ILEARN Science Grade 6 flashcards
ILEARN Science Grade 6 · 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.
- Independent variable
- The factor a scientist deliberately changes in an investigation to observe whether it produces an effect on the outcome being measured.
- Dependent variable
- The factor that is measured or observed in an investigation; its value is expected to respond to changes made to the independent variable.
- Controlled variable
- A factor held constant across all trials so that differences in the outcome can be attributed to the independent variable alone.
- Quantitative observation
- An observation expressed as a number with a unit, such as a mass of 12 grams or a length of 5 centimeters, allowing comparison.
- Scientific claim
- A statement about how or why something happens that must be supported by evidence and by reasoning connecting that evidence to a principle.
- Testable question
- A question that can be answered by collecting observable or measurable evidence rather than by opinion, preference, or belief.
- Repeated trials
- Multiple runs of the same procedure used to check whether results are consistent and to reduce the influence of random measurement error.
- Engineering constraint
- A limitation on a design, such as cost, materials, time, or safety, that shapes which solutions are practical and acceptable.
- Model
- A simplified representation of an object or system used to explain or predict behavior; it always leaves out some details.
- Cause and effect
- A relationship in which a change in one factor produces an observable result in another factor within a system.
- System
- A set of interacting parts with a boundary, receiving inputs and producing outputs, whose behavior depends on how parts interact.
- Energy transfer
- Movement of energy from one object or part of a system to another, often changing form, as when motion becomes heat.
- Matter cycling
- The repeated movement of matter among living and nonliving parts of a system, such as carbon or water moving through an ecosystem.
- Structure and function
- The principle that the shape and arrangement of a part determine what that part can do within a system.
- Stability and change
- The idea that systems tend to remain in a steady state until feedback or an outside force pushes them past a threshold.
- Pattern
- A recurring feature in observations or data that can be used to classify objects and to predict what will happen in similar conditions.
- Scale
- The relative size, duration, or magnitude of a phenomenon, which affects how it can be observed, modeled, and compared.
- Feedback
- A process in which an output of a system returns to influence its own inputs, either keeping the system stable or driving further change.
- Cell
- The smallest unit that displays all characteristics of life; organisms may consist of one cell or many specialized cells.
- Photosynthesis
- The process in which plants use light energy, carbon dioxide, and water to make sugar and release oxygen as a byproduct.
- Cellular respiration
- The process by which cells break down sugar using oxygen to release usable energy, producing carbon dioxide and water.
- Producer
- An organism, usually a plant or alga, that makes its own food from sunlight and supplies energy to the rest of an ecosystem.
- Decomposer
- An organism such as a fungus or bacterium that breaks down dead material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
- Trophic level
- A feeding position in a food chain; only a small fraction of energy passes from one level to the next.
- Plate tectonics
- The theory that Earth's outer shell is broken into plates that move, causing earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain formation.
- Water cycle
- The continuous movement of water among atmosphere, land, and oceans through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff.
- Weather versus climate
- Weather is the short-term condition of the atmosphere; climate is the long-term average pattern of weather in a region.
- Conservation of mass
- In a closed system, the total mass of matter stays the same during physical and chemical changes because particles are rearranged, not created.
- Particle model of matter
- The idea that all matter is made of extremely small particles whose motion and spacing explain properties and changes of state.
- Force
- A push or pull that can change an object's speed or direction; forces act in pairs between interacting objects.
- Gravity
- A force of attraction between objects with mass that pulls objects toward Earth's center and keeps planets in orbit.
- Friction
- A force that opposes motion when two surfaces touch, converting some motion energy into heat.