Science Help: Glossary of Terms

Preparing your child for the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) world that will face them as adults does not need to be a challenge. Here are a few terms your child should know. Test your children yourself and ask for examples where appropriate.

• Absorbent- a substance that soaks up liquid, or energy, and retains it.
• Acid- a chemical that neutralizes a base. By definition, acids contain a pH balance higher than 7. There are many kinds of acid- citric acid as found in lemons, acetic acid in vinegar, and hydrochloric acid.
• Alloy- a metal formed by melting and mixing two or more metals together. For example, brass is a mixture of copper and zinc, and bronze is an alloy of copper and tin.
• Amphibians- animals that live on both land and water. Their skins are smooth and moist and they lay eggs in water. Frogs and salamanders are well-known examples.
• Sedimentary- an element deposited by wind or water, or the matter that forms at the bottom of a liquid.
• Solution (chemical)- a mixture of two or more substances. Solutions dissolve in a solvent.
• Synthetic- substances that are not found in nature, but man-made by chemical reactions. Polyester and nylon are examples of synthetic fabrics, whereas cotton and wool are found naturally.
• Texture- the appearance, feel, and structure of a substance.
• Variables- factors that can change in an experiment.
• Zero error- a systematic error usually resulting from a measuring instrument having an incorrect zero. One example is not realizing that the ruler edge is not zero.

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