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foundations final
Final for foundations of reading
216
Science
Undergraduate 1
04/27/2011

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Term
Absorption
Definition
When white light wave passes through a substance the energy of certain colors may be taken in by the substance and converted to a different form of energy
Term
Acid precipitation
Definition
Rain or snow produced when gases, released by burning fossil fuels, mix with water in the air
Term
Adaptation
Definition
Any structure or behavior that helps an organism survive in its environment; develops in a population over a long period of time
Term
Amplitude
Definition
The distance between a wave's midpoint and its crest or trough
Term
Anemometer
Definition
A device used to measure wind speed
Term
Angiosperm
Definition
A flowering plant with seeds enclosed in a fruit such as an apple
Term
Asexual reproduction
Definition
A type of reproduction in which a new organism is produced from one parent
Term
Atmosphere
Definition
The mixture of gases, solids, and liquids that surrounds a celestial body
Term
Atom
Definition
Smallest unit of matter that cannot be broken down by chemical means
Term
Axis
Definition
The imaginary line through Earth's center from the North Pole to the South Pole
Term
Barometer
Definition
An instrument for measuring air pressure
Term
Biomass
Definition
Organic material from plants or animals that is used to produce energy
Term
Biosphere
Definition
All parts of Earth where life exists
Term
Carbon Cycle
Definition
The flow of carbon through Earth's ecosystems
Term
Carbon dioxide-oxygen cycle
Definition
The flow of carbon dioxide and oxygen through Earth's ecosystems
Term
Carnivore
Definition
An animal that feeds on other animals
Term
Carrying capacity
Definition
The largest number of individuals that an environment can support over time
Term
Cell
Definition
The smallest unit of an organism that can perform life functions
Term
Cell Theory
Definition
The major theory that the cell is the basic unit of life; organisms are made up of one or more cells; and all cells come from other living cells
Term
Chemical change
Definition
Any change where one or more of the original materials changes into other materials
Term
Chemical property
Definition
Characteristic of a substance that allows it to change to a new substance
Term
Cirrus
Definition
A cloud that is thin, feathery, and high in the sky, usually associated with sunny weather
Term
Clay
Definition
A sedimentary material with grains smaller than 0.002 mm in diameter
Term
Climate
Definition
Average of weather conditions in a given area over a period of years
Term
Closed Circuit
Definition
Circuit having a complete path for current flow
Term
Comet
Definition
A ball of ice, rock, and frozen gases that orbits the sun
Term
Commensalism
Definition
A symbiotic relationship that benefits one partner but not the other
Term
Communication
Definition
An exchange of information from one organism to another
Term
Community
Definition
Term
Compound Machines
Definition
Combination of two or more simple machines
Term
Compound
Definition
Pure substance produced when two or more elements combine and whose properties are different from the elements from which it is formed
Term
Compression
Definition
Process of being pressed together
Term
Cumulus
Definition
A cloud that looks like puffy white cotton, usually associated with fair weather
Term
Conductors
Definition
Materials that transfer energy from one particle to another
Term
Conifer
Definition
A tree that produces seeds in cones and has needle-like leaves
Term
Conservation of matter (mass)
Definition
Law that states that matter is neither created nor destroyed, only changed in form
Term
Consumer
Definition
Organism that cannot make its own food
Term
Control
Definition
In an experiment, the standard for comparison
Term
Convection
Definition
Transfer of thermal energy through liquid and gases
Term
Complete metamorphosis
Definition
Complete reorganization of the tissues of an animal during its life cycle from egg to larva to pupa to adult, usually involving the addition of legs and wings
Term
Coriolis effect
Definition
Force that changes the direction of solids, liquids, and gases to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere as a result of earth’s rotation
Term
Crustal deformation
Definition
Alteration of Earth's crust by forces applied by the movement of the tectonic plates
Term
Decomposer
Definition
Organisms that break down and absorb nutrients from dead organisms
Term
Density
Definition
The amount of mass in a given volume (D=m/v)
Term
Dependent Variable
Definition
Factor being measured in an experiment, found on the vertical or Y-axis on a graph
Term
Deposition
Definition
The dropping of sediment from wind or water
Term
Dichotomous key
Definition
System used for identifying plants, animals, rocks, or minerals that is made up of a series of paired descriptions to choose between
Term
Dominant Trait
Definition
Form of a trait that masks another form of the same trait
Term
Earthquake
Definition
A sudden movement of Earth’s crust caused by the release of stress accumulated along geologic fault lines or by volcanic activity
Term
Ecosystem
Definition
Populations interacting with the living and non-living parts of the environment
Term
Egg
Definition
The female sex cell
Term
Electricity
Definition
The interaction of electric charges
Term
Electromagnet
Definition
A temporary magnet made by passing electric current through a wire coiled around an iron bar
Term
Elements
Definition
A pure substance that is made of only one kind of atom
Term
Embryo
Definition
Fertilized egg that has begun to divide
Term
Embryonic development
Definition
The growth of a fertilized egg from a single cell to multi-cells
Term
Empirical evidence
Definition
Data that can be detected, observed, or measured
Term
Endothermic
Definition
A chemical reaction in which more energy is taken in than given off
Term
Energy
Definition
The capacity to cause change and do work
Term
Environment
Definition
The surroundings and conditions in which an organism lives
Term
Erosion
Definition
Transportation of soil and rock by wind, water, gravity, and ice
Term
Estivation
Definition
An adaptation for survival in hot, dry weather during which an animal becomes inactive and all body processes slow down
Term
Eukaryote
Definition
Cell with a nucleus
Term
Evaporation
Definition
To change from a liquid into a gas
Term
Exothermic
Definition
A chemical reaction in which more energy is given off than is taken in
Term
Experimental design
Definition
The design of a suitable experiment to test a hypothesis
Term
Extinction
Definition
The dying out of an entire species
Term
Fault
Definition
A crack in Earth's crust along which rock moves
Term
Field force
Definition
A force applied without physical contact
Term
Field Study
Definition
Field study Planned small or large group activities that provide opportunities for students to practice skills in a variety of settings other than an actual classroom; conducting scientific investigations in a natural setting
Term
Force
Definition
Any push or pull that tends to produce a change in the speed or direction of motion of an object
Term
Fossil
Definition
The preserved remains or traces of an organism that lived in the past
Term
Fossil Fuels
Definition
Fuel such as coal, natural gas, or oil that formed underground millions of years ago from decaying organic matter
Term
Frequency
Definition
The number of complete waves that pass a given point in a given amount of time
Term
Friction
Definition
A force that opposes motion whenever two surfaces rub against each other
Term
Galaxy
Definition
A large system of stars moving together through space
Term
Gene
Definition
A section of DNA that controls specific cell activities and characteristics of every organism
Term
Geothermal energy
Definition
Heat energy below Earth's surface
Term
Glaciation
Definition
Any change in the landscape caused by glacial movement
Term
Global warming
Definition
An increase in Earth's temperature caused by gases in the atmosphere that trap heat
Term
Gravity
Definition
The force of attraction that exists between any two objects
Term
Greenhouse effect
Definition
The natural heating process caused when gases trap heat in the atmosphere
Term
Gravity
Definition
The force of attraction that exists between any two objects
Term
Greenhouse effect
Definition
The natural heating process caused when gases trap heat in the atmosphere
Term
Habitat
Definition
The place in an ecosystem where an organism lives
Term
Heat
Definition
The transfer of thermal energy
Term
Herbivore
Definition
An animal that eats only plants
Term
Hibernation
Definition
An adaptation for winter survival during which an animal becomes inactive and all body processes slow down
Term
Homeostasis
Definition
The process by which an organism's internal environment is kept stable in spite of changes in the external environment
Term
Humidity
Definition
Water vapor in the air
Term
Humus
Definition
Material in the soil that formed from decayed plant and animal matter
Term
Hydroelectric
Definition
Production of electricity by flowing water
Term
Hypothesis
Definition
Explanation for a question or a problem that can be formally tested
Term
Igneous
Definition
Rock formed by the solidification of magma or lava
Term
Igneous intrusion
Definition
A body of solidified magma intruded into rock layers
Term
Imprinting
Definition
A process in which newly hatched birds or newborn mammals learn to follow the first object they see
Term
Incomplete metamorphosis
Definition
The life cycle of an animal, such as the grasshopper, whose form does not change substantially through its life stages from egg to nymph to adult
Term
Independent variable
Definition
The one factor changed in an experiment; represented on the horizontal or X-axis of a graph
Term
Innate behavior
Definition
Behavior that an organism is born with and does not have to learn
Term
Inorganic
Definition
Not alive and none of its components have ever been alive
Term
Insulators
Definition
Materials that prevent the transfer of energy
Term
Invertebrate
Definition
An animal without a backbone
Term
Jet stream
Definition
Narrow belt of strong winds near the top of the troposphere
Term
Kinetic energy
Definition
Energy of motion
Term
Lab activities
Definition
Inquiry-based scientific investigations
Term
Law
Definition
A descriptive generalization about how some aspect of the natural world behaves under stated circumstances, often stated in the form of a mathematical equation
Term
Law of conservation of momentum
Definition
The rule that, in the absence of outside forces, the total momentum of objects in an interaction does not change
Term
Learned behavior
Definition
Behavior that an organism is not born with and must acquire
Term
Light minute
Definition
The distance that light travels in one minute
Term
Light year
Definition
The distance that light travels in one year
Term
Limiting factor
Definition
Any living or non-living factor that restricts the number of individuals in a population
Term
Lithosphere
Definition
The crust and the rigid upper mantle that is broken into plates
Term
Living
Definition
Anything that is or has ever been alive
Term
Longitudinal wave
Definition
A wave in which the particles vibrate parallel to the direction of wave motion
Term
Lunar eclipse
Definition
A darkening of the moon when passed through Earth's shadow
Term
Magnetic reversal
Definition
Earth's magnetic field reverses and the poles switch places
Term
Magnetism
Definition
The force associated with some motion of electrical charges or by the field of force produced by a magnet
Term
Magnetic reversal
Definition
Earth's magnetic field reverses and the poles switch places
Term
Magnetism
Definition
The force associated with some motion of electrical charges or by the field of force produced by a magnet
Term
Mass
Definition
A measure of the amount of matter in an object (K-4 uses weight interchangeably)
Term
Matter
Definition
Anything that has mass and occupies space
Term
Metal
Definition
An element that conducts heat and electricity
Term
Metamorphic
Definition
Rock formed by the effect of heat, pressure, and chemical action on other rocks
Term
Meteor
Definition
A rock from space that is burning up in the atmosphere (commonly referred to as a falling star)
Term
Microwave energy
Definition
A wavelength of energy in the electromagnetic spectrum
Term
Migration
Definition
The instinctive seasonal movement of animals
Term
Mimicry
Definition
The structural adaptation involved in some species where one species resembles another
Term
Mixture
Definition
The combination of two or more substances that have not chemically combined
Term
Molecule
Definition
The combination of atoms chemically bonded together
Term
Moon phase
Definition
A change in appearance of the moon as it revolves around Earth
Term
Natural resources
Definition
Minerals, fossil fuels, trees, and other valuable materials that occur naturally
Term
Natural selection
Definition
The idea that those organisms best adapted to their environment will be the ones most likely to survive and reproduce
Term
Neap tide
Definition
During the first and last quarter moon phases, the tides are not as high or not as low as a normal tide
Term
Newton
Definition
The metric unit for forces
Term
Non-living
Definition
Anything that is not now or never has been alive
Term
Nuclear energy
Definition
The potential energy stored in the nucleus of an atom
Term
Nucleus
Definition
The control center of the cell
Term
Nutrients
Definition
The substance in food that produces energy and materials for life activities
Term
Omnivore
Definition
An animal that eats both plants and animals
Term
Opaque
Definition
Does not allow light to pass through
Term
Open circuit
Definition
A break in the conductive path so that no current flows
Term
Orbit
Definition
The path an object follows as it revolves around another object
Term
Organ
Definition
Structures made up of different types of tissues that work together to do a certain job
Term
Organ system
Definition
System made up of different types of organs to do a certain job
Term
Organic
Definition
Anything that is or has ever been alive
Term
Organism
Definition
A living thing
Term
Parallel circuit
Definition
A circuit that provides more than one path for the electrical current to follow
Term
Parasitism
Definition
A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is harmed
Term
Periodic table
Definition
Organizational chart of the elements
Term
Phloem
Definition
Tubes that move food in plants
Term
Physical property
Definition
Characteristic that can be observed or measured
Term
Pitch
Definition
How high or low a sound is
Term
Planetary year
Definition
The length of time it takes a planet to orbit the sun
Term
Plate tectonics
Definition
Theory which states that pieces of Earth's crust are moving around on the mantle
Term
Population
Definition
All the members of one species in a particular area
Term
Potential energy
Definition
Stored energy
Term
Precipitation
Definition
Any form of water that falls to the earth
Term
Predator
Definition
Any animal that hunts and kills other animals for food
Term
Prey
Definition
An animal that a predator feeds upon
Term
Producer
Definition
An organism that makes its own food
Term
Prokaryote
Definition
Organism without a nucleus
Term
Proton
Definition
Positively charged particle in an atom's nucleus
Term
Punnett Square
Definition
A tool that can show how genes combine
Term
Radiation
Definition
Transfer of thermal energy as waves
Term
Reactivity
Definition
The ability of a substance to go through a chemical change
Term
Recessive trait
Definition
Physical characteristic resulting when no dominant gene is present
Term
Reflect/reflection
Definition
Change in the direction of a light ray as it bounces off an object
Term
Refract/refraction
Definition
A bending of a light ray when it passes at an angle from one transparent substance into another transparent substance in which its speed is different (such as when it passes through air into water)
Term
Reproduction
Definition
The production of offspring by an organism
Term
Richter scale
Definition
A scale that measures the amount of energy released by an earthquake
Term
Sand
Definition
A sedimentary material finer than a granule and courser than silt, with grains between 0.06 mm and 2.0 mm in diameter
Term
Scatter plot
Definition
A graph with one point for each item being measured
Term
Scavenger
Definition
An animal that feeds on the bodies of dead organisms
Term
Sedimentary rocks
Definition
Rock formed in layers from sediment
Term
Seismograph
Definition
Instrument which detects and records earthquakes
Term
Selective breeding
Definition
The process of selecting a few organisms with desired traits to serve as parents of the next generation
Term
Series circuit
Definition
Having only one path for electrons to flow
Term
Sexual reproduction
Definition
The joining of a male sperm cell and a female egg cell
Term
SI units
Definition
International System of Units metric system
Term
Silt
Definition
A sedimentary material consisting of very fine particles intermediate in size between sand and clay with grains between 0.002 mm and 0.05 mm in diameter
Term
Simple machine
Definition
Machine that works with only one motion
Term
Sling psychrometer
Definition
Instrument used to measure relative humidity
Term
Soil profile
Definition
Layers of soil in an area
Term
Solar eclipse
Definition
An alignment of the sun, moon, and Earth where the moon blocks the sun from Earth's view
Term
Solar energy
Definition
Radiant energy that comes from the sun
Term
Solar system
Definition
A star that is orbited by a group of planets, comets, and other objects
Term
Solubility rate
Definition
Speed at which a substance dissolves
Term
Solute
Definition
A substance that is dissolved
Term
Solution
Definition
A mixture in which the particles of each substance are mixed evenly
Term
Solvent
Definition
A substance that dissolves other materials
Term
Species
Definition
A group of similar organisms whose members successfully reproduce among themselves
Term
Speed
Definition
The distance that an object moves in a certain period of time
Term
Sperm
Definition
The male sex cell
Term
Spring tide
Definition
During the full moon and new moon phases, high tides are higher and lower than normal
Term
Stability
Definition
The condition where a substance does not go through chemical changes easily
Term
Stratus
Definition
A long, layered cloud
Term
Structural adaptation
Definition
Adaptation that involves body parts or color
Term
Temperature
Definition
Measure of the average motion of the particles in a substance (heat)
Term
Tension
Definition
A stress created by pulling
Term
Territorial behavior
Definition
Activities associated with the defense of an area
Term
Theory
Definition
A unifying explanation that has the ability to explain what has been observed; predict what has not yet been observed; be tested further by experimentation; be modified as required by the acquisition of new data; be modified only with compelling empirical evidence, verification, and peer review; be supported by sufficient empirical evidence to make abandonment unlikely
Term
Thermometer
Definition
Instrument used to measure temperature
Term
Tissues
Definition
Group of similar cells that work together
Term
Translucent
Definition
Describes matter that allows, some, but not all, of the light that hits it to pass through, and that scatters some light
Term
Transparent
Definition
The ability of light to pass through without refraction
Term
Transverse wave
Definition
A wave in which the particles vibrate at right angles to the direction of the wave
Term
Tropism
Definition
The response of a plant to something in its environment
Term
Variable
Definition
Measurable factor, characteristic, or attribute of an individual or a system
Term
Vertebrate
Definition
Animals with a backbone
Term
Water cycle
Definition
The movement of water through Earth's ecosystems
Term
Wavelength
Definition
Distance between any point on one wave to a corresponding point on the next wave, such as crest to crest or trough to trough
Term
Weathering
Definition
The breakdown of a material into smaller and smaller pieces by mechanical or chemical means
Term
Weight
Definition
The downward pull of gravity on an object (K-4 uses mass interchangeably)
Term
White light
Definition
Contains all the colors of the visible spectrum (colors of the rainbow)
Term
Xylem
Definition
Vessels in a plant that carry water and nutrients from the roots to the leaves
Term
Mutualism
Definition
A symbiotic relationship that benefits both partners
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