Core Subjects Vocabulary: Science (Part 1)

Maritime Polar Air Mass (mP)

cold, moist air mass that formed over polar oceans

Thermosphere

very thin layer of atmosphere which has high temperatures; contains the ionosphere and exosphere

Sedimentary Rock

rock formed when sediments build up and cement together; visible layers

Cleavage

pattern along which the mineral breaks

Troposphere

layer of gases closest to the earth where weather occurs

Specific Gravity

ratio of the density of the mineral to the density of water

Groundwater

water below the earth's surface held in the spaces between rock and soil particles

Aquifer

underground body of water-saturated rock

Air Masses

regions of warm or cold, wet or dry air that tend to move as a unit across Earth's surface, carrying their temperature and humidity compositions with them

Ultraviolet Radiation

radiant energy which can heat up the planet and damage the cells of living organisms

Southern Hemisphere

half of the earth south of the equator

Stratosphere

layer above the troposphere; contains jet streams and the ozone layer

Weathering

destructive process by which rock is gradually worn away and broken into smaller sediments and/or soil

Greenhouse Gases

gases which, when present in elevated quantities in Earth's atmosphere, trap solar radiation and cause the planet to warm

Erosion

slow wearing away of the surface of the land by wind or water

Jet Streams

strong eastward winds in the stratosphere which blow horizontally around the earth

Fossil Fuels

natural non-renewable fuel source, derived from underground, fossilized (petrified) remains of living organisms

Outer Core

layer of the earth just beneath the mantle; composed of very hot, liquified rock

Odor

smell of a mineral; some minerals give off an odor when moistened or heated

Oceanic Crust

crust found under oceans; made mostly of silicon, oxygen, and magnesium

Geyser

hot spring of water that intermittently jets water and steam into the air; caused by magma heating the groundwater

Streak

color of the mineral in powder form; obtained by dragging a piece of the mineral across a piece of unglazed porcelain

Ocean Basin

depressions on the earth's surface due to the sinking of oceanic crust, forming oceans

Soil

upper layer of the earth's surface; formed from the weathering of rocks

Continental Tropical (cT)

warm, dry air mass that formed over tropica landmasses

Hot Spring

geological feature produced when water is heated by geothermal activity and pushed to Earth's surface

Hot Spot

place far away from tectonic plate boundaries wehre upwelling magma creates a hole in Earth's crust and lava erupts onto the surface

Atmosphere

gases surrounding the surface of the earth

Magnetism

response of a mineral when exposed to magnetic materials; a physical property

Nuclear Fission

process in which the nuclei of an atom is split, releasing a massive amount of energy

Asthenosphere

part of the upper mantle, just below the lithosphere, solid rock in a plastic state

Mechanical Weathering

process of breaking down rocks by physical means

Tectonic Plates

plates or portions of Earth's crust and upper mantle, which glide across the asthenosphere

Feedback Loop (In Systems)

part of a system in which some (or all) of the system's output is used as input for future operations

Northern Hemisphere

half of the earth north of the equator

Maritime Tropical Air Mass (mT)

warm, moist air mass that formed over tropical oceans

Nutrients

substances in food and beverages that nourish the living things; they support growth, produce energy, and maintain the organism

Constructive Processes

processes that add new landforms to the surface of the earth

Mantle

layer of the earth just beneath the crust; composed of very hot rock

Crystalline Structure

degree to which the mineral is arranged in a crystal lattice structure; the more crystalline the material is, the harder that lattice is to see with the naked eye

Ionosphere

a layer of ions and free electrons in the atmosphere; can reflect and direct radio waves

Luster

ability of the mineral's surface to reflect light; can be metallic, submetallic, or nonmetallic

Inner Core

extremely hot innermost layer of the earth; composed of mostly solid iron and nickel

Global Warming/Climate Change

an overall increase in average gloval temperatures due to the greenhouse effect

Continental Arctic Air Mass (cA)

frigid, dry air mass that formed over arctic landmasses

Tenacity

minerals' ability to resist separation or breaking when subjected to stress

Rock

accumulation of one or more minerals

Surface Water

water held on the surface of the earth

Air Pressure/Atmospheric Pressure

force exerted on an area due to the weight of the air in the atmosphere above

Greenhouse Effect

trapping of the sun's heat in the atmosphere due to the increased presence of gases in the atmosphere; light is allowed to pass through, but heat is trapped, similar to the glass walls of a greenhouse

Divergent Boundary/Constructive Boundary

boundary between tectonic plates where the two plates move away from one another; creates new crust

Plastic

state in which material is solid but can flow (generally slowly)

Surface Current

river-like flow of water of different temperatures within Earth's oceans

Coriolis Effect

a curving of the flow of wind or water caused by Earth's rotation; to the right in the northern hemisphere, to the left in the southern hemisphere

Microorganisms

organisms so small a microscope is needed to see them

Continental Polar Air Mass (cP)

cold, dry air mass that formed over polar landmasses

Igneous Rock

rock formed when magma or lava cools; air pockets or crystals

Metamorphic Rock

form when rock is subjected to great heat and pressure; banding or stripes

Transform Boundary

boundary between tectonic plates where the two plates slide past one another; the earth around the boundary is crumpled

Lithosphere

the rigid, outermost layer of the earth composed of the crust and the uppermost mantle

Crust

outermost and coolest layer of the earth

Meteoroids

small bodies of debris from space which move into Earth's atmosphere and can then turn into meteors

Plate Tectonics

large-scale movements of portions of the earth's crust over long periods of time

Mineral

naturally occurring, inorganic solid with an orderly, network structure and definite chemical composition

Mesosphere

coldest layer in the atmosphere; protects the earth from meteoroids

Convergent Boundary/Destructive Boundary

boundary between the tectonic plates where the two plates move toward one another; creates mountains and trenches

Organic Material

dead plant and animal materials in the soil

Exosphere

layer in the atmosphere which provides a boundary between the thermosphere and outer space

Convection Currents

movement of fluid which transfers heat from one place to another

Continental Crust

crust found under continents; made of mostly silicon, oxygen, and aluminum

Magma

underground molten rock, present before and during a volcanic eruption

Destructive Processes

processes that break down or destroy landforms

Diaphaneity

transparency of the mineral or ability of light to pass through it

Hardness

mineral's resistance to scratching; measured on the Mohs scale, where talc, the softest mineral, has a score of 1 and diamond, the hardest, has a score of 10

Acid Rain

rain with a lower pH than neutral, corrosive to many substances, including rocks, often caused by pollution

Ozone Layer

layer of ozone in the stratosphere that blocks harmful ultraviolet radiation from reaching the earth's surface

Chemical Weathering

process of breaking down rocks by chemical means

Water Table

level below which the soil and rock remain saturated with water

Taste

mineral's taste; only soluble minerals have a taste

Thomas Hunt Morgan

American biologist who advanced the theory of genetics by studying fruit flies

Scaffolding

providing support to students to achieve a task

Feedback Loop

a series of experiments in which the results lead to more possible hypotheses and subsequently more testing

Variables

factors that can change or vary in an experiment

Organization

students store new information and relate it to what they already know and understand about the world

Predict

say or estimate that an event will occur in the future

Radioactivity

when an atom changes the number of protons in the nucleus and releases radiation

Hypothesis

an informed prediction (made based on previous observations) for a phenomena; should be testable

Inference

a conclusion based on evidence, observation, and reasoning

Elaborate (5E Model)

fourth phase of 5E model; students extend their thinking and practice new skills

Carl Linnaeus

Swedish biologist known as the father of taxonomy; developed the modern system of classification used to name, identify, and classify living things

Inge Lehmann

Danish seismologist and geophysicist who discovered Earth's inner core

Discrepant Events

events with unexpected outcomes

Disequilibrium

occurs when a child cannot use existing schemas to comprehend new information

Charles Darwin

an English naturalist who developed the idea of natural selection and the theory of evolution; these ideas were published in the book On the Origin of Species

Control Group

a group of specimens in an experiment to which no change is made; does not receive the experimental treatment

Assimilation

a process in which existing schemas are applied to new objects or situations

Experimental Group

a group of specimens in an experiment to which a change is made; receives the experimental treatment

Evaluate (5E Model)

final (fifth) phase of 5E model; students are assessed on their understanding and teachers evaluate learning to inform their next lesson

Erwin Schrödinger

Austrian physicist who developed the main equation for quantum physics and proposed the electron cloud model of the atom

Antoine Lavoisier

French chemist who contributed to the chemical naming system