen | the male reproductive structure of a flowering plant |
| star | a large object in space that is made of gas and produces its own light |
| testable (scientifically testable) | a term used to describe a question that can be answered through an experiment or observation |
| test variable (independent variable) | the variable manipulated by the experiementer in order to study changes in the outcome variable |
| technology | the use of scientific knowledge and processes to solve practical problems |
| temperate zone | a climate zone located between the tropics and the polar circles generally characterized by moderate temps rather than extremely hot or cold |
| tropical zone | a climate zone near the Equator characterized by warm temperatures |
| unbalanced forces | forces that are unequal in size and may not be opposite in direction |
| texture | a physical property of a solid used to describe its surface |
| trials | multiple sets of measurements or observations in a scientific investigation |
