Plants & Ecosystems
What is the name of the process by which plants convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen gas?
Photosynthesis
Which state of matter has a definite volume, but not a definite shape?
Liquid
What happens in a chemical reaction?
Atoms rearrange themselves into or out of different molecules.
What is an atmosphere?
The layer of gases that surround a planet.
How do you calculate an object's speed?
Distance travelled / Time taken
Plants are normally at the _______ of a food chain
Bottom
Which state of matter is both dense and rigid?
Solid
What are the names for the chemicals at the beginning of a chemical reaction?
The reactants
What are the three most common gases in Earth's atmosphere?
Nitrogen gas, oxygen gas, and carbon dioxide.
The rate of change of an object's velocity is its _________
Acceleration
What do we call the linking together of multiple food chains?
A food web
Which state of matter is composed of loose, fast-moving particles?
Gas
What is the name for chemicals produced by a chemical reaction?
Products
What is the name of the heaviest layer of Earth's atmosphere?
The troposphere.
A number with both a size and a direction is called _______________
A vector
The nutrients that plants absorb through their roots are dissolved rocks, also called _______
Minerals
Changes in state
How can you tell if a chemical equation is balanced?
When the equation shows the same number of atoms of each chemical element on both the reactants side and the products side.
How does the atmosphere keep Earth's temperature healthy?
Greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide and water vapor, absorb heat.
Is it possible for an object to be moving and experience zero acceleration?
Yes! For example, a plane flying level experiences equal force between lift and gravity, and between thrust from its engines and drag from the air. The plane is moving very fast, but not accelerating.
After seeds are fertilized, they are scattered from the plant in a process called ____________
Dispersal
What is the difference between a compound and a mixture?
A compound is two or more chemical elements combined to form a larger molecule. A mixture is two or more different substances that do not form a larger molecule.
What is the difference between a synthesis reaction and a decomposition reaction?
A synthesis reaction produces a larger molecule from smaller components. A decomposition reaction produces multiple smaller molecules from a larger one.
What role do animals (like humans) play in the carbon cycle?
Animals eat the glucose and breathe the oxygen generated by plants, converting them to carbon dioxide in their bodies. Human industrial processes also use carbon fuels and oxygen to generate carbon dioxide.
Describe why a skydiver's velocity changes when they open a parachute.
A parachute has a greater surface area than the skydiver alone, allowing them to catch more air and slow down.