Science: Matter and Energy - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering key terms related to matter, energy, and experimental variables.

Hypothesis

a testable prediction based on information you already know.

Independent Variable

the ONE factor that was changed by the scientist before conducting the experiment.

Dependent Variable

what is measured or observed during an experiment.

Solid

a state of matter in which the particles are very close to one another in a rigid structure.

Liquid

a state of matter in which the particles are close to each other and move around randomly; can change shape, not volume.

Gas

a state of matter with particles that are widely spaced and move quickly; can change shape and volume.

Matter

anything that has mass and takes up space.

Controlled Variables

parts of the experiment the scientist keeps the same before and during the experiment.

Temperature

the average kinetic energy of the particles in a material.

Thermal Energy

the total kinetic energy of all the particles in a material.

Kinetic Energy

energy due to motion.

Potential Energy

stored energy due to the interactions between particles or objects.

Atom

a small particle that is the building block of matter.

Element

a substance made of only one type of atom.

Compound

a substance formed when atoms of two or more different elements are chemically bonded together.

Mixture

a physical combination of two or more elements; can be separated back physically.

Substance

matter with a composition that is always the same.

Chemical Formula

a group of chemical symbols and numbers that represent the elements and the number of atoms of each element that make up a compound.

Vaporization

liquid changing to a gas.

Condensation

gas changing to a liquid.

Thermal Expansion

an increase in volume as the temperature increases.

Thermal Contraction

a decrease in volume as its temperature decreases.

Pressure

the amount of force per unit area applied to an object's surface.

Heat

the transfer of thermal energy from a region of higher temperature to a region of lower temperature.