8Th Grade Physical Science Eoc Vocabulary Review

Front 1

ABIOTIC

Back 1

an environmental factor not associated with the activities of living organisms

Front 2

ACCELERATION

Back 2

rate of change in velocity, usually expressed in meters per second; involves an increase or decrease in speed and/or change in direction

Front 3

AIR RESISTANCE

Back 3

force of air on moving objects

Front 4

ALLELE

Back 4

any of two or more alternate forms of a gene that an organism may have for a particular trait

Front 5

AMPLITUDE

Back 5

in any periodic function (e.g., a wave) the maximum absolute variation of the function

Front 6

ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION

Back 6

a form of reproduction in which new individuals are formed without the involvement of gametes

Front 7

CALORIE

Back 7

unit of energy; the amount of heat needed to raise one gram of water one degree

Front 8

CHEMICAL WEATHERING

Back 8

the breakdown and alteration of rocks at or near Earth's surface as a result of chemical processes

Front 9

CIRCUIT

Back 9

an interconnection of electrical elements forming a complete path for the flow of current conduction the transmission of heat through a medium and without the motion of the medium

Front 10

CONSERVATION OF ENERGY

Back 10

a fundamental principle stating energy cannot be created nor destroyed but only changed from one form to another

Front 11

CONVECTION

Back 11

heat transfer in a gas or liquid by the circulation of currents from one region to another

Front 12

CREST

Back 12

the peak or highest point on a wave

Front 13

CRUST

Back 13

outermost layer of Earth covering the mantle

Front 14

DEPENDENT VARIABLE

Back 14

factor being measured or observed in an experiment

Front 15

DEPOSITION

Back 15

the process by which sediment is carried by forces (e.g., wind, rain, or water currents) and left in a certain area

Front 16

DIFFRACTION

Back 16

the change in direction of a wave caused by passing by an obstacle or traveling through an opening

Front 17

DOMINANCE

Back 17

tendency of certain (dominant) alleles to mask the expression of their corresponding (recessive) alleles

Front 18

ECOSYSTEM

Back 18

an ecological community, together with its environment, functioning as a unit

Front 19

EFFICIENCY

Back 19

the relative effectiveness of a system or device determined by comparing input and output

Front 20

ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM

Back 20

gamma rays, x-rays, ultraviolet radiation, visible light, microwaves, and radio waves

Front 21

ELECTRON

Back 21

a stable elementary particle that is negatively charged and orbits the nucleus of an atom

Front 22

ENTROPY

Back 22

a measure of randomness or disorders of a closed system

Front 23

EROSION

Back 23

a combination of natural processes in which materials from Earth's surface are loosened, dissolved, or worn away and transported from one place to another

Front 24

FOSSIL FUELS

Back 24

the remains of animal or plant life from past geologic ages that are now in a form suitable for use as a fuel (e.g., oil, coal, or natural gas)

Front 25

FREQUENCY

Back 25

the number of cycles or waves per unit time

Front 26

GENE

Back 26

a specific part of a chromosome or sequence of DNA that determines a particular feature or characteristic in an organism

Front 27

HETEROZYGOUS

Back 27

cell or organism that has two different alleles for a particular trait

Front 28

HOMOZYGOUS

Back 28

cell or organism that has identical rather than different alleles for a particular trait

Front 29

INERTIA

Back 29

the property of an object, due its mass, by which it resists any change in its position unless overcome by force

Front 30

MAGNETIC FIELD

Back 30

the region where magnetic force exists around magnets or electric currents

Front 31

MASS

Back 31

the amount of matter an object contains

Front 32

MEIOSIS

Back 32

the process of nuclear division in cells during which the number of chromosomes is reduced by half

Front 33

MITOSIS

Back 33

a process of nuclear division in eukaryotic cells during which the nucleus of a cell divides into two nuclei, each with the same number of chromosomes

Front 34

NEAP TIDE

Back 34

a twice-monthly tide of minimal range that occurs when the Sun, Moon, and Earth are at right angles to each other, thus decreasing the total tidal force exerted on Earth

Front 35

NEUTRAL

Back 35

a particle, object, or system that lacks a net charge

Front 36

NEUTRON

Back 36

a subatomic particle having zero charge, found in the nucleus of an atom

Front 37

NUCLEUS

Back 37

the center region of an atom where protons and neutrons are located; also a cell structure that contains the cell's genetic material

Front 38

OCEAN BASIN

Back 38

a depression on the surface of Earth occupied by water

Front 39

PLATE TECTONICS

Back 39

theory of global dynamics in which Earth's crust is divided into a smaller number of large, rigid plates whose movements cause seismic activity along their borders

Front 40

POTENTIAL ENERGY

Back 40

energy stored in an object due to the object's configuration and position

Front 41

PRESSURE

Back 41

the force exerted per unit area

Front 42

PRISM

Back 42

a piece of glass with polished plane surfaces that disperses a beam of white light into its component colors

Front 43

PROTON

Back 43

a subatomic particle having a positive charge and which is found in the nucleus of an atom

Front 44

PUNNETT SQUARE

Back 44

a graphic checkerboard used to determine results from a particular genetic cross

Front 45

RADIATION

Back 45

emission of energy in the form of rays or waves

Front 46

RECESSIVE

Back 46

an allele for a trait that will be masked unless the organism is homozygous for this trait

Front 47

SCREW

Back 47

a type of simple machine that consists of an inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder

Front 48

SEXUAL REPRODUCTION

Back 48

reproduction involving the union of gametes producing an offspring with traits from both parents

Front 49

SPECTROSCOPE

Back 49

an instrument that uses a prism to separate and catalog light wavelengths

Front 50

SPEED

Back 50

amount of distance traveled divided by time taken; the time-rate at which any physical process takes place

Front 51

SPRING TIDE

Back 51

the tide of increased range that occurs twice monthly at the new and full phases of the moon

Front 52

THERMAL ENERGY

Back 52

internal energy found by adding the kinetic energy of particles making up a substance

Front 53

TROPISM

Back 53

the motion of an organism or part of an organism toward or away from an external stimulus

Front 54

TROUGH

Back 54

the lowest point on a wave

Front 55

VARIABLE

Back 55

an event, condition, or factor that can be changed or controlled in order to study or test a hypothesis in a scientific experiment

Front 56

VELOCITY

Back 56

the time-rate at which a body changes its position; defined as displacement divided by the time of travel

Front 57

VIBRATION

Back 57

a repetitive movement around an equilibrium point

Front 58

VIRUS

Back 58

a noncellular, disease-causing particle that uses the genetic material from its host to reproduce

Front 59

WAVELENGTH

Back 59

the distance between crests of a wave

Front 60

WEDGE

Back 60

a type of simple machine that consists of an inclined plane to separate two objects

Front 61

WHEEL AND AXLE

Back 61

a type of simple machine that consists of a rod driven through the center of a cylinder that is allowed to rotate freely, yielding a mechanical advantage equal to the cylinder's diameter