5Th Grade Science Fcat Vocabulary

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adaptation

Back 1

a characteristic of an organism that increases its chance of survivalin its environment

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atmosphere

Back 2

the layers of gas that surround Earth, other planets, or stars

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atom

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the smallest unit of a chemical element that can still retain theproperties of that element

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axis

Back 4

the imaginary line on which an object rotates (e.g., Earth’s axis runsthrough Earth between the North Pole and the South Pole); animaginary straight line that runs through a body; a reference to theline in a coordinate system or graph

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carnivore

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an animal or plant that consumes or obtains nutrients from animals

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change of state

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a physical change that occurs when matter changes to another state(i.e., liquid, gas, or solid)

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chemical change

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a reaction or a change in a substance produced by chemical meansthat results in producing a different chemical

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community

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all the populations of organisms belonging to different species andsharing the same geographical area

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compound

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a substance made up of a combination of two or more elements heldtogether by chemical bonds that cannot be separated by physicalmeans; has properties unlike those of the elements that make up thecompound

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condensation

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the process of changing from a gas (i.e., water vapor) to a liquid(i.e., dew); the act of making more dense or compact

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conservation

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controlled use and/or maintenance of natural resources; variousefforts to preserve or protect natural resources

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constellation

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a star pattern identified and named as a definite group; usuallythought of as forming certain shapes or figures in a specific regionof the sky

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consumer

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an organism that feeds on other organisms for food

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decomposer

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any organism that feeds or obtains nutrients by breaking downorganic matter from dead organisms

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density

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concentration of matter of an object; number of individuals in thesame species that live in a given area; the mass per unit volume of asubstance in a given area

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deposition

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layering matter in a natural process (similar to the word deposit; to put down)

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earthquake

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the shaking of the ground caused by a sudden release of energy inEarth’s crust

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ecosystem

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an integrated unit of a biological community, its physicalenvironment, and interactions

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element

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a substance that cannot be reduced to a simpler substance bychemical means

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energy

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a quantity that describes the capacity to do work; a source of usablepower

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energy pyramid

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a pyramidal diagram that compares the amount of energy availableat each position, or level, in the feeding order

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energy transfer

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a change of energy from one form to another (e.g., mechanical toelectrical, solar to electrical)

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environment

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the sum of conditions affecting an organism, including all living andnonliving things in an area, such as plants, animals, water, soil,weather, landforms, and air

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equator

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an imaginary circle around Earth’s surface located between the polesand a plane perpendicular to its axis of rotation that divides it into theNorthern and Southern Hemispheres

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erosion

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the wearing away of Earth’s surface by the breakdown andtransportation of rock and soil

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evaporation

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the process by which a liquid is converted to its vapor phase byheating the liquid

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experiment

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a procedure that is carried out and repeated under controlledconditions in order to discover, demonstrate, or test a hypothesis;includes all components of the scientific method

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food chain

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transfer of energy through various stages as a result of feedingpatterns of a series of organisms

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food web (food cycle)

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the interconnected feeding relationships in a food chain found in aparticular place and time

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force

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a quality that tends to produce movement or acceleration of a body inthe direction of its application; a push or pull

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fossil

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a whole or part of a plant or animal that has been preserved insedimentary rock

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friction

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a force that opposes the relative motion of two material surfaces incontact with one another

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fulcrum

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the pivot point of a lever

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galaxy

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a large collection of stars, gases, and dust that are part of the universe(e.g., the Milky Way galaxy) bound together by gravitational forces

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gas

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one of the fundamental states of matter in which the molecules donot have a fixed volume or shape

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gravitation

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a force of attraction between two masses

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gravity

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the observed effect of the force of gravitation, caused by the mass (amount of matter) in an object.

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habitat

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a place in an ecosystem where an organism normally lives

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heat

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a form of energy resulting from the temperature difference between asystem and its surroundings

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herbivore

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an animal that feeds on plants

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igneous rock

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a type of rock that forms from molten or partly molten material thatcools and hardens

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inclined plane

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a type of simple machine; a slanted surface that makes it easier tomove a mass from a lower point to a higher point

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inertia

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the property of a body, due to its mass, that causes it to resist anychange in its motion unless overcome by a force

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investigation

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a procedure that is carried out in order to observe a response causedby a stimulus; not a complete experiment

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kinetic energy

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the energy possessed by a body because of its motion

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lever

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a type of simple machine; consists of a rigid bar that pivots about afulcrum, used to transmit and enhance power or motion

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life cycle

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the entire sequence of events in an organism’s growth anddevelopment

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light

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electromagnetic radiation that lies within the visible range

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liquid

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one of the fundamental states of matter with a definite volume but nodefinite shape

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magnetic

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having the property of attracting iron and certain other materials byvirtue of a surrounding field of force

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mass

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the amount of matter an object contains

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matter

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a solid, liquid, or gas that possesses inertia and is capable ofoccupying space

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metamorphic rock

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a type of rock that forms from existing rock because of extremechanges caused by heat, pressure, or chemical environments

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microscope

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relating to an object too small to be visible without the use of amicroscope

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mixture

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the product of a thorough blending of two or more substances, notchemically combined

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moon

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a natural satellite that revolves around a planet

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moon phase

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a phrase that indicates the fraction of the Moon’s disc that isilluminated (as seen from Earth); the eight moon phases (in order):new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, fullmoon, waning gibbous, last quarter, waning crescent

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nonrenewable resource

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a resource that can only be replenished over millions of years

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organ

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a structure containing different tissues that are organized to carry outa specific function of the body (e.g., heart, lungs, brain, etc.)

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organism

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any living plant, animal, or fungus that maintains various vitalprocesses necessary for life

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photosynthesis

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a chemical process by which plants trap light energy to convertcarbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates (sugars)

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physical change

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a reaction; a change in matter from one form to another, withoutforming new substances

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planet

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a large body in space that orbits a star and does not produce light ofits own

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pollution

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any alteration of the natural environment producing a conditionharmful to living organisms; may occur naturally or as a result ofhuman activities

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population

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a group of organisms of the same species living in a specificgeographical area

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potential energy

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the energy an object has because of its position or structure; storedenergy

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predator

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an organism that preys on and consumes animals; usually an animal

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prey

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an organism caught or hunted for food by another organism

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producer

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an organism that makes its own food from the environment; usually agreen plant

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protist

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unicellular organisms belonging to the kingdom Protista

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pulley

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a type of simple machine; a circular lever, usually a wheel with agroove where a rope can be placed and used to change the directionof a force

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reflection

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the bouncing off or turning back of light, sound, or heat from asurface

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refraction

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a change in the direction of a wave that occurs as it passes from onemedium to another of different density

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renewable resource

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a resource that is replaced or restored, as it is used, by naturalprocesses in a reasonable amount of time

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resource

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any material that can be used to satisfy a need

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scientific method

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

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sedimentary rock

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rock formed from layers of sediment that overlay and squeezetogether or are chemically combined

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solar system

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a star and all the planets and other bodies that orbit it; the region inspace where these bodies move

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solid

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having a definite shape and a definite volume; one of thefundamental states of matter

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solution

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a mixture of two or more substances uniformly dispersed throughouta single phase

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star

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a large, gaseous, self-luminous body held together by gravity andpowered by thermonuclear reactions

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Sun

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the closest star to Earth and the center of our solar system

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system

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a set of objects, organisms, or different parts acting to form a whole

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tissue

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similar cells acting to perform a specific function; four basic types oftissue are muscle, connective, nerve, and epidermal

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topography

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the surface, shape, and composition of a land area

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universe

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the total sum of all matter and energy that exists

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volcano

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a vent or fissure in Earth’s surface through which magma and itsassociated materials are expelled; generally a mountain-like structure

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volume

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a measure of the amount of space an object takes up; also theloudness of a sound or signal

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water cycle

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the path water takes as it is being cycled through the environment,including condensation, evaporation, and precipitation

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weathering

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the natural processes that break down and change rock into soil,sand, and other materials; differs from erosion in that notransportation of those materials takes place

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wheel and axle

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a type of simple machine; a circular frame or disk revolving around acentral axis