Vocab Flashcards
the grinding and wearing away of rock surfaces through the mechanical action of other rock or sand particles
abrasion
the numeric age of an object or event, often stated in years before the present, as established by an absolute-dating process, such as radiometric dating
absolute age
Any method of measuring the age of an event or object in years
absolute dating
the brightness that a star would have at a distance of 32.6 light-years from Earth
absolute magnitude
the temperature at which molecular energy is at a minimum (0 K on the Kelvin scale or -273.16 °C on the Celsius scale)
absolute zero
in optics, the transfer of light energy to particles of matter
absorption
a large, flat, almost level area of the deep-ocean basin
abyssal plain
the rate at which velocity changes over time; an object accelerates if its speed, direction, or both change
acceleration
a piece of lithosphere that becomes part of a larger landmass when tectonic plates collide at a convergent boundary
accreted terrane
any compound that increases the number of hydronium ions when dissolved in water
acid
rain, sleet, or snow that contains a high concentration of acids
acid precipitation
the minimum amount of energy required to start a chemical reaction
activation energy
the movement of substances across the cell membrane that requires the cell to use energy
active transport
characteristic that improves an individual’s ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment
adaptation
a polymer in which the formula of the repeating structural unit is identical to the molecular formula of the monomer
addition polymer
