Science Terms H-M

the model of the solar system that places the Sun at the center with the planets orbiting around it

a mixture that is not uniform in composition

a mixture in which the components are uniformly distributed

a crystal of a molecule that also contains water in the crystal structure. If the water evaporates, the crystal becomes anhydrous.

the study of the Earth’s water and water systems

a step in the scientific method where a prediction is made about the end result of an experiment. A hypothesis is generally based on research of related data.

a rock formed through the cooling of magma

the distance from an image to a mirror or lens

the tendency of an object to follow Newton’s First Law, the law of inertia. That is the tendency of an object to remain at rest or in motion with constant velocity unless acted on by a force.

a material that is neither plant nor animal in origin

the power per unit area of a wave; measured in Watts/m2

an atom that has either lost electrons to become a positively charged cation, or has gained electrons to become a negatively charged anion

substances that have the same molecular formula (same number of elements) in different arrangements

atoms of the same element, with different numbers of neutrons, and hence a different atomic mass

one of the outer planets of the solar system that have characteristics similar to that of Jupiter. They are also called gas planets. They are large, have high mass, have many moons, may have rings, are far from the Sun and each other, have thick atmospheres, are gaseous and have low density, have a composition similar to that of the Sun, have short rotation rates, and have long revolution periods around the Sun. The Jovian planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

the energy due to an object’s motion or velocity

the breeze that develops on the shoreline due to unequal heating of the air above the land and ocean. Land breeze occurs at night when the air above the land is cooler and the air above the ocean is warmer. The breeze blows from the land to the sea.

the coordinate used to measure positions on the Earth north or south of the Earth’s equator. Latitude is measured in degrees, minutes, and seconds. Zero degrees latitude is the Earth’s equator.

the coordinate used to measure positions on the Earth east or west of the prime meridian, which goes through Greenwich, England. Longitude is measured in degrees, minutes, and seconds.

a wave that has the direction of motion of the particles in the medium parallel to the direction of motion of the wave. Sound is an example of a longitudinal wave.

the amount of matter in an object; also a measure of the amount of inertia of an object. Common units are kilograms (kg).

a broad curve in a river

a process of cellular reproduction where the daughter cells have half the amount of chromosomes. This is used for purposes of sexual reproduction to produce sex cells that will be able to form an offspring with a complete set of chromosomes with different DNA than the parents.

the curved surface of a liquid in a container, caused by surface tension