the shaking of the ground caused by the sudden release of energy in Earth’s crust
earthquake
a substance made up of a combination of two or more elements held together by chemical bonds that cannot be separated by physical means
compound
controlled use and/or maintenance of natural resources; various efforts to preserve or protect natural resources
conservation
a quantity that describes the capacity to do work; a source of usable power
energy
relating to an object too small to be visible without the use of a microscope
microscopic
an ecological community, together with its environment, functioning as a unit
ecosystem
the process of changing from a gas to a liquid
condensation
an organism that feeds on other organisms for food
consumer
a force of attraction between two masses
gravitation
a plan of inquiry that uses process skills as a tool to gather, organize, analyze, and communicate information
scientific method
the wearing away of Earth’s surface by the breakdown and transportation of rock and soil
erosion
one of the fundamental states of matter in which molecules do not have fixed volume or shape
gas
any organism that feeds or obtains nutrients by breaking down organic matter from dead organisms
decomposer
the property of a body, due to its mass, that causes it to resist any change in its motion unless overcome by a force
inertia
a set of objects, organisms, or different parts acting to form a whole
system
a large collection of stars, gases, and dust that are part of the universe bound together by gravitational forces
galaxy
a form of energy resulting from the temperature difference between a system and its surroundings
heat
the sum of conditions affecting an organism, including all living and nonliving things in an area, such as plants, animals, water, soil, weather, landforms, and air
environment
the energy possessed by a body because of its motion
kinetic energy
a type of simple machine; a circular frame or disk revolving around a central axis (cars have these)
wheel and axle
the observed effect of the force of gravitation
gravity
one of the fundamental states of matter with a definite volume but no shape. It takes the shape of its container.
liquid
the interconnected feeding relationships in a food chain found in a particular place and time
food web (food cycle)
the energy an object has because of its position or structure; stored energy
potential energy
having a definite shape and a definite volume; one of the fundamental states of matter
solid