7th Grade Science
Key Vocabulary Terms
Revised 3/18/13
mass
weight
meter
liter
gram
scientific
method
observation
inference
scientific
question
hypothesis
the amount of matter an object has
a measure of the force of gravity on an object
metric base unit of measure for length
metric base unit of measure for volume
metric base unit of measure for mass
a series of steps followed to solve problems
a fact we understand or record through our 5 senses
an opinion or conclusion made based on data or information
a testable question which comes after making observations
to guess or predict the answer to a scientific question, based
on a few observations
data
facts, information, observations
conclusion
Inferences we make after we analyze the data. Was our
hypothesis rejected or supported by the data?
classify
to put things into groups based on similarities and
differences
compare
to look at similarities
contrast
to look at differences
cause
the reason something happens
effect
the thing that happens as a result of a cause
prediction
an opinion about what will happen in the future
crust
The very thin, outer, rocky layer of the Earth.
lithosphere
The crust, plus a little melted part of the top layer of the
mantle layer beneath the crust.
plate
one of the pieces of the Earth’s crust that rests and moves
on the mantle
continent
any of the Earth’s seven large land masses
continental crust the thick parts of the crust that stick out above the oceans.
oceanic crust
the thin crust on Earth that is covered by oceans
mantle
the layer just below the crust that is molten. (melted)
magma
molten rock material under the crust.
convection
current
core
earthquake
Mercalli Scale
Giuseppe
Mercalli
Richter Scale
Charles Richter
seismograph
glaciers
weathering
erosion
transform fault
boundary
sea floor
spreading
diverging
boundary
ocean ridge
rift valley
trench
the way magma moves inside the Earth
the center of the Earth that is very hot but not liquid
because of the pressure.
the crust of the Earth builds up tension by friction, then
slips and releases the energy which causes sudden and
violent shaking of the ground, sometimes causing great
destruction, as a result of movements within the earth's
crust or volcanic action.
Scale that uses Roman Numerals I-XII to rate an
Earthquake’s intensity by how much damage it causes
An Italian Volcanologist that invented that Mercalli scale in
1902
A scale that rates the magnitude of an earthquake on a scale
of 1-10 by the seismic waves or ground movements
recorded by the seismograph.
The American Physicist and seismologist that invented the
scale that measures the intensity or magnitude of an
earthquake by the seismic waves or ground movements.
A measuring instrument for detecting, measuring and
recording ground movements caused by seismic waves
deep in the Earth’s crust.
solid ice that fills valleys or covers continents like a sheet
and carves the crust.
breaking up the rocks of the crust into little pieces
movement of weathered rock by wind, water, ice, or gravity
boundary between two plates where the plates slide past
each other.
the process by which molten material adds new oceanic
crust to the ocean floor
forms where magma rises under the crust and pushes the
edges of the crust’s plates apart.
a line of mountains that forms on each side of the spreading
center.
the deep area in between the ocean ridges
a long, narrow and steep depression that forms on the ocean
floor as a result of subduction
converging
boundary
subduction
the place where edges of plates
smash into each other
the process where one plate
slides under another
volcano
a mountain formed by material
that erupts onto Earth’s surface
folding
occurs when slow pressure
makes rock layers bend
faulting
occurs when fast pressure makes
rock layers break
continental drift the idea that continents are
moving based mostly on fossil
evidence.
plate tectonics
fossil
Pangea
mineral
naturally
occurring
inorganic
solid
Crystal
structure
definite
chemical
the theory that plates move
because of moving magma in the
mantle.
the trace or remains of an
organism that lived long ago
the supercontinent that formed
300 million years ago
A naturally occurring, inorganic
solid that has a crystal structure
and a definite chemical
composition.
must occur naturally
not formed from living things or
the remains of living things
A mineral is always a solid with
definite volume and shape.
Particles of a mineral line up in a
particular pattern that repeats
over and over again.
Minerals always contain certain
elements in definite proportions.
composition
color
hardness
luster
cleavage
fracture
rock
rock cycle
deposition
igneous rock
sedimentary
rock
metamorphic
rock
texture
foliation
The color seen when light
reflects off the surface of a
mineral.
The resistance of a mineral to
being scratched.
The way a mineral’s surface
reflects light.
When a mineral breaks and the
surface is flat. Some minerals
don’t have this property.
When a mineral breaks and the
surface is bumpy. Some minerals
do not have this property.
a natural material that is made of
minerals
A diagram that illustrates the
processes that recycle rocks in
the Earth’s crust.
A process that explains how
pieces of rock are moved to a
new location.
a rock that is formed when
molten magma cools.
a rock that is made from pieces
of other rocks or from minerals
that have dissolved in water.
a rock that is changed by being
squeezed under high pressure
and temperature conditions.
the arrangement of the crystals or
pieces of sediment in a rock.
the texture of a metamorphic
rock when the minerals are
forced into layers
Particles
of matter
in an
atom
3 states of
matter
Atoms are composed (made up of) of
particles called protons, neutrons and
electrons:
ATOM
Gas
Liquid
Protons and
neutrons are
inside the
nucleus
(center)
Solid
Remember:
Atoms are
teeny tiny, so
these
particles of
matter are
even tinier.
atom (the
smallest
amount
of an
element)
Elements
(made
entirely
from one
type of
atom)
molecules
Basic building blocks of everything you
see around you, and even lots of things
you can’t see, like the air that you
breathe. Atoms are so small that there
are millions and billions and trillions
in the tiniest speck you can see. Solids,
liquids, gases – all matter – are made up
of atoms (or other things, like
molecules, that are made up from
atoms)!
A basic substance that can't be
simplified:
hydrogen-H
oxygen-O
silicon-S
nickel-N
iron-Fe
gold-Au
Atom
Elements (4) you
have to know for
Earth’s layers
!!!
Two or more atoms that are chemically
joined (stuck) together (H2, H2O-water )
A water molecule has
2 hydrogen atoms and 1
oxygen atoms.
There are 3.3 x 1022
molecules in 1ml of
water.
WHAT IS
ECOLOGY?
the study of the interactions
of living things with one
another and their environment
organism
A living
thing. Animals and plants are
organisms.
population
Organisms of one species
living together in the same
place at the same time
All the different populations
that live together in an area
Community
Ecosystems
abiotic
All the living (biotic) and
non-living (abiotic) things
that interact in an
environment (area).
the non-living things in an
ecosystem (sunlight, water,
climate)
biotic
niche
the living things in an
ecosystem (plants, animals,
insects)
An organism’s particular role
in an ecosystem, or how it
makes its living (what it eats,
when it eats, etc.)
predator
organism that does the
hunting and killing and eats
other organisms
prey
organism that is hunted by a
predator and killed for food
Owl
Mouse
the process in which plants,
algae and some bacteria use
sunlight, carbon dioxide and
photosynthesis water to make food
living thing that can make its
own food
producer
consumer*
living thing that gets its
energy by eating other living
things
consumer* that only eats
herbivore
cows, horses,
plants (Organism that obtains
mice, elephants energy ONLY from producers)
carnivore
consumer* that only eats
animals
omnivore
consumer* that eats both
plants and animals
scavenger
Both a carnivorous and
herbivorous behavior in
which the scavenger feeds on
dead and decaying organic*
matter present in its habitat.
organic*
Something that is living or
was once living
decomposer
Organisms that return
nutrients to the soil and break
down dead organisms
“Nature’s recyclers”
energy
transfer
the amount of
energy that moves
from one feeding
level to another in a
food web
TERITIARY
CONSUMERS
SECONDARY
CONSUMERS
SUN
The sun provides
the energy*.
PRIMARY
CONSUMERS
PRODUCERS
Plants feed all
consumers
Type of *heat transfer
is radiation or radiate
heat
Atom
Decomposers
food
chain
Inorganic matter
Minerals, rocks,
dirt
A path of energy
from one living
thing to another.
Decomposers like bacteria are necessary for all
food chains. **Notice the producer (plant) consumer (herbivore, omnivore, and
carnivore) relationship.
food web
Drawing that shows
how food chains
connect togetheridentify a food
chain within a food
web.
Analyze the interactions of living organisms with their ecosystems.
Anything that restricts the
limiting
number of individuals living
factor
Limiting
in a population.
factors limit
the
population
from
increasing.
the largest population an
carrying
environment can support
capacity
The
-Describe and analyze how major
maximum
changes in the limiting factors
amount of
affect the carrying capacity of
organisms
organisms in an ecosystem.
that can live
in an area.
habitat
adaptation
The environment where an
organism lives that can be
affected by the limiting
factors
In order for animals to
survive, they need to be able
to adapt.
(Moving in large groups is a
behavioral adaptation; it helps
protect the members of the
group from predators.
The thick fur coat of an arctic
fox is a structural adaptation.
It helps protect it against the
cold weather.
For example, 10 rabbits may live in a habitat that
has enough water, cover and space to support 20
rabbits,
but if there is only enough
food for ten rabbits, the population will not grow
any larger. In this example, food is the limiting
factor.
symbiosis
relationship between
living things in which at
least one benefits
parasite
living thing that benefits
by living on or in
another thing and
harming it
host
living thing that a
parasite lives on or in
environment
The environment
includes not only
physical factors* such as
climate or terrain, but
also living factors such
as predators, prey, and
other members of a
population.
Interpret an analyze data
to predict survival rate
in organisms due to
changing environmental
factors:
survival rate
Environmental
(Physical*)
factors
 Droughts
 Floods
 Temperature
changes
 Wildfires
Droughts
Severe droughts affect regions in a number of ways. Vegetation that requires
frequent water cannot survive long under these conditions. Shrinking water sources
increase competition between animals and threaten populations. Droughts occurring
in areas with dense vegetation also increase the risk of wildfires.
Floods
Though in some areas like river flood-plains where frequent flooding is a natural
and important occurrence, excessive flooding can cause lasting damage. Like
droughts, extreme flooding can impact an ecosystem by eroding the surrounding
soil and uprooting the plants and trees that hold the soil in place. Floods can also
leave behind toxins and pollutants picked up along the way.

Climate Change
The last decade has seen obvious signs of climate change. As the earth's
temperature continues to warm, the effects will become more apparent and
damaging. Ice caps are melting, causing ocean levels to rise and placing more water
into Earth's natural water cycle. Temperature change also increases the chances of
stronger storms in some areas while causing longer, more extreme droughts in
others. Stronger and more frequent occurrences of these natural disasters leave little
time for an ecosystem to bounce back from serious damage.

Wildfires
Fires play an important role in wildlife management when they are planned to
prevent larger wildfires during the dry season. When the wildfires are unplanned, it
causes events that can sweep across an area and destroy everything in its path. By
destroying the vegetation, erosion occurs leaving nothing to prevent catastrophic
flooding during the rainy season. The loss of habitat means the loss of homes for
both humans and wildlife.
Evaluate Data Related To Problems Associated With
Population Growth And The Possible Solution
Overgrazing
Non-native
(exotic) species
invasive species
Sometimes used by
humans to manage
other organisms.
1. The ground cover (grass) would be depleted causing soil
erosion.
2. The native plants would be replaced by less favorable
plants.
3. The food web in the area would be disrupted.
4. The land would not hold the rain as well and you would get
major run off.
5. Dust storms.
6. Droughts might occur due to the overheating of the land
due to no ground cover.
7. Animals would starve and die.
8. The land may be permanently changed
species that do not
Most exotic species introduced into
naturally occur in an North America do not become
ecosystem
invasive. Many of the species our
civilization relies upon such as wheat,
barley and rice are exotic but not
invasive.
plants or animals that Invasive species damage our
aggressively establish ecosystem by competing for resources
themselves in an
native species need to survive,
ecosystem at the
sometimes choking out natives
expense of its native entirely. (If they overgraze, then
species and natural
erosion is one side effect, followed by
functions
floods).
Forest
management
Hunting
urbanization
Renewable
resources
Non- Renewable
resources
Mining