Ecology, Motion, Weather, and Chemistry Review - Vocabulary Flashcards

Exam

Ecology

The study of how living things interact with each other and their environment

Ecosystem

A community made up of biotic and abiotic factors

Abiotic

Non-living parts of the environment (ex: water, sunlight, oxygen)

Biotic

Living parts of the environment (ex: plants, animals, bacteria)

Population

A group of the same species in one area

Habitat

The natural environment for an organism

Producer

An organism (plant) that makes its own food through photosynthesis

Consumer

An organism that eats other organisms for energy

Primary Consumer

A consumer that eats producers (herbivores)

Secondary Consumer

A consumer that eats primary consumers

Tertiary Consumer

A consumer that eats secondary consumers

High-level Consumer

Top predators with little to no predators

Omnivore

Feed on both producers and consumers

Photosynthesis

The process plants use to make food from sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide

Autotrophs

Organisms that produce their own food (plants)

Heterotrophs

Organisms that eat other organisms for food

Cellular Respiration

The process cells use to convert food into energy

Carnivore

An animal that eats other animals

Herbivore

An animal that eats plants

Food Chain

A series of steps that show how energy moves from one organism to another

Food Web

A complex relationship of connected food chains in an ecosystem

Trophic Level

Each step in a food chain (ex: producers, consumers)

Detritivore

An organism that feeds off of dead matter; recyclers of the ecosystem.

Scavenger

carnivores that feed off dead animals (ex: vultures)

Decomposer

bacteria and fungi that break down dead material and returns nutrients to the soil (ex: mushrooms)

Energy Flow

The movement of energy through an ecosystem; demonstrated using ecological pyramids

Pyramid of Numbers

Shows the total number of each organism at each trophic level

Pyramid of Biomass

Shows the total mass of living material at each trophic level

Pyramid of Energy

Shows the total amount of energy at each level in an ecosystem

The Carbon Cycle

The movement of carbon through the environment (ex: through the atmosphere, water, soil)

Fossil Fuel

Substance formed from decayed plants/animals

Nitrogen Cycle

The movement of nitrogen through the environment

Nitrogen Fixation

The process of converting nitrogen gas into forms plants can use to make nitrate and ammonia (nitrogen gas → nitrates)

Nitrification

The process where bacteria convert excess ammonia back into nitrates (excess ammonia → nitrates)

Denitrification

The process where bacteria convert nitrates in the soil back into nitrogen gas (nitrates → nitrogen gas)

Fertilizer

Substances that speed up the growth of plants, containing nitrogen

Acid precipitation

Rain/Snow that is acidic due to pollution

Eutrophication

Too much nutrients in water, leading to the overgrowth of plants and algae

Algal Bloom

Rapid growth of algae in water due to excess nutrients

Sustainability

Using resources in a way that doesn’t harm the future

Carboniferous Period

A time in history with high plant growth

Pollution

Anything that makes an environment harmful

Bioaccumulation

The buildup of toxins in organisms over time

Biodegradable

Substances that can be broken down naturally

Non-biodegradable

Substances that cannot be broken down in nature

Toxin

A harmful substance that moves up the food chain

Community

Different species living in an area

Carrying Capacity

The largest population an environment can support

Density-Dependent Factor

Affects a population based on size

Density-Independent Factor

Affects a population regardless of its size

Equilibrium

A stable balance in an ecosystem

Population Histogram

A graph that shows the age and gender distribution of a population

Closed Population

Only births/deaths change the population

Open Population

Births/deaths and immigration/emigration change the population

Endangered Species

A species at risk of extinction

Invasive Species

A species new to an area that harms the local ecosystem (ex: zebra mussels)

Vav

average speed

△

delta/change in

△d

change in distance

d1

first measurement

d2

final measurement

△t

change in time

t1

first measurement

t2

final measurement

a

the rate f change in speed

Position

A place where someone or something has been located in.

Distance

The amount of space between two things or people

Displacement

The moving of something from its place or position.

Constant Velocity

When an object's movement does not change directions over time and remains a constant speed.

Position-Time Graphs

These graphs tell where an object is at a given time

Speed

How fast an object moves

Scalar Quantity

is when it has a size but no direction

Velocity

Measures a change in position with time

Vector Quantity

It has both a size and direction

Velocity-Time Graph

A graph that shows how velocity changes over time

Uniform Motion

In which an object moves in a straight path at a constant speed

Acceleration

The rate of change in speed

Force

Any push or pull

Friction

The force that act between materials that touch as they move past each other

Inertia

the reluctance of any body to change the state of motion

Mass

The quantity of matter in an object

Weight

the force of gravity on an object

Newton

The unit of force

Net Force

The combination of all forces acting on an object; it changes an object's state of motion

Momentum

an object that is in motion. If an object is in motion it has momentum

Impulse

force sustained for specific amount of time; a change in momentum

Elastic Collision

When objects collide without being permanently deformed and without generating heat

Inelastic Collision

Whenever colliding objects become tangled or couple together

Atmosphere

An envelope of gasses, and blanket of air and moisture that surround the Earth

Altitude

The height above sea level, usually measured in km or m, also called elevation

Coriolis Effect

The apparent deflection of objects (such as airplanes, wind, missiles, and ocean currents) moving in a straight path relative to Earth’s surface

Westerlies

Middle attitudes (between 35-65 degrees). Blow from west to east. Mostly from the southwest in the Northern Hemisphere and from the northwest in the Southern Hemisphere

Prevailing Winds

Specific wind patterns that dominate various regions of the Earth

Trade Winds

Prevailing patterns of easterly surface winds found in the tropics (0-35 degrees latitude). Blow from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere, from the east to west

Prevailing Westerlies

The Coriolis effect causes winds to blow from the west to the east after northward moving winds are deflected to the right

Polar Easterlies

dry, cold prevailing winds that blow from high pressure areas at the poles towards low pressure areas within the westerlies. Blow from the east to the west, and are found in the polar latitudes (65 to 90 degrees)

Jet Streams

Fast moving, narrow air currents found in our atmosphere that flow east, and are caused by the rotation of the Earth and the atmospheric heating

Air Mass

Air that has the same temperature and humidity throughout

Front

The air between 2 air masses that have different characteristics

Warm Front

occurs when a warm air mass catches up to a cool air mass. The less dense warm air rises gently over the cold air