Earth and Environmental Science Vocabulary Set

saturated

A solution where the solvent has dissolved the maximum amount of solute at a given temperature. No more solute can be dissolved.

unsaturated

A solution that can dissolve more solute at a given temperature. It is below its saturation point.

supersaturated

A solution that holds more solute than it normally can at a given temperature, achieved through cooling or evaporation.

group

families of elements with similar properties

metalloid

elements that share properties of both metals and non metals

valence electron

Electrons in the outermost energy level of an atom

malleability

The property of a material to be shaped or molded without breaking.

ductility

the ability of a material to be stretched into a wire without breaking.

specific heat

the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by one degree Celsius.

element

A substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means.

compound

A substance formed by the chemical combination of two or more elements in fixed proportions. It has unique properties different from its constituent elements.

pure substance

a material with a constant composition and distinct properties, either an element or a compound.

permeable

Allowing liquids or gases to pass through; having small holes or spaces that allow water or air to pass through.

impermeable

Not allowing fluids or gases to pass through.

nitrates

inorganic compounds containing the nitrate ion (NO3-). can contribute to water pollution.

bioindicators

organisms or species used to assess the health of an ecosystem. They can indicate environmental changes and pollution levels.

water hardness

the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium in water

polarity

being polar, having positive and negative ends

cohesion

particles of the same substance sticking together

adhesion

when water is attracted to a molecule of one or a different kind

watershed

an area of land that collects the runoff from storms

mid-ocean ridge

seafloor mountain system formed when tectonic plates collide

plankton

collection of organisms that drift through water

nekton

collection of organisms able to swim through water

surface zone

area of the ocean where sunlight can reach, epipelagic zone

intertidal zone

area above water on low tides and below water on high tides

deep zone

very deep zone in the ocean, extreme pressure and animals that have adapted to it

open-ocean zone

the area of the ocean outside of coastal zones

upwelling

when nutrients are brought to the surface by the rising of cool water

geothermal power

energy produced through heat within the earth

energy conservation

actions to reduce the amount of energy used

greenhouse effect

when greenhouse gases trap heat within the earth’s atmosphere causing the temperature to rise

symbiosis

interaction between two living organisms

mutualism

symbiosis which benefits both organisms

commensalism

symbiosis which benefits one organism and does not harm the other

parasitism

symbiosis where one organism benefits and the other is harmed

microbiology

the study of microscopic organisms

vector

organisms that carry a disease or parasite

pathogen

a bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease

lipid

fatty compounds that that perform a variety of functions in a body. they do not dissolve in water

diabetes

chronic disease that occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin

nucleic acid

primary information carrying molecules in cells

biotechnology

applying engineering systems to agricultural systems

genetic engineering

the process of altering an organisms DNA

relative age

a fossil or rocks age based off of it’s surroundings

absolute age

a fossil or rocks age based off of absolute time

law of superposition

a law that states that the rock further down is older

index fossil

A fossil used to identify a time of the world or fossil

radioactive decay

when a radioactive nucleus loses radioactivity

geologic time scale

A scale that divides times in history up by the environmental conditions and the organisms living on earth

unconformity

an interruption in the earth’s rock layers ki

anatomy

the bodily structure of humans and other organisms

unfiromitarianism

the theory that the earth’s topography and makeup has been gradually overtime rather than large events that suddenly cause changes.