Science: Earth and Space Test 1 Review

Vocabulary flashcards created from Earth and Space Science study material, covering fundamental definitions of physical science, soil properties, the scientific method, and reasoning.

Matter

The substance of the physical world.

Independent variable

The factor in an experiment that is changed when testing a hypothesis.

Controlled variables

The factors that remain the same throughout an experiment.

Observing

The component of the scientific method that involves gathering data in an orderly way.

Hypothesizing

The process of speculating about objects or events of nature and formulating a sensible explanation.

Consequent

The 'then' part of an if/then statement in logic.

Hypothetical proposition

A statement structured as an 'if/then' statement, such as 'If a vehicle is an airplane, then it has wings.'

Theory

A way of explaining an object or event by using a set of facts determined through experiments.

Technology

The use of science to solve practical problems.

Post hoc fallacy

A logic error in which one assumes that because one event happened near or before another, it caused the second event.

pH scale

A scale used by chemists to express the degree of acidity or basicity of a substance, ranging in values from $0$ to $14$.

Primary Plant Food Elements

The three basic soil substances (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) that plants need to live.

Phosphorus

The primary plant food element essential for cell division, growth, and plant maturation.

Proposition

A statement of fact that can be used to make a conclusion.

Impermeable

The ability of bedrock or soil to inhibit water from easily passing through.

Subsoil

The layer of soil that contains more mineral material and less organic material.

Topsoil

The top $5$ to $15$\,cm of soil.

Clay

The soil material that has the smallest and most tightly packed particles.

Potassium

A primary plant food element whose primary function includes promoting general plant health.

Sandy soil

The type of soil that allows the most air and water into itself.

Clayey soil

The type of soil that allows the most rain to run off.

Denitrifying bacteria

Bacteria that return nitrogen to the atmosphere by converting nitrogen from nitrates into atmospheric nitrogen.

Ammonia

A basic compound of nitrogen and hydrogen that enters the soil through the action of certain bacteria and the decay of plants and animals.

Groundwater

The general term for water located below the soil's surface.

Aquifer

A layer of either porous rock or gravel-soil mixture that holds water.

Water table

The upper surface of the water located under the ground.

Constraints

The minimum characteristics that a design must have to function at all.

Prototype

A model of a design that will be used for testing.

Inductive reasoning

Reasoning from specific evidence to a more general conclusion, whose ultimate purpose is to determine cause and effect.

Method of difference

A form of inductive reasoning that involves comparing two situations that are the same except for one factor.

Model

Anything that provides a partial representation of something else.

Munsell charts

Charts used by pedologists to provide standard names and descriptions of soil colors.

Nutrient

The general term for a nourishing substance.

Capillarity

The upward movement of water through a tiny space in response to surface tension.

Density

A measure of how tightly packed matter is.

Element

A substance composed of only one type of atom.

Molecule

Atoms linked together in a group.

Mass

The amount of matter in an object.

Compound

A substance containing two or more types of atoms bonded together.