Science: English Vocabulary List

(physics) the universal force of attraction between any pair of objects with mass

"Gravity pulls things down."

"Gravity is the invisible force that keeps our feet on the ground and holds planets in orbit around the sun."

a natural reaction or behavior that occurs automatically, without conscious thought or reasoning

"Birds migrate by pure natural instinct."

"A mother's instinct to protect her child is incredibly powerful and natural."

the chemical processes through which food is changed into energy for the body to use

"Fast metabolism burns calories."

"Regular exercise can boost your metabolism helping you burn more calories even while resting."

related to evolution or the slow and gradual development of something

"The change is evolutionary."

"The evolutionary theory explains how species change over time through natural selection and adaptation to their environments."

(biology) the slow and gradual development of living things throughout the history of the earth

"Evolution explains how animals change."

"The theory of evolution suggests that all living species have gradually developed from simpler organisms over millions of years."

the complete set of genetic material of any living thing

"The human genome has many genes."

"A genome is the entire set of genetic material present in an organism"

(biology) a change in the structure of the genes of an individual that causes them to develop different physical features

"The genetic mutation caused the flower to be white."

"The genetic mutation caused the plant to produce flowers with unusual colors and shapes."

an unhatched or unborn offspring in the process of development, especially a human offspring roughly from the second to the eighth week after fertilization

"Embryo develops fast."

"The embryo develops rapidly during the first few weeks after fertilization in the mother's womb."

something that triggers a reaction in various areas like psychology or physiology

"The stimulus caused a reaction."

"In behavioral psychology, a stimulus triggers a measurable response from the subject."

a light silver-gray metal used primarily for making cooking equipment and aircraft parts

"Aluminum pots are good."

"Aluminum is lightweight and resistant to corrosion making it ideal for aerospace and packaging applications."

a type of powder that is explosive, used in making bullets, bombs, etc.

"They used gunpowder."

"The invention of gunpowder revolutionized warfare and changed the course of human history dramatically."

an explosive that is very powerful

"They used dynamite to break rocks."

"Dynamite is a powerful explosive made by soaking nitroglycerin into an absorbent material"

a device that produces a powerful and concentrated beam of light that can be used in medical procedures, for cutting metal objects, etc.

"Laser technology is advanced."

"The surgeon used a precise laser to correct the patient's vision without any incisions."

an object that produces an invisible field capable of attracting certain metals without physical contact

"The magnet attracted all the paperclips."

"The magnet attracted all the metal paperclips even from a distance of several centimeters away."

a space that is utterly empty of all matter

"The vacuum is empty."

"In the vacuum of space there is no air to transmit sound waves between objects."

a small remaining amount or part of a thing after it has been taken, used, etc.

"Leftover residue was found."

"The sticky residue left by the tape was difficult to remove from the glass surface."

related to atoms, the smallest units of matter, including their structure, properties, and interactions

"Atomic structure is complex."

"Scientists are studying the complex atomic structure of new materials to understand their unique properties and potential applications."

(biology) the part of a cell that contains most of the genetic information

"The nucleus controls the cell."

"The nucleus is the control center of a cell and contains its genetic material."

a link that holds atoms or ions together in any molecule or crystal

"The bond is strong."

"A covalent bond forms when atoms share electrons to achieve stability."

the physical property in matter that causes it to experience a force in an electromagnetic field

"The charge is positive."

"An electric current is the flow of positive or negative charge through a conductor."

(physics) the degree to which a substance is compacted, measured by dividing its mass by its volume

"Ice has lower density than water."

"The density of a substance determines whether it will float or sink in water."

(physics) any of the smallest units that energy or matter consists of, such as electrons, atoms, molecules, etc.

"A tiny particle floated."

"Scientists study the behavior of subatomic particles in accelerators."

a feature or quality of something

"It has a nice property."

"The unique property of this material is its ability to change color with temperature."

from or related to living things

"This is organic food."

"The research focuses on the complex organic molecules found within deep-sea hydrothermal vents."

an animal or plant with parents that belong to different breeds or varieties

"This is a hybrid."

"The hybrid car uses both gasoline and electricity to achieve better fuel efficiency than conventional vehicles."

a cell or a group of cells created through a natural or artificial process from a source that they are genetically identical to

"They made a clone."

"Scientists successfully cloned a sheep named Dolly using a cell from an adult animal."

(of a living being) to produce offspring or more of itself

"Bacteria reproduce very quickly under warm conditions."

"Most plants reproduce by seeds but some species can also reproduce through cuttings or runners."

the act of producing a substance that exists in living beings

"It is a synthesis."

"The synthesis of new proteins is a fundamental process occurring within every living cell."

to increase the velocity of something

"The car will accelerate."

"The driver decided to accelerate quickly to pass the slower vehicle."

(of a solid) to become one with a liquid

"Sugar will dissolve in water."

"The sugar cubes gradually dissolve into the hot tea, sweetening it."

a water-soluble chemical substance that contains Hydrogen and has a sour taste or corrosive feature with a PH less than 7

"Lemon juice contains high amounts of citric acid."

"Acid rain caused by industrial pollution can severely damage forests and aquatic ecosystems."

a metallic chemical element that has a red-brown color, primarily used as a conductor in wiring

"Copper pipes carry the water."

"Copper is a soft reddish metal widely used in electrical wiring because it conducts electricity very well."

a heavy soft metal, used in making bullets, in plumbing and roofing, especially in the past

"The pipe was made of lead."

"Historically, lead was widely used in plumbing systems due to its malleability and durability."

a substance that permits electricity to pass through or along it

"Metal is a conductor."

"Copper is an excellent conductor of electricity, making it ideal for wiring."

a solid substance formed when a chemical compound solidifies, with atoms arranged in a highly regular, repeating pattern

"The chandelier was made of sparkling crystal that caught the light beautifully."

"A crystal is a solid material whose atoms are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure"

the different elements that form something or the arrangement of these elements

"Analyze the composition."

"The chemical composition of the unknown substance was analyzed in a laboratory using sophisticated equipment."

to release heat, light, sound, radiation, etc.

"The old factory emits toxic black smoke."

"The old factory continues to emit harmful gases into the atmosphere despite repeated warnings from environmental agencies."

a column of light, such as that emitted from a beacon or focused source

"A ray of light shone."

"A single ray of sunlight pierced through the dense forest canopy."

related to heat or temperature, including how heat moves, how materials expand with temperature changes, and the energy stored in heat

"He wears thermal underwear."

"The thermal camera detected heat signatures from the survivors trapped under the rubble and the rescue team quickly dug them out."

to press two things together or be pressed together to become smaller

"Compress the sponge."

"You need to compress the air in the balloon to make it smaller."

a machine that produces electricity by converting mechanical energy into electrical energy

"The generator stopped working again."

"When the power went out during the hurricane the hospital turned on its emergency backup generator."

to become gas or vapor from liquid

"Water will evaporate."

"The puddle will evaporate quickly under the hot summer sun."

without end or limits in extent, amount, or space

"An infinite number exists."

"The universe is infinite and human beings will never be able to explore all of its galaxies and planets."