Science dictionary for kids

Contents Introduction Scientific Equipment The Scientific Process Measurements and Units Life Sciences Physical Sciences Earth Sciences Space Sciences Quick Reference Guide References Index About the Author Introduction “Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.”—Carl Sagan As Carl Sagan stated, the study of science is much more than just facts and knowledge; yet without the specialized vocabulary that accompanies the scientific concepts and processes, a person will find himself at a disadvantage as he strives to express himself scientifically That is where Science Dictionary for Kids comes to the rescue This dictionary is much more than a list of words with dictionary definitions, although it does contain science words and, yes, definitions The vocabulary used in science is vast; many of the words resemble commonly used words, however, their scientific usage may be very different There also are many science words that are new and difficult for students to remember These are the words that will be found in this dictionary, those new and seemingly difficult words or those that have significantly different definitions than common language In addition to definitions of these specially chosen words written in everyday language (rather than dictionary language), readers also will find common examples and drawings for many of the words in order to create better understanding This book does not stop at vocabulary words commonly included in science dictionaries Instead, it addresses other information that would be helpful to students on their way to becoming scientific thinkers Readers also will find diagrams and graphics of the different cycles studied in the science classroom The diagrams have the content presented in a basic way It is not intended to replace instruction, rather to serve as an introduction or reminder of what was previously studied It is meant to be user friendly, so if parents would like to have their children work ahead, or teachers would like their students to have a basic understanding of the content, these drawings will accomplish that How many times students read a definition or make a drawing before it is introduced and not understand what they have just drawn? There also is a reference guide devoted to commonly used formulas and units used in science Science is filled with standard units (e.g., kilograms and meters) and derived units (e.g., Newtons, which is a kilogram • meter, and a Joule, which equals a Newton • meter)— could it get any more confusing? Students can get more wrapped up in the units than the content when they not remember with what each unit is associated And, what about the multitude of formulas that exist in science? Students often have a formula sheet, but they have to manipulate or change the formulas in order to finish the problem In this book’s guide, students will be able to locate the target word, read its brief definition, and review the formula for its calculation (including units.) In order to assist readers in moving beyond the “body of knowledge,” this book contains many resources to help them be successful with their experiments in the laboratory Although time often is taken to explain the proper names and uses for all of the scientific equipment at the beginning of the school year, by March students might have forgotten about the dangers of turning the eyedropper upside down to move liquids or have regressed to calling beakers “those cup things” again! This book has an entire section devoted to the equipment and glassware that students may work with in the science classroom, including a definition, but more importantly, a drawing (for easy identification) and if appropriate, specific directions for the equipment’s use—such as how to transport liquid in an eyedropper without blowing air into the liquid and turning it upside down What a time saver to not have to review all of the equipment the day of the experiment It also is very effective to have students review the equipment on their own before it is used so if a review is needed, it is a very quick one on the day of the lab In addition to equipment, there also is a quick reference section to assist students with the various steps of the scientific method from creating testable questions to writing procedures and how to visibly present data through the creation of different types of graphs Students can quickly flip to the instructions on multiple line graphs and be on their way to producing their own These quick reference pages are meant to assist the reader in the steps of the scientific method in a quick, concise way From equipment usage to the steps of the scientific method, this book is much more than a standard dictionary It is intended to assist teachers in reinforcing their content as well as parents who are willing to help their child understand a science concept It is a ready reference to fill the gaps, bring ideas back to mind, and allow students to be even more self-sufficient in the scientific way of thinking Scientific Equipment Anemometer A weather instrument used to measure wind force and speed Barometer A weather instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure Below 29 is considered rainy or stormy while 30 or above is considered fair weather Beaker A container used to transport, pour, or mix liquids It cannot measure an exact amount of liquid Bunsen Burner A small burner used in the laboratory It is connected to a gas source and uses a very hot flame When heating, the hottest area is at the top of the inner core Compass An instrument used to find direction It usually is made of a magnetic needle that is free to move until it is lined up with Earth’s magnetic field Compound Light Microscope A light microscope that has more than one lens that is used to magnify a small object or specimen Erlenmeyer Flask A flat-bottomed, cone-shaped flask used for mixing and heating liquid A stopper can be used to seal it Eyedropper A tube with a rubber bulb on the end that is used to pull liquid into the tube It is used for transporting small amounts of liquid Eyewash Safety equipment that is used to flush the eyes in case something gets into them during a lab experiment Funnel A utensil used to pour small solids or liquids into small-mouthed containers It is usually made of either plastic or glass Goggles Safety equipment used to protect your eyes during an experiment Graduated Cylinder A cylinder that has been marked with different “graduations,” or lines and numbers, to show the level of the liquid put in it Always read the meniscus, or the bottom of the curved liquid, when using a glass graduated cylinder Hand Lens A hand-held magnifying glass that allows you to look closely at objects The typical magnification is 10x; it makes the object 10 times bigger Hot Plate A device used to heat beakers or flasks, it has either coils or a ceramic plate for heating Always be sure the cord is tucked away for safety! Hydrion Paper A special kind of litmus paper that turns different colors depending on the pH (acidity or alkalinity) of the substance being tested Litmus Paper Paper used to determine pH The paper changes color depending on whether it has been put in an acid, base, or neutral substance Red litmus paper will turn blue when placed in a base and blue litmus paper will turn red when placed in an acid Meniscus The lowest part of the curve created by water when it is placed in a glass graduated cylinder When reading the exact amount in a glass graduated cylinder, you look at where the meniscus lies Meter Stick A common instrument for measuring length in the classroom Pan Balance A balance that uses two different pans to find the mass of an object Petri Dish A shallow dish approximately 10 centimeters in diameter, used for growing bacteria cultures or evaporating crystals Ring Stand A metal stand that usually includes a ring and is used to support glassware during heating or other lab equipment during an experiment Spring Scale A measuring device or scale that uses a spring to measure the weight of an object The most common unit measured using a spring scale is Newtons; 4.45 Newtons equals 1 pound Stopper A cork or plug that is placed in glassware to seal it It can be made of cork, plastic, or rubber and can either be solid or have holes in it to allow glass tubing to pass through Stream Table A long table that is used to show weathering, erosion, and water flow in streams and Deposition 64 Diatomic Molecule 41 Dichotomous Key 22 Diffract/Diffraction 41 Divergent Boundary 65 DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) 22 Dominant Trait 23 Doppler Effect/Doppler Shift 41 E Eclipse 78 Electromagnet 42 Electrons 42 Calculating the Number of 42, 105 Element 42 Creating a Bohr Model for 105 Elliptical Galaxy 79, 80 Endoplasmic Reticulum 21, 23 Energy 42, 119 Geothermal (Hydrothermal) 67 Law of Conservation of 46 Solar 72 Tidal 73 Wind 76 Epicenter 65 Epidermis 23 Era 65, 127 Erlenmeyer Flask 6 Erosion 65 Evaporation 65, 75 Exosphere 65 Extrusive 66 Eyedropper 6 Using an 91 Eyewash 6 F Fahrenheit (°F) 15, 57, 114, 120 Families 42 Fault (Fault Line) 66 Filament 23 Fission 66 Focus 66 Fold 66 Foliated 66 Food Chain 23 Food Web 23 Force 42, 119 Frequency 43, 119 Formula for 43, 115 Friction 43 Fruit 24 Full Moon 79, 125 Funnel 6 Fusion 67 G Galaxy 80 Elliptical 79 Irregular 80 Spiral 84 Gas 43 Generator 67 Genotype 24 Genotypic Ratio 24 Determining 110 Geologic Timeline 127 Geothermal (Hydrothermal) Energy 67 Gibbous 80, 125 Glacier 67 Goggles 7 Golgi Apparatus 24 Graduated Cylinder 7 Reading a 91 Gram (g) 15, 117 Gravity 43 Gravity Constant (g c) 16 Groups 43 H Habitat 24 Half-Life 44, 67 Hand Lens 7 Herbivore 24 Hertz (Hz) 16, 119 Heterogeneous Mixture 44 Heterozygous 24 Hibernation 25 Homogenous Mixture 44 Homozygous 25 Hot Plate 7 Humus 67 Hybrid 25 Hydrion Paper 7 Hypothesis 12, 14, 94 I Igneous Rock 68 Inclined Plane 44 Formula for Mechanical Advantage of 44, 116 Independent Variable 12 Indicator 45 Inertia (Newton’s First Law of Motion) 45 Inexhaustible Resource 68 Inference 12 Inherited Trait 25 Insoluble 45 Instinct 25 Insulator 45 Interphase 25 Intrusive 68 Invertebrates 26 Ion 45 Determining if an Atom Is an 106 Determining the Charge of an 101 Irregular Galaxy 80 Isotope 46 Determining if an Atom Is an 106 J Joule (J) 16, 119 K Kelvin (°K) 16, 57 L Lava 68 Law of Conservation of Energy 46 Law of Conservation of Mass 46 Learned Behavior 26 Lever 46, 116 Life Cycle 26 Light Year (ly) 16, 81 Line Graph 13 Creating a 101 Creating a Multiple 103 Liquid 47 Liter (l) 17 Lithosphere 68 Litmus Paper 7 Longitudinal (Compressional) Wave 47 Lunar Phases 81, 125 Luster 68 M Magma 68 Mammals 26 Manipulated Variable 13 Mantle 68 Marsupials 26 Mass 47, 119 Atomic 37 Law of Conservation of 46 Quick Conversions 117 Matter 47 Meander 69 Measurements and Their Units 119 Mechanical Advantage (MA) 47 Formulas for 116 Inclined Plane 44 Lever 46 Wheel and Axle 59 Meiosis 27 Melting Point 47 Meniscus 8 Mesosphere 69 Metalloid 48 Metals 48 Metamorphic Rock 69 Metaphase 27 Meteorite 81 Meteorologist 69 Meter (m) 17 Meter Stick 8 Microscope, using a 88 Mimicry 27 Mineral 69 Moh’s Hardness Scale 126 Mitochondria 27 Mitosis 27 Mixture 48 Heterogeneous 44 Homogeneous 44 Moh’s Hardness Scale 126 Molecule 48 Diatomic 41 Momentum 48 Formula for 48, 114 Monotremes 28 Moon or Lunar Phases 81, 125 Moraine 69 Mutation 28 Mutualism 28 N Natural Selection 28 Nebula 81 Neutral 49 Neutron 49 Calculating the Number of 49, 105 New Moon 81, 125 Newton (N) 17, 119 Using a Spring Scale 90 Newton’s First Law of Motion 45, 49 Newton’s Laws of Motion 49 Newton’s Second Law of Motion 50 Newton’s Third Law of Motion 50 Niche 28 Nitrogen Cycle 28 Nonmetals 50 Nonrenewable Resource 69 Nontestable Questions 95 Nucleus of a Cell 21, 28 of an Atom 50 O Observation 13 Qualitative 14 Quantitative 14 Ohm (?) 17, 40, 119 Ohm’s Law 40 Omnivore 29 Orbit 81 Ore 70 Organ 29 Organelle 29 Organ System 29 Ovary 29 P Pan Balance 8 Using a 90 Pangaea 70, 127 Parallel Circuit 50 Parasitism 29 Particle 51 Pendulum 51 Period 51 Geologic 70, 127 of a Pendulum 51 Periodic Table 123 Permeability 70 Petals 29 Petri Dish 8 pH (Potential of Hydrogen) 51, 121 Phase 51 Phenotype 30 Phenotypic Ratio 30 Determining 111 Phloem 30 Photosynthesis 30 Physical Change 51 Physical or Mechanical Weathering 71 Physics 51 Pistil 30 Pitch 52 Plasma 52 Plate Tectonics 71 Power 52, 119 Calculating Voltage 58 Formula for 115, 116 Ohm’s Law 40 Solar 72 Tidal 73 Wind 76 Precipitation 71, 75 Prey 31 Problem 13, 94 Procedure 13, 96 Producer 23, 31 Product 52 Prominence 81 Property 52 Chemical 39 Prophase 31 Protons 53 Calculating the Number of 53, 105 Protostar 82 Pulley 53 Punnett Square 31 Creating and Completing 108 Using to Determine the Genotypic Ratio 110 Using to Determine the Phenotypic Ratio 111 Purebred 31 Q Qualitative Observations 14 Quantitative Observations 14 Quarter 82, 125 R Radiation 71 Radio Telescope 9, 82 Reactant 53 Recessive Trait 31 Reflecting Telescope 9, 82 Reflect (Reflection) 54 Refracting Telescope 9, 83 Refract (Refraction) 54 Renewable Resource 72 Reptiles 32 Resistance 54, 119 Formula for 115 to Calculate Current 40 to Calculate Voltage 58 Respiration 32 Responding Variable 14 Revolution 83 Ribosome 32 Ring Stand 8 RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) 32 Rock Cycle 72 Rotation 84 Runoff 72 S Satellite 84 Saturated Solution 54 Scavenger 32 Scientific Method 14, 94–96 Screw 55 Sedimentary Rock 72 Sediments 72 Seismograph 72 Sepal 32 Series Circuit 55 Simple Machine 55 Formulas for Mechanical Advantage of 116 Solar Flare 84 Solar Power 72 Solid 55 Measuring Volume of a 92 Solubility 55, 112 Curves 112 Determining 113 Solubility Graph 55 Reading a 112 Soluble 55 Solute 56 Solution 56 Determining the Solubility of 113 Saturated 54 Supersaturated 56 Unsaturated 57 Solvent 56 Speed 56, 119 Formula for 114 Spiral Galaxy 80, 84 Spring Scale 8 Using a 90 Stamen 33 Steps of the Scientific Method 14, 94 Stigma 33 Stopper 9 Stratosphere 73 Stratus 73, 124 Streak 73 Stream Table 9 Style 33 Subduction Zone 73 Sun Spot 85 Supernova 85 Supersaturated Solution 56 T Telephase 33 Telescope 9 Radio 82 Reflecting 82 Refracting 83 Temperature 57, 119 Celsius and Fahrenheit Conversion Chart 120 Formulas for 114 Testable Question Determining a 95 Test Tube 10 Test Tube Clamp 10 Test Tube Rack 10 Theory 14 Thermometer 10 Thermosphere 73 Tidal Power 73 Tissue 34 Topographic Map 74 Trait 34 Acquired 19 Dominant 23 Inherited 25 Recessive 31 Transform Boundary 74 Transpiration 34 Transverse Wave 57 Trial 14 Triple Beam Balance 10 Using a 89 Tropism 34 Troposphere 74 Tsunami 74 U Unsaturated Solution 57 V Vacuole 21, 34 Valence Electrons 57 Vertebrate 35 Volt (V) 17, 119 Voltage 58, 119 Formula for 115 Volume 58, 119 Measuring 92 Quick Conversions 118 W Waning 125 Warm-Blooded 35 Water Cycle 75 Watts (W) 18, 119 Wavelength 58 Formula for 58, 115 Waxing 125 Weathering 76 Chemical 61 Physical or Mechanical 71 Weather Map Symbols 75, 124 Wedge 59 Weight 59, 119 Formula for 116 Quick Conversions 117 Wheel and Axle 59 Calculating the Mechanical Advantage of 59, 116 White Dwarf 85 Wind Power 76 Work 59, 119 Formulas for 59, 116 to Calculate Power 52 X Xylem 35 Z Zygote 35 About the Author After teaching science for more than 15 years, both overseas and in the U.S., Laurie E Westphal now works as an independent gifted education and science consultant She enjoys developing and presenting staff development on differentiation for various districts and conferences, working with teachers to assist them in planning and developing lessons to meet the needs of their advanced students Laurie currently resides in Houston, TX, and has made it her goal to share her vision for real-world, product-based lessons that help all students become critical thinkers and effective problem solvers She is the author of the Differentiating Instruction With Menus series as well as Hands-On Physical Science ... person will find himself at a disadvantage as he strives to express himself scientifically That is where Science Dictionary for Kids comes to the rescue This dictionary is much more than a list of words with dictionary definitions, although it does contain science words and, yes, definitions... The Scientific Process Measurements and Units Life Sciences Physical Sciences Earth Sciences Space Sciences Quick Reference Guide References Index About the Author Introduction ? ?Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.”—Carl Sagan... definition or make a drawing before it is introduced and not understand what they have just drawn? There also is a reference guide devoted to commonly used formulas and units used in science Science is filled