FIRST SEMESTER VOCABULARY
Sept 8 th
Matter - The stuff everything is made of
Properties - The characteristics of something: size, color, taste, texture, etc.
Mass - The amount of stuff in something. Measured in kg
Volume - Volume is the three-dimensional space occupied by something. (It is how we measured liquid).
Relative Density – How heavy something is compared to water. Does it sink or float?
Sept 14 st
Physical State – Whether something is a Solid, a Liquid, or a Gas.
Gas – A state of matter that does not have a fixed shape or volume
Liquid – A state of matter that has a fixed volume, but its shape changes to match the shape of its container.
Solid - A state of matter that has a fixed shape and volume
Evaporation – A physical change in matter from a liquid to a gas.
Condensation – The physical change in matter from a gas to a liquid.
Sept. 21st
Solvent - The liquid used to create a solution
Solute - The solid that dissolves in the solvent.
SolubilityThe ability of one substance to be dissolved in another substance
Saturated Solution: When a solute dissolves in a solvent until no more will dissolve.
Mixture - A mixture is two or more different materials stirred together.
Solution - A solution is a special mixture formed when a material dissolves in water. A solution is made of two parts, the solvent and the solute.
Dissolving: Dissolving is a process in which one material disperses uniformly into another material, so that the first material seems to disappear. (Salt can dissolve in water).
October 5th
Energy-- Is the ability to do work
Mechanical Energy-- Energy that an object has because of its motion or its position;
Kinetic and potential
Kinetic Energy -The energy of motion
Potential Energy-Energy that is stored in an object.
Light Energy-A form of energy that travels in waves and can move through empty space where there is no air. Light is nature’s way of transferring energy through space.
Sound Energy-A form of energy produced by vibrating objects.
Heat/Thermal Energy-A form of energy that is felt as temperature
October 20 th
Flow – To move along steadily and continuously in a current or stream.
Circuit- a complete or partial path over which current may flow
Closed Circuit-A circuit where the electrons have a complete pathway to flow through.
The device starts working.
Open Circuit – An incomplete or broken path for the flow of electrons. The device is off.
Current- a flow of electricity through a conductor

October 26 th
Reflection-The bouncing back of light rays from a surface.
Refraction-The bending of light rays as they move from one material into another material.
Concave- curved or rounded inward, like the inside of a bowl
Convex- curved or rounded outward, like the outside of a sphere or circle
Nov. 9th
Alternative Energy- Any energy source that is an alternative to fossil fuel
Hydroelectric- Electricity generated from the force of moving water
Geothermal- Heat from inside the Earth
Biofuel- Fuel produced from renewable resources, especially plants, vegetable oils, and treated municipal and industrial wastes.
Solar- The energy of sunlight
Fossil - The preserved remains of plants or animals.
Prehistoric - Belonging to or existing in times before recorded history.
Organism - Any individual animal, plant, or single-celled life form
Extinction - The disappearance of a species or group of species.
Nov. 30
Sediment - The small pieces of rocks, shells, or the remains of plants and animals that have been carried along and deposited by wind, water, or ice.
Sedimentary Rock - A type of rock formed by layers of sediments that were squeezed and stuck together over a long period of time.
Compaction – The process by which sediments are pressed together under their own weight.
Cementation – The process in which minerals precipitate into pore spaces between sediment grains and bind sediments together to form rock.
Fossil Fuel - A fuel formed from the remains of once-living organisms, including coal, petroleum, and natural gas.
Decomposition – The process of breaking down organic material, such as dead plant or animal tissue, into smaller molecules.
Weathering – The breaking down, (decomposition) of rock, soil, sand, and their minerals through physical, chemical, or biological processes.
Erosion - The process of moving rock soil, sand, and other tiny pieces, (sediment) from one place to another.
Dec. 7th
Delta- A triangle shaped sand, clay or silt deposit at the mouth of a river.
Canyon- a deep narrow valley with steep sides formed by a stream or river.
Sand Dune- A ridge of sand created by the wind; found in deserts or near lakes and oceans
Deposition- The process of dropping, or depositing, sediment in a new location