| A | B |
|---|
| absorb | to soak in |
| variable | anything you can change in an experiment that might affect the outcome |
| contract | to get smaller; to take up less space |
| convection current | a circular movement of fluid (such as air) that is the result of uneven heating of the fluid |
| geosphere | the solid, rocky part of Earth’s crust |
| energy transfer | the movement of energy from one place to another |
| expand | to get bigger; to take up more space |
| experiment | an investigation designed to find out how variables affect outcomes |
| fluid | a liquid or a gas |
| earth material | the various solids, liquids, and gases that make up the earth |
| hydrosphere | all of the water on Earth in solid (ice), liquid (water), and gas (water vapor) phase |
| less dense | when an object floats in water, it is less dense than water |
| more dense | when an object has more mass for its size than another object. When an object sinks in water, it is more dense than water. |
| radiant energy | energy that travels through air and space |
| radiation | energy that travels through air and space as waves |
| ray | a wave; the form that solar energy travels to the Earth in |
| reflect | to bounce off an object or surface |
| reradiation | when the warmed Earth radiates energy back into the air |
| conduction | the transfer of energy from one place to another by contact |
| solar energy | heat and light from sunshine |
| solar energy exposure | the amount of energy from the Sun that falls on an object; dependent upon the intensity (brightness) of the sunlight, and the length of time the sunlight falls on the object |
| solar water heater | a system designed to use solar energy to heat water |
| uneven heating | the result of different amounts of energy being transferred to adjacent surfaces |
| solar collector | any object or material placed in the Sun to absorb solar energy for transfer to water or air |
| equilibrate | to balance equally |
