Science Vocabulary so far:
Physical Science Words:
1. Energy- the ability to cause changes in matter.
2. Force- a push or pull that causes an object to move, stop, or change direction.
3. Reflection- the light energy that bounces off objects.
4. Refraction-the bending of light rays when they pass through a substance.
5. Heat- the movement of thermal energy from one place to another.
6. Flow- a smooth steady movement of liquid, gas, or electricity.
7. Electricity- the flow of electrical power or charge through a circuit.
8. Solar energy- the energy of sunlight- it drives the water cycle.
9. Sound- energy caused by a vibrating object.
10. Physical properties- properties that can be observed, measured, or changed.
11. Magnetism- the force of attraction or repulsion some materials have on other
materials.
12. Conductor- a material that allows energy to pass through.
13. Insulator- a material that blocks energy from moving through.
14. Circuit- a system with many parts.
15. Electric circuit- a complete pathway of conductors that allows energy to flow
through it.
16. Mixture- a combination of 2 or more substances that do not chemically
change.
17. Solution- a liquid mixture in which the particles of each substance are evenly
mixed-like sugar dissolving into water.
18. Matter-anything that has mass and takes up space.
19. Mass- the amount of matter in something.
20. Density-the concentration of matter in an object; tightly or loosely packed.
Earth Science Words:
21. Renewable resource-resources that nature can produce again and again in a
relatively short period of time- such as lumber.
22. Nonrenewable resource-resources that nature cannot replace quickly
enough to meet people’s needs-such as fossil fuels.
23. Fossil fuel- fuels formed in the ground from the remains of dead plants and
animals- such as gas, oil, and petroleum.
24. Inexhaustible resource- resources that are never used up as they are being
used- such as sunlight, wind, and waves.
25. Constructive force-a natural force that helps build up parts of the Earth.
26. Destructive force- a natural force that tears apart parts of the Earth-such as a
tornado or earthquake.
27. Deposition- depositing sediment in a new location (a constructive force).
28. Erosion- the movements of weathered material by water, wind, or ice.
29. Rotation- the spinning of a planet, moon, or star on its axis.
30. Climate- the average temperature and rainfall of an area over many years.
31. Greenhouse effect- the rise in temperature that the Earth experiences
because certain gases in the atmosphere are trapped.
32. El Nino- a short-term climate change that occurs every two to ten years
caused by a rise in the temperature of surface water in the Pacific Ocean.
33. Microclimate- the climate of a very small area.
34. Global warming- the hypothesized rise in Earth’s average temperature from
excess carbon dioxide.
35. Lunar cycle- new moon, quarter moon, full moon, and quarter moon.
36. Water cycle- the change of water from one state to another as it moves
between Earth’s surface and the atmosphere.
37. Evaporation- the process by which a liquid changes to a gas.
38. Condensation- the process by which a gas changes into a liquid
39. Precipitation- any form of water that falls from clouds; such as rain or snow.
40. Planet order- Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Saturn Uranus, Neptune, (Pluto is
now considered a dwarf planet) (My very easy method just speeds up
naming planets.)
Life Science Words:
41. Inherited Traits- characteristics that are passed from parent to offspring, (for
example: blue eyes, brown hair).
42. Learned Behavior- a behavior an animal develops by observing other animals
or being taught.
43. Influence- the power to affect the way an organism develops or behaves
without using direct force.
44. Adaptation- the structure or behavior that helps an organism survive in its
surroundings.
45. Survival- the state of continuing to live or exist.
46. Ecosystem- all of the living and nonliving things that interact with each other
in an environment.
47. Habitat- a place in an ecosystem where a population lives.
48. Species- a group of animals or plants whose members are similar and can
breed together to produce young animals or plants.
49. Reproduction- the process of making more organisms of the same kind.
50. Life cycle- the stages in an organism’s life from birth to death.
51. System- a set of interacting parts.
52. Metamorphosis- a change in the shape or characteristics of an animal’s body
as it grows.
53. Food Web Arrows- arrows that indicate the energy flow; they point to the
organism that is taking in the energy.
54. Unique niche- the special role each organism plays in its habitat.
55. Herbivore- a plant eater, a primary consumer.
56. Carnivore- a meat eater, a secondary consumer.
57. Producer- an organism that makes its own food, a plant.
58. Consumer- an organism that must eat to get its energy.
59. Prey- an animal that a predator eats.
60. Photosynthesis- the process of using the energy in sunlight to make food
from water and carbon dioxide.