Semester One Vocabulary Review

The layer of gases surrounding the planet atmosphere

an event when one object in space casts a shadow onto another; when the Moon moves through Earth’s shadow or is in Earth’s umbra lunar eclipse

The result of a column of air pushing down on an area air pressure

the act of one object going around another, like the orbit of a planet around the Sun(a year) or a satellite around a planet revolution

The total energy of motion in the molecules of a substance thermal energy

One of the major divisions in a system for classifying the climates of different regions based on characteristics they have in common (ex. N. America is in a temperate zone, while Antarctica is in a polar zone) climate zone

The direct transfer of heat from one substance to another that is touching conduction

a group of billions of stars galaxy

when two forces are working on the same object in opposite directions and no changes seem to be occurring balanced force

an object bigger than an asteroid orbiting a star planet

the rise and fall of ocean water occurring at somewhat regular intervals due to the gravitational pull of the Moon tide

the planets, Sun, moons, stars, and everything that exists in space universe

Warm air masses with low air pressure coming from the tropics tropical air mass

the spinning of an object, like a planet (a day) or other celestial body on its axis rotation

The amount of mass in a given volume density

the Sun and all the objects revolving around it solar system

The measure of the amount of water vapor in the air humidity

The condition of Earth’s atmosphere at a particular time and place weather

The transfer of heat by the movement of a fluid or a gas convection

Humid air masses that form over water maritime air mass

the star groups made up of stars in the universe, not always the same galaxy, that resemble familiar objects and characters constellation

the attraction between objects that depends on the mass of the objects and distance between them gravitational force

a distant sun glowing from heat produced by nuclear reaction at its center star

Cold air masses from the poles with high air pressure polar air mass

Rapidly moving cold air mass runs into slower warm air mass – cold mass slides under warm mass pushing it up often resulting in precipitation or storms cold front

The way Earth’s rotation causes winds to curve Coriolis Effect

compound or element that is the result of a chemical reaction product

a particular kind of matter with uniform properties substance

A stream of water that flows through the ocean in a regular pattern ocean current

the irregular-shaped rocks, smaller than planets, that revolve around the Sun asteroid

a constantly moving global system of deep ocean circulation driven by temperature and salinity global conveyer belt

an electrically neutral subatomic particle that is part of the nucleus of an atom and has a mass slightly greater than that of a proton neutron

an oval or flattened circular path that the moons, planets, asteroids, and comets follow as they travel around the Sun elliptical orbit

Any form of water that falls from clouds and hits the Earth’s surface precipitation

a variable in an experiment that is measuring the effect of the change made on purpose dependent variable

the measurement of the amount of gravitational force exerted on the mass of an object weight

Warm air mass collides with slow cold air mass and warm air moves up and over cold air cooling as it rises warm front

Dry air masses forming over land continental air mass

a change in the composition of a substance/object chemical change

a space rock or dust from a comet or broken up asteroid that burns up in the atmosphere of Earth meteor

a change in the appearance of an substance or object physical change

a celestial body that orbits the Sun, is large enough to have a nearly round shape, does not clear the neighborhood around its orbit, and is not a satellite of a planet dwarf planet

the energy possessed by a body as a result of its position or condition rather than its motion potential energy

the amount of salt dissolved in a solution; it’s much higher in the ocean than in rivers, lakes, or other bodies of water salinity

the smallest particle of an element that has the chemical properties of that element atom

a variable that must remain the same throughout the experiment constant

Winds that blow over short distances due to uneven heating in a localized area local winds

the force that pulls an object moving in a circle toward the center of the circle and causes the object to follow a curving path centripetal force

the positively charged central region of an atom, composed of protons and neutrons and containing most of the mass of the atom nucleus (atomic)

a force that opposes the motion of an object friction

an event when one object in space casts a shadow onto another; when the Moon’s shadow crosses Earth solar eclipse

A disturbance of wind patterns and ocean currents in the Pacific Ocean that causes temporary climate changes in many parts of the world El Niño

a substance participating in a chemical reaction, especially one present at the start of the reaction reactant

a part of an experiment set up to represent normal, unchanged conditions that is used for comparison at the end of an experiment control or control group

forces working in opposite directions that result in acceleration of an object unbalanced force

a stable subatomic particle that has a positive electric charge and is part of the nucleus of an atom proton

a variable in an experiment that is changed on purpose by the investigator to see the effect it may have independent variable

the process of changing one form of energy into another; energy is never created or destroyed energy transformation

The direct transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves radiation

a celestial body that revolves around a planet moon – natural satellite

the apparent force that seems to cause a body turning around a center to move away from the center centrifugal force

Winds that blow steadily from specific directions over long distances global winds

a group of atoms that are held together by covalent bonds so that they move as a single unit molecule

the energy possessed by a body as a result of being in motion that is dependent on mass and velocity of the object kinetic energy

a stable subatomic particle with a negative electric charge that spins around an atom’s nucleus in orbits called shells electron