6th Grade Science Words

Terms in this set (100)

Abiotic Factors

nonliving physical features of the environment including soil, water, temperature, air light wind, and minerals.

an underground layer of rock or sediment that holds water.

a scientist who studies the universe beyond Earth.

the envelope of gases that surrounds Earth.

the smallest unit of an element that has the properties of the element.

an imaginary line that passes through Earth's center and the North and South Poles, about which Earth rotates.

the most commonly accepted theory of how the universe formed; it states that the universe expanded from a hot, dense initial condition at a specific point in time around 13 billion years ago

that part of Earth in which life can exist

living organisms in the environment, such as plants and animals.

the process by which dissolved minerals crystallize and glue particles of sediment together into one mass.

one hundredth of a basic unit of measurement.

Chemical Property

any property of a substance that produces a change in the composition of matter.

a mineral's ability to split easily along flat surfaces.

the process by which sediments are pressed together under their own weight.

a substance in which two or more elements are chemically joined.

the direct transfer of thermal energy from one substance to another substance that is touching.

the practice of using less of a resource so that it will not be used up.

Continental Drift

the hypothesis that the continents slowly move across Earth's surface.

Controlled Experiment

an experiment in which only one variable is manipulated at a time.

the transfer of thermal energy by the movement of a fluid.

Convergent Boundary

a plate boundary where two plates move toward each other.

the central region of an object.

the layer of rock that forms Earth's outer surface.

an object's mass divided by its volume; a measure of how many particles are packed together into a certain amount of space

the process in which sediment is laid down in new locations.

Divergent Boundary

a plate boundary where two plates move away from each other.

a volcano that is not currently active, but that may become active in the future.

a sudden shaking of the ground caused by the movement of rock underground

an event that happens when the shadow of an object in space falls on the surface of another object

Electromagnetic Radiation

energy that travels through space in the form of waves.

a substance in which all the atoms are the same that cannot be broken down into other substances.

the ability to do work or cause change.

an imaginary line that circles Earth halfway between the North and South poles.

the two days of the year on which neither hemisphere is tilted toward or away from the sun.

the destructive process in which water, wind, or gravity loosens and carries away fragments of rock.

the process by which water molecules in liquid water escape in the air as water vapor.

the process by which all the different kinds of living things have changed over time.

a volcano that is no longer active and is unlikely to erupt again. Or an organism that no longer lives on Earth.

a break or crack in Earth's lithosphere along which the rocks move.

evidence that an organism once existed in an area; can be a part of the organism's body or a trace fossil which is a mark or print left by the organism

an energy-rich substance (such as coal, oil, or natural gas) formed from the remains of organisms.

the way a mineral looks when it breaks apart in an irregular way.

a huge group of single stars, star systems, star clusters, dust, and gas bound together by gravity.

a hard, colorful mineral that has a brilliant or glassy luster and is valued for its appearance.

prefix meaning Earth

Geologic Time Scale

a record of the geologic events and life forms in Earth's history.

a scientist who studies the forces that make and shape planet Earth.

a gradual increase in the temperature of Earth's atmosphere.

the basic metric unit to measure mass.

a force that moves rocks and other materials downhill; the force that pulls objects toward each other.

the level of a mineral's ability to be scratched.

the amount of water vapor in a given volume of air.

all of the water on, under, and above the Earth

a possible explanation for a set of observations or answer to a scientific question. It must be testable! (An educated guess.)

a type of rock that forms from the cooling of molten rock at or below the surface.

not formed from living things or the remains of living things.

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

one thousand of a basic unit of measurement.

the energy an object has due to its motion.

the distance in degrees north or south of the equator.

liquid magma that reaches the surface.

the distance light travels in a vacuum in one year; about 6 trillion miles

the basic metric unit to measure capacity.

the part of Earth which is composed mostly of rocks; the crust and outer mantle

the distance in degrees east or west of the prime meridian.

the way a mineral reflects light from its surface.

the molten mixture of rock-forming substances, gases, and water from the mantle.

Manipulated/Independent Variable

the one factor that a scientist changes during an experiment.

the layer of hot, solid material between Earth's crust and core.

the amount of matter in an object.

Metamorphic Rock

a type of rock that forms from an existing rock that is changed by heat, pressure, or chemical reactions.

a scientist who studies the causes of weather and tries to predict it.

the basic metric unit to measure distance.

one thousandth of a basic unit of measurement

a naturally occurring, inorganic solid that has a crystal structure and a definite chemical composition.

the process of using one or more of your senses to gather information.

suffix meaning the study of.

the circular path of an object as it revolves around another object in space.

the name of the single landmass that broke apart over 200 million years ago and gave rise to today's continents.

Petrified Fossil

remains of a living specimen in which minerals replace all or part of the organism

Physical Property

any characteristic of a substance that can be observed or measured without changing the composition of the substance.

Potential Energy

the amount of energy that is stored in an object; energy that an object has because of its position relative to other objects

Responding/Dependent Variable

the factor that changes as a result of changes to the manipulated variable.

the movement of an object around another object.

the process during which rocks are formed, change, wear down, and are formed again over long periods of time

the spinning motion of a planet on its axis.

a natural or artificial object that revolves around another object in space

A way of learning about the natural world.

Scientific Method

A plan of inquiry that uses science process skills as tools to gather, organize, analyze, and communicate information.

Sedimentary Rock

a type of rock that forms when particles from other rocks or the remains of plants and animals are pressed and cemented together.

the two days of the year in which the sun reaches its greatest distance north or south of the equator.

the color of a mineral's powder.

Transform Boundary

a plate boundary where two plates move past each other in opposite directions.

type of evidence that provides a record of the activities of an ancient organism

everything that exists in, on and around the Earth

a quantity or condition that can be changed in an experiment

an opening in the Earth's surface through which magma and gases or only gases erupt

the amount of space that an object occupies, measured in liters or centimeters squared

The continual movement of water among Earth's atmosphere, oceans, and land surface through

the properties of the atmosphere at a given time and location, including temperature, air movement and precipitation

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