General Science and Earth Systems Vocabulary

A set of introductory science flashcards covering matter, energy, forces, waves, and Earth systems based on the lecture notes.

Atoms

Building blocks of matter

Molecules

Building blocks of matter

States of matter

The solid, liquid, and gas phases of matter and their particle arrangement

Physical properties

Characteristics including density, mass, volume, and boiling/melting point

Chemical reactions

Processes involving reactants and products that follow the conservation of mass

Newton's Laws

Basic intro-level principles: $\text{force} = \text{mass} \times \text{acceleration}$ and action-reaction

Gravity

A force of attraction

Electric and magnetic forces

Forces involving attraction, repulsion, and fields

Conservation of energy

The principle that energy is not created or destroyed

Heat transfer

The movement of thermal energy through conduction, convection, and radiation

Wave properties

The characteristics of waves, including amplitude, wavelength, and frequency

Wave types

Mechanical waves and electromagnetic waves which carry energy and information

Earth-Sun-Moon system

System governing seasons, day/night, moon phases, and eclipses

Earth's history

Evidence of change found in rock layers/strata, fossils, and geologic time

Earth's spheres

The geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere and how they interact

Plate tectonics

The movement of plates leading to plate boundaries, earthquakes, volcanoes, and continental movement

Rock cycle

The transition between igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks

Water cycle

The cycle responsible for shaping Earth's surface through erosion, deposition, and weathering

Natural resources

Resources categorized as renewable or nonrenewable

Human impact

The effect of human activity on Earth's systems via pollution, land use, and resource use