MCAS Grade 5 Science flashcards
MCAS Grade 5 Science · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Hypothesis
- A testable prediction about what will happen in an experiment, based on observations or prior knowledge, and stated before data are collected so results can support or reject it.
- Independent variable
- The one factor the experimenter deliberately changes or manipulates between trials, so that its effect on the measured outcome can be observed and compared.
- Dependent variable
- The factor that is measured or observed as a result of changing the independent variable, such as plant height in centimeters after different amounts of light.
- Control group
- The part of an experiment that receives no change to the tested variable and is used as a standard for comparison against the experimental groups.
- Constants
- All the conditions kept the same across every trial, such as the amount of water, the type of soil, and the container size, so results reflect only the tested variable.
- Repeated trials
- Running the same test several times to reduce the effect of random error, making the average result more trustworthy than a single measurement.
- Metric length units
- Length is measured in meters; smaller distances use centimeters (1 meter equals 100 centimeters) and millimeters (1 centimeter equals 10 millimeters), typically with a ruler.
- Mass versus weight
- Mass is the amount of matter in an object, measured in grams with a balance; weight is the pull of gravity on that matter and changes with location.
- Volume measurement
- The space an object or liquid takes up, measured in milliliters with a graduated cylinder; read the scale at the lowest point of the curved surface, called the meniscus.
- Bar graph
- A graph using bars of different heights to compare amounts among separate categories, such as the number of each kind of bird counted in a survey.
- Line graph
- A graph that plots points connected by lines to show how one variable changes over time or in response to another continuous variable, like daily temperature.
- Scientific conclusion
- A statement explaining whether the data support the hypothesis, supported by specific evidence from the results and often suggesting a follow-up question.
- Earth's four systems
- The geosphere (rock and land), hydrosphere (water), atmosphere (air), and biosphere (living organisms) constantly exchange matter and energy with one another.
- Evaporation
- The process in which liquid water absorbs energy, mostly from the Sun, and changes into water vapor that rises into the atmosphere.
- Condensation
- The change of water vapor into tiny liquid droplets when it cools, forming clouds and fog; this is the opposite of evaporation.
- Precipitation
- Water that falls from clouds to Earth's surface as rain, snow, sleet, or hail when droplets or ice crystals grow heavy enough.
- Water cycle
- The continuous movement of water between Earth's surface and atmosphere through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection, powered by the Sun and gravity.
- Weathering and erosion
- Weathering breaks rock into smaller pieces in place, while erosion carries those pieces away by water, wind, or ice, reshaping landforms over time.
- Fossils
- Preserved remains or traces of organisms found mainly in sedimentary rock, giving evidence of past life and how environments have changed.
- Renewable resources
- Natural resources replaced by natural processes within a human lifetime, such as sunlight, wind, and flowing water, unlike coal and oil.
- Food chain
- A model showing the path of energy from the Sun to producers, then to consumers, with arrows pointing in the direction energy flows.
- Producer
- An organism, usually a green plant, that makes its own food using sunlight through photosynthesis and is the base of most food chains.
- Consumer
- An organism that cannot make its own food and must eat other organisms; herbivores eat plants, carnivores eat animals, and omnivores eat both.
- Decomposer
- An organism such as bacteria or fungi that breaks down dead plants and animals, returning nutrients to the soil for producers to reuse.
- Photosynthesis
- The process in which plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make sugar for food and release oxygen into the air.
- Adaptation
- A body structure or behavior that helps an organism survive in its environment, such as thick fur in cold climates or a cactus storing water.
- Life cycle
- The stages an organism passes through from birth to reproduction to death; some animals, like butterflies and frogs, undergo dramatic changes called metamorphosis.
- Inherited traits
- Characteristics passed from parents to offspring through genes, such as eye color or flower color, unlike learned behaviors such as reading.
- Plant structures
- Roots absorb water and anchor the plant, stems support and transport materials, and leaves capture sunlight for making food.
- States of matter
- Solids have fixed shape and volume, liquids have fixed volume but take the shape of their container, and gases spread to fill any container.
- Mixtures and solutions
- A mixture combines substances that keep their properties and can be separated by hand; a solution is a mixture so evenly blended it cannot be separated that way.
- Conductors and insulators
- Conductors such as copper and aluminum carry heat and electric current easily, while insulators such as rubber and wood slow that flow.