Animal Adaptations
What is camouflage?
A feature or behavior that helps an organism blend into its surroundings.
What two properties define matter?
It has mass and takes up space.
What is a glacier?
A large mass of ice that moves slowly over land.
What is the chemical formula for water?
H₂O.
What must an instrument do to produce sound?
Vibrate
An octopus eats crabs, fish, and clams. Is it a producer or consumer?
A consumer, because it eats other organisms.
Which state of matter has a definite volume but takes the shape of its container?
A liquid
What do scientists call the long samples they drill from glaciers?
Ice cores
How many atoms are in one water molecule?
Three: two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
What carries sound energy from an instrument through the air to your ears?
Sound waves
How does changing its skin color help an octopus survive?
It helps the octopus hide from predators or approach prey without being noticed.
Why does a gas spread out to fill its container?
Its particles move freely through the available space.
How can gases trapped in old ice help scientists study Earth’s past?
They provide evidence about the gases in the atmosphere when the ice formed.
Scientists found ice in cold, dark lunar craters. Why does the lack of sunlight help ice remain frozen?
Less energy from sunlight reaches the ice, keeping temperatures very low.
An instrument vibrates faster. Does its pitch become higher or lower?
Higher. More vibrations per second produce a higher pitch.
An octopus has a soft, flexible body. How can this help it escape predators?
It can squeeze into small openings where predators cannot easily follow.
Water moves from a narrow glass into a wide bowl. What happens to its shape and volume?
Its shape changes to fit the bowl. Its volume stays the same if none spills.
Why must scientists keep ice cores frozen during transportation and storage?
Melting could release trapped gases and damage the evidence preserved in the ice.
Scientists detected lunar water using infrared light. Can human eyes see infrared light?
No. Instruments are needed to detect it.
Why can instruments made from wood, metal, and ice sound different?
Different materials vibrate differently, affecting the sounds they produce.
A veined octopus carries coconut shells and hides inside them. Why is this an example of tool use?
It uses an object from its environment to accomplish a task—creating a protective hiding place.
Explain how particle movement differs in a solid and a liquid.
In a solid, particles vibrate around fixed positions. In a liquid, particles can move past one another, allowing it to flow.
Why do scientists save ice cores after completing their first investigation?
They can check earlier results and study the samples again using new questions or improved technology.
Why would finding usable water on the Moon be helpful for astronauts?
They could use it for drinking and washing, reducing the amount that must be transported from Earth.
An ice instrument begins melting during a performance. Explain why its sound could change.
Melting changes the instrument’s shape, which can change how it vibrates and the sound it produces.
Students want to test whether temperature affects how quickly an ice instrument melts. Identify the independent variable, dependent variable, and two conditions to keep the same.