3rd Quarter Vocabulary - Earth Science - 6th Grade

inorganic

Not made from living things.

crystal

A solid with flat sides and sharp edges that form a regular pattern.

streak

The color of a mineral when it is powdered.

luster

How light reflects from a mineral’s surface (shiny, dull, etc.).

Mohs hardness scale

A list that ranks minerals from softest to hardest.

crystallization

The process by which crystals form from cooling magma or from a solution.

grains

The small pieces or particles that make up a rock.

texture

The look and feel of a rock’s surface.

extrusive igneous rock

Rock formed from lava that cools quickly on Earth’s surface.

intrusive igneous rock

Rock formed from magma that cools slowly below Earth’s surface.

sediment

Small pieces of rock, plant, or animal material.

compaction

The process of pressing sediments together.

cementation

When minerals fill spaces between sediments and glue them together.

soil

The loose material on Earth’s surface that plants grow in.

mechanical weathering

The breaking of rocks into smaller pieces without changing their composition.

abrasion

The wearing away of rock by rubbing or scraping.

chemical weathering

The breaking down of rocks through chemical changes.

permeability

How easily water can pass through a material.

soil horizon

A layer of soil that differs in color or texture from the layers above or below it.

decomposer

An organism that breaks down dead plants and animals.

humus

The dark, rich part of soil made from decayed plants and animals.

topsoil

The top layer of soil where plants grow best.

bedrock

The solid rock layer beneath soil and loose materials.

soil conservation

Ways to protect soil from being lost or damaged.

non-renewable resource

A resource that cannot be replaced quickly after it is used.

Gravity

The force that pulls things toward each other, like how Earth pulls us down.

Inertia

The tendency of an object to resist a change in motion.

Ecosystem

A community of living and nonliving things that work together.

Sublimation

When ice turns straight into vapor without melting first.

Transpiration

When plants release water vapor into the air.

Density

How tightly packed the matter in something is.

Weather

The day-to-day conditions outside (sunny, rainy, windy, etc.).

Climate

The usual weather in a place over a long time.

Temperature

How hot or cold something is.

Energy

The ability to make things move or change.

rock cycle

The process by which rocks transform from one type to another over time.

sedimentary rock

Rock formed by the accumulation and compaction of sediments.

igneous rock

Rock formed from the cooling of magma or lava.

metamorphic rock

Rock formed when existing rock is changed by heat, pressure, or chemical processes.

weathering

The breakdown of rocks and minerals at Earth’s surface.

erosion

The movement of weathered materials by wind, water, ice, or gravity.

deposition

The laying down of sediment carried by wind, water, or ice.

fossil

The preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms.

convection current

Movement within a fluid caused by differences in heat and density, driving plate motion.

mineral

A naturally occurring, inorganic solid with a definite chemical composition and crystal structure.