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91 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
adaptation |
a characteristic of an organism that increases its chance of survivalin its environment |
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atmosphere |
the layers of gas that surround Earth, other planets, or stars |
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atom |
the smallest unit of a chemical element that can still retain theproperties of that element |
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axis |
the imaginary line on which an object rotates (e.g., Earth’s axis runsthrough Earth between the North Pole and the South Pole); animaginary straight line that runs through a body; a reference to theline in a coordinate system or graph |
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carnivore |
an animal or plant that consumes or obtains nutrients from animals |
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change of state |
a physical change that occurs when matter changes to another state(i.e., liquid, gas, or solid) |
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chemical change |
a reaction or a change in a substance produced by chemical meansthat results in producing a different chemical |
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community |
all the populations of organisms belonging to different species andsharing the same geographical area |
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compound |
a substance made up of a combination of two or more elements heldtogether by chemical bonds that cannot be separated by physicalmeans; has properties unlike those of the elements that make up thecompound |
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condensation |
the process of changing from a gas (i.e., water vapor) to a liquid(i.e., dew); the act of making more dense or compact |
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conservation |
controlled use and/or maintenance of natural resources; variousefforts to preserve or protect natural resources |
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constellation |
a star pattern identified and named as a definite group; usuallythought of as forming certain shapes or figures in a specific regionof the sky |
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consumer |
an organism that feeds on other organisms for food |
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decomposer |
any organism that feeds or obtains nutrients by breaking downorganic matter from dead organisms |
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density |
concentration of matter of an object; number of individuals in thesame species that live in a given area; the mass per unit volume of asubstance in a given area |
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deposition |
layering matter in a natural process (similar to the word deposit; to put down) |
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earthquake |
the shaking of the ground caused by a sudden release of energy inEarth’s crust |
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ecosystem |
an integrated unit of a biological community, its physicalenvironment, and interactions |
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element |
a substance that cannot be reduced to a simpler substance bychemical means |
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energy |
a quantity that describes the capacity to do work; a source of usablepower |
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energy pyramid |
a pyramidal diagram that compares the amount of energy availableat each position, or level, in the feeding order |
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energy transfer |
a change of energy from one form to another (e.g., mechanical toelectrical, solar to electrical) |
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environment |
the sum of conditions affecting an organism, including all living andnonliving things in an area, such as plants, animals, water, soil,weather, landforms, and air |
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equator |
an imaginary circle around Earth’s surface located between the polesand a plane perpendicular to its axis of rotation that divides it into theNorthern and Southern Hemispheres |
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erosion |
the wearing away of Earth’s surface by the breakdown andtransportation of rock and soil |
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evaporation |
the process by which a liquid is converted to its vapor phase byheating the liquid |
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experiment |
a procedure that is carried out and repeated under controlledconditions in order to discover, demonstrate, or test a hypothesis;includes all components of the scientific method |
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food chain |
transfer of energy through various stages as a result of feedingpatterns of a series of organisms |
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food web (food cycle) |
the interconnected feeding relationships in a food chain found in aparticular place and time |
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force |
a quality that tends to produce movement or acceleration of a body inthe direction of its application; a push or pull |
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fossil |
a whole or part of a plant or animal that has been preserved insedimentary rock |
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friction |
a force that opposes the relative motion of two material surfaces incontact with one another |
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fulcrum |
the pivot point of a lever |
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galaxy |
a large collection of stars, gases, and dust that are part of the universe(e.g., the Milky Way galaxy) bound together by gravitational forces |
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gas |
one of the fundamental states of matter in which the molecules donot have a fixed volume or shape |
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gravitation |
a force of attraction between two masses |
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gravity |
the observed effect of the force of gravitation, caused by the mass (amount of matter) in an object. |
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habitat |
a place in an ecosystem where an organism normally lives |
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heat |
a form of energy resulting from the temperature difference between asystem and its surroundings |
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herbivore |
an animal that feeds on plants |
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igneous rock |
a type of rock that forms from molten or partly molten material thatcools and hardens |
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inclined plane |
a type of simple machine; a slanted surface that makes it easier tomove a mass from a lower point to a higher point |
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inertia |
the property of a body, due to its mass, that causes it to resist anychange in its motion unless overcome by a force |
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investigation |
a procedure that is carried out in order to observe a response causedby a stimulus; not a complete experiment |
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kinetic energy |
the energy possessed by a body because of its motion |
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lever |
a type of simple machine; consists of a rigid bar that pivots about afulcrum, used to transmit and enhance power or motion |
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life cycle |
the entire sequence of events in an organism’s growth anddevelopment |
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light |
electromagnetic radiation that lies within the visible range |
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liquid |
one of the fundamental states of matter with a definite volume but nodefinite shape |
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magnetic |
having the property of attracting iron and certain other materials byvirtue of a surrounding field of force |
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mass |
the amount of matter an object contains |
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matter |
a solid, liquid, or gas that possesses inertia and is capable ofoccupying space |
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metamorphic rock |
a type of rock that forms from existing rock because of extremechanges caused by heat, pressure, or chemical environments |
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microscope |
relating to an object too small to be visible without the use of amicroscope |
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mixture |
the product of a thorough blending of two or more substances, notchemically combined |
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moon |
a natural satellite that revolves around a planet |
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moon phase |
a phrase that indicates the fraction of the Moon’s disc that isilluminated (as seen from Earth); the eight moon phases (in order):new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, fullmoon, waning gibbous, last quarter, waning crescent |
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nonrenewable resource |
a resource that can only be replenished over millions of years |
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organ |
a structure containing different tissues that are organized to carry outa specific function of the body (e.g., heart, lungs, brain, etc.) |
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organism |
any living plant, animal, or fungus that maintains various vitalprocesses necessary for life |
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photosynthesis |
a chemical process by which plants trap light energy to convertcarbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates (sugars) |
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physical change |
a reaction; a change in matter from one form to another, withoutforming new substances |
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planet |
a large body in space that orbits a star and does not produce light ofits own |
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pollution |
any alteration of the natural environment producing a conditionharmful to living organisms; may occur naturally or as a result ofhuman activities |
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population |
a group of organisms of the same species living in a specificgeographical area |
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potential energy |
the energy an object has because of its position or structure; storedenergy |
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predator |
an organism that preys on and consumes animals; usually an animal |
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prey |
an organism caught or hunted for food by another organism |
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producer |
an organism that makes its own food from the environment; usually agreen plant |
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protist |
unicellular organisms belonging to the kingdom Protista |
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pulley |
a type of simple machine; a circular lever, usually a wheel with agroove where a rope can be placed and used to change the directionof a force |
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reflection |
the bouncing off or turning back of light, sound, or heat from asurface |
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refraction |
a change in the direction of a wave that occurs as it passes from onemedium to another of different density |
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renewable resource |
a resource that is replaced or restored, as it is used, by naturalprocesses in a reasonable amount of time |
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resource |
any material that can be used to satisfy a need |
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scientific method |
a plan of inquiry that uses science process skills as tools to gather,organize, analyze, and communicate information |
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sedimentary rock |
rock formed from layers of sediment that overlay and squeezetogether or are chemically combined |
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solar system |
a star and all the planets and other bodies that orbit it; the region inspace where these bodies move |
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solid |
having a definite shape and a definite volume; one of thefundamental states of matter |
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solution |
a mixture of two or more substances uniformly dispersed throughouta single phase |
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star |
a large, gaseous, self-luminous body held together by gravity andpowered by thermonuclear reactions |
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Sun |
the closest star to Earth and the center of our solar system |
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system |
a set of objects, organisms, or different parts acting to form a whole |
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tissue |
similar cells acting to perform a specific function; four basic types oftissue are muscle, connective, nerve, and epidermal |
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topography |
the surface, shape, and composition of a land area |
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universe |
the total sum of all matter and energy that exists |
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volcano |
a vent or fissure in Earth’s surface through which magma and itsassociated materials are expelled; generally a mountain-like structure |
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volume |
a measure of the amount of space an object takes up; also theloudness of a sound or signal |
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water cycle |
the path water takes as it is being cycled through the environment,including condensation, evaporation, and precipitation |
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weathering |
the natural processes that break down and change rock into soil,sand, and other materials; differs from erosion in that notransportation of those materials takes place |
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wheel and axle |
a type of simple machine; a circular frame or disk revolving around acentral axis |