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abiotic word roots: a = not, bio = life Something that is not (or never used to be) a living thing. Rocks, rain, and metals are all
examples of things that are abiotic. In looking for evidence of possible life elsewhere in the universe (like Mars),
scientists need to figure out if what they are analyzing comes from something abiotic or biotic. related words: biotic
abiotic factors word roots: a = not,
bio = life Non-living parts of an ecosystem. This can include
things like rocks or chemicals that could somehow affect the living things in an ecosystem. For example, if a landslide
blocks a river from flowing, scientists would then be studying the changes that occur to the animals and plants that are no
longer living in a river ecosystem, but a lake ecosystem. related words: biotic
factors
absorb word roots: ab = from,
sorb = suck in To take in or soak up. When you use a sponge to clean
up a wet mess, the sponge will aborb liquid. related words: absorbent
ammonia A really smelly gas made
from nitrogen and hydrogen. You can smell ammonia in urine. Ammonia can build up in fish tanks if you don't
change the water often. Fish pee too!
amplitude
animal cell
atom word root: atomos = cannot be divided
up
A very small, basic part of matter.
ATP
balanced
biodiversity
biotic word roots: bio = life Something that is (or used to be) a living thing. Plants, animals, and bacteria are all examples
of things that are biotic. In looking for evidence of possible life elsewhere in the universe (like Mars), scientists
need to figure out if what they are analyzing comes from something abiotic or biotic. related words: abiotic
biotic factors word roots: bio = life Living parts of an ecosystem. This can include things like plants, animals,
and bacteria that are found in an ecosystem. In ecosystems, scientists study how these living things affect each other
(like predator-prey relationships). related words: abiotic factors
boundary
carbon cycle
carbon dioxide
cell
cellular respiration
Celsius (°C) A way of measuring temperature, using the metric system. Water freezes at
0°C, and boils at 100°C.
centimeter (cm)
word roots: centi
= hundred, meter = measurement A
metric unit used for measuring smaller distances. It is about as long as your pinky finger is wide.
There are 100 centimeters in a meter.
chemical change
chemical compound
chemical equation
chemical formula
chemical properties
chemical reaction
chlorophyll
chloroplast
claim Saying that something is true without
providing evidence or proof. A good experiment should be able to test a claim to see if it is true or not.
coefficient
commensalism
competition
concentration
conservation of matter
constraint A limitation. For example, plastic
put on the soil in strawberry fields must be thick enough to keep weeds from growing through, and dark enough to heat the
soil and kill unwanted bacteria. However, the plastic cannot make the soil so hot that the strawberry plants cannot
grow. For scientists, constraints help to focus experiments upon a particular goal.
consumer
convection
convection currents
convergent boundary
core
criteria word roots: crite = judging
Rules or expectations that are used to decide if something meets or fails certain requirements. For
example, drone inventors have to meet the criteria of designing flying machines that are both strong and lightweight.
For scientists, criteria help to focus experiments upon a particular goal. related words: criterion
crust
current
decomposer
divergent boundary
earthquake
ecosystem
ecosystem services
electromagnetic spectrum
element
energy
energy being used
erosion
evidence word root: evident = obvious Facts
or information used to prove if something is true or not. Scientists use observations to collect evidence during an
experiment.
Fahrenheit (°F)
One way of measuring
temperature. Water freezes at 32°F, and boils at 212°F.
food chain
food web
forces
fossil fuels
gas Something that change both its shape and volume. One of the states of matter.
glucose
gram (g)
word root: gramma
= a small weight
A metric unit used for measuring mass. It is about as heavy as a dime.
growth
heat
hydrocarbon
igneous rock
inner core
kilogram (kg)
word roots: kilo = thousand, gramma= small weight
A
metric unit used for measuring larger masses. It is about as heavy as a textbook. There are
1000 grams in a kilogram.
kilometer (km) word roots: kilo = thousand, meter = measurement A
metric unit used for measuring larger distances. It is about as long as the distance you can walk in 15 minutes,
or 3 times around a PE running track. There are 1000 meters in a kilometer.
kinetic energy
lava
light energy
limiting resources
liquid Something that can change its shape but keeps its volume. One of the states
of matter.
liter (L) A metric unit used for measuring amounts
of liquid or gas. It is about as much liquid as two small water bottles can hold.
magma
mantle
mass The amount of stuff (matter) that something
has. We can think of this as weight (which measures how much something can be pulled on by Earth's gravity).
matter word roots: mater = mother, materia
= wood or substance Something that takes up space and has mass. Matter makes up everything in the universe.
metamorphic rock
meter (m)
word root: meter = measure A
metric unit used for measuring distances. It is about as long as a doorway is wide.
methane
milligram (mg)
word roots: milli = tiny thousands, gramma= small weight
A
metric unit used for measuring tiny masses. It is about as heavy as a single grain of sand. There are
1000 milligrams in a gram.
milliliter (mL)
word roots: milli =
tiny thousands
A metric unit used for measuring tiny volumes of
liquid or gas. It is about as much liquid as a single drop of water. There are
1000 milliliters in a liter.
millimeter (mm)
word roots: milli = tiny thousands, meter = measurement A metric unit used for measuring tiny distances. It is about as long
as a dime is thick or a pencil mark is wide. There are 10 millimeters in a centimeter, and 1000 millimeters
in a meter.
mitochondria
modification
molecule One or more atoms stuck together.
The atoms can be the same type or different types.
mutualism
niche
nitrogen cycle
observation word roots: ob = toward,
serva = look at Looking at or watching something carefully to get information. Usually done with sight,
but other senses could be used as well. Scientists write down and record this information. related words:
observe, observing
organism
outer core
oxygen
parasitism
particle word root: particula = little
part A tiny bit of matter.
periodic table
petroleum
phosphorous cycle
photosynthesis
physical change
physical properties
plant cell
plate
plate boundary
plate tectonics
population
potential energy
predator
prediction word roots: pre = before,
dict = say What a scientist thinks is going to happen, based upon observations. This is written down
before the experiment actually starts. It is usually in a sentence with the structure "if - then - because". related
words: predict
prey
producer
products
proposal
purification
reactants
recycling
renewable
reproduction
resource constraints
resources
rock cycle
scarcity
science word root: scientia = know Studying
the natural world around us through observing and experimenting.
sediment
sedimentary rock
solid Something that keeps its shape and
volume. One of the states of matter.
state of matter
One of the ways (forms)
in which matter can exist. Usually, this means that something is solid, liquid, or gas.
stored energy
subscript
symbiotic
temperature How much heat something has.
It is usually measured using the Fahrenheit scale (°F) or the Centigrade scale (°C).
thermal energy Heat. If enough is
removed, gases become liquids, and liquids become solid. If enough is added, solids become liquids, and liquids become
gases.
transform boundary
trophic levels
visible light
volcano
volume
How much space something takes
up.
water
wavelength
weathering
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