| A | B |
|---|
| matter | anything having mass and occupying space |
| atom | smallest stable part of matter |
| element | a kind of matter made of atoms having the same # protons (the same atomic number)--like iron Fe or oxygen O |
| nucleus | the center of an atom, containing most of its mass & protons & neutrons |
| molecule | a covalently bonded pure substance made of two or more atoms |
| compound | a chemically bonded substance containing two or more atoms; the properties of the compound are different than the properties of the elements that comprise it. |
| hydrocarbon | an organic--C based--molecule containing only C & H atoms |
| solution | a homogeneous mixture of different pure substances--solvent is more abundant; solute is less abundant |
| macromolecule | a large organic compound made of covalently bonded units called monomers |
| protein | macromolecule (polymer) made of monomer units called amino acids |
| nucleic acid | macromolecule (polymer) made of monomer units called nucleotides |
| carbohydrate | macromolecule (polymer) made of monomer units called sugars or monosaccharides |
| pH | a measure of a solution's acidity |
| feedback loop | a cyclical process in a complex system in which the output of one component becomes an input for another component. |
| erosion | loss of rock or soil as it is washed away, rubbed away, or blown away |
| geosphere | all the rock--molten or solid--at or below earth's surface |
| lithosphere | outermost layer of geosphere--solid rocks |
| biosphere | all things on earth that are alive or that were once alive, as well as abiotic factors on which life depends |
| atmosphere | envelope of gases surrounding the earth |
| hydrosphere | all water--salt, fresh, liquid, solid, or gaseous--on earth's surface, underground, or in the atmosphere |
| crust | thin layer of solid rock that forms earth's outer skin, both on dry land & under water of oceans. |
| mantle | hot, but still mostly solid, rock just underneath the earth's crust. |
| core | molten rock surrounding a dense, solid iron center --nearly as hot as the sun's surface |
| tectonic plate | lower part of crust made of large sheets of rock upon which rest the continents & ocean floor |
| landform | land features that develop as a result of tectonic plate interactions |
| deposition | movement of soil from an area from which it eroded to a new location |
| evaporation | conversion of liquid to a gas |
| transpiration | evaporation of water out of openings in leaves, allowing plants to pull water out of soil & into veins |
| precipitation | returning of water from the atmosphere to the earth, in the from of rain, sleet, or snow |
| condensation | conversion of a gas to a liquid, such as when water vapor condenses to form clouds that release precipitation |
| aquifer | underground storage areas for water, where water lies in spaces between porous rock |
| groundwater | water stored in an aquifer |
| water table | the depth to one which a well must be dug to reach the uppermost ground water |
