2026 End of Year Science Vocabulary Competition Practice Test

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• What term describes a factor that limits population growth?
• What energy can we hear, caused by vibrations?
• Structures or features on plants and animals that allow them to survive and reproduce in their environment.
• Which zone is located farthest from the equator and is characterized by freezing temperatures and very low precipitation?
• Cutting paper is an example of which kind of change?
• Which type of wave requires a medium to propagate?
• What describes how high or low a sound is?
• What is the process by which a cell duplicates its chromosomes and divides to form two identical cells?
• Which statement is most accurate about behavioral adaptations?
• Muscles that contract automatically (for example, the heart) are called:
• What describes the rate of change of velocity, including speeding up, slowing down, and turning?
• Which term refers to the star around which the planets orbit in our solar system?
• What term describes the group that serves as a baseline for comparison and is not exposed to the factor being tested?
• What term describes how hot or cold an object is and is measured with a thermometer?
• Which organisms produce their own food using sunlight?
• What instrument is used to measure air pressure?
• The process by which substances are changed into different substances with different properties is called what?
• Which group name corresponds to Group 17, known for highly reactive nonmetals?
• A form of energy in the form of charged particles.
• Which term describes the group that serves as a baseline for comparison in an experiment?
• What term describes a relationship where both organisms gain benefits?
• What is a path for electricity to move through?
• What word describes the atmospheric conditions at a specific time and place, which can change quickly?
• Which term best describes a mixture in which two or more substances are physically combined but keep their own properties?
• Which scenario describes an inherited behavioral adaptation?
• A location's distance from the equator; areas near the equator receive more direct sunlight and higher temperatures.
• Which organ filters our blood to remove waste and produce urine?
• Which molecule carries genetic information in most organisms?
• What term describes the long-term average of weather conditions in a region?
• Which instrument is used to measure air pressure?
• The amount of space an object takes up is called
• Which process ensures two genetically identical daughter cells are produced at the end of cell division?
• Which organ holds food for several hours and then breaks it down into smaller pieces?
• What term is used for an animal that has a backbone?
• What term describes the distance above sea level; higher elevations are cooler temperatures?
• In genetics, which term describes the genetic makeup of an organism?
• Which term is defined as a balance of positive and negative charges?
• In genetics, what term describes the outward expression of a genetic trait?
• When equal forces act in opposite directions and the object does not move, this situation is described as?
• Which term is defined as the ability to do work and cause change, or the capacity to cause changes in matter?
• What instrument is used to measure temperature?
• Which metals found in Group 1 are highly reactive and form +1 ions?
• Which of the following is an example of a behavioral adaptation?
• A change of a substance from one form to another without changing its chemical properties is called a
• What energy stores energy in food and fuel?
• What term means to take in and store light energy?
• Which organelle is the powerhouse of the cell that produces ATP?
• Which phenomenon is precipitation that forms when water freezes into pellets in strong updrafts during storms?
• A system of planets and other bodies that orbit a star.
• Which term refers to a form of energy made of moving charged particles?
• Behavioral adaptation is different from structural adaptation because it involves which of the following?
• Which law explains that total mass remains constant in a closed system during a chemical reaction?
• Which zone has mild temperatures, average rainfall, and variation in seasons (warm summers and cold winters)?
• An animal without a backbone.
• Which muscles are under conscious control, like the biceps?
• What subatomic particle orbits the nucleus and carries a negative charge?
• What term describes a substance formed by two or more elements in fixed proportions?
• Circadian activity patterns in animals, being active during the day or night, are examples of what?
• Which organ works with the lungs to pump oxygen-rich blood throughout the body?
• What instrument is used to measure temperature?
• What is the smallest unit of life that can perform all life processes?
• What term describes the stable internal environment maintained by living things?
• What energy can you see, and it travels in straight lines called rays?
• What process explains how heritable traits become more common in a population over generations?
• When light passes from one material into another and changes direction, this is called what?
• Which state of matter has a definite volume but takes the shape of its container?
• Which energy is primarily involved when electricity powers a toaster?
• The amount of matter an object has is called
• Which type of precipitation forms during thunderstorms from repeatedly updrafts that cause ice to accumulate into larger pellets until they fall?
• Which process is the change from a liquid to a gas due to heat?
• What force acts to oppose motion between two contacting surfaces?
• Which term describes the certainty or reliability of data in an investigation?
• Which zone near the equator is hot and humid all year with dense vegetation?
• Which zone is near the poles and characterized by freezing temperatures and very little precipitation?
• A push or a pull is called what?
• Which term describes distance from the equator and affects sunlight intensity?
• Which term describes the certainty or reliability of data collected during an investigation?
• What term describes the distance between successive crests of a wave?
• What term describes the path of a satellite around a planet?
• Which statement best defines behavioral adaptation?
• What term describes a factor that limits population growth?
• Which term best describes instincts or learned behaviors that help an organism survive?
• Which group of metals found in Group 1 is highly reactive and forms +1 ions?
• Which term describes the property that enables an object to perform work or cause motion?
• What is the SI unit of force?
• Which organ holds food for several hours and then breaks it down into smaller pieces?
• Which organ is the control center that sends messages to the rest of the body?
• What simple machine is a straight inclined plane used to raise loads?
• What term refers to a factor in an experimental investigation that is changed to test a hypothesis?
• Which organ pumps oxygen-rich blood through the body?
• What property describes the resistance of any object to changes in its motion?
• Which term describes the cycle that moves carbon through living organisms, the atmosphere, oceans, and rocks?
• What term is used when another person follows the exact steps of an investigation to see if results are similar?
• In genetics, what term describes the genetic makeup of an organism?
• Which term describes a homogeneous substance where the solute is evenly distributed in the solvent and you cannot see separate parts?
• What is the Earth's outermost solid layer called?
• What term describes the amount of moisture in the air?
• Burning wood is an example of which kind of change?
• What simple machine is a straight inclined plane used to raise loads?
• Electricity that is not flowing.
• What term describes light bouncing off an object?
• Which organ makes us move?
• Which statement correctly describes echolocation in bats?
• Which term describes a circuit where the path is broken so current does not flow?
• Which organelle is the site of photosynthesis in plant cells?
• Which term describes a device or situation in which current is able to move through a circuit?
• Which process transforms liquid water into water vapor?
• To push away or apart.
• Which organ describes a body part that performs a complex function?
• Cutting a piece of paper into smaller pieces is an example of which kind of change?
• What instrument is used to measure electric current?
• Which example is more likely a behavioral adaptation rather than a physical trait?
• Which group of elements is known for being inert under standard conditions?
• Which instrument measures humidity?
• Which instrument is used to measure humidity?
• What term describes the cycle that moves carbon through living organisms and the environment?
• A balance of positive and negative charges.
• Which statement best describes the composition of an atomic nucleus?
• A large object in space that is made of gas and produces its own light.
• Which pH range characterizes acids?
• Which quantity includes both magnitude and direction and is often described as a vector?
• What term means to examine evidence or data to understand what it means for the study?
• What term describes a substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means?
• What is the name of the spiral galaxy that contains Earth and the Sun?
• What energy is transferred from a warmer object to a cooler object?
• What type of energy is stored due to an object's position?
• The ability to do work (motion) and cause change is called what?
• What term refers to a scientific test or procedure conducted under controlled conditions to answer a question?
• Which precipitation occurs when ice crystals fall and stay frozen because the outside temperature remains below freezing?
• Which term best describes a material that prevents the flow of electricity?
• What term describes features that help organisms survive in their environment, including structures and behaviors?
• Which energy is stored in batteries and fuels?
• Which process occurs when water vapor cools and becomes a liquid?
• What are organisms that produce their own food using sunlight called?
• What term describes behaviors that help plants and animals survive and reproduce in their environment?
• Which term best describes a change in an organism's behavior that increases its chances of surviving in a specific environment?
• What term describes the maintenance of stable internal conditions in an organism?
• Which organ serves as the body's outer protective layer and helps regulate temperature?
• Which process do green plants use to convert light energy and carbon dioxide into glucose and oxygen?
• What process describes the loss of water vapor from plant leaves?
• When matter turns from a solid to a liquid as heat is added, this process is called?
• Which type of precipitation occurs when ice crystals melt as they fall through warm air?
• What term describes a rearrangement of atoms to form new substances?
• A large, round body in space that orbits a star and does not produce its own light.
• What describes the movement of air from high pressure areas to low pressure?
• Which energy is produced by the sun's light captured by plants?
• Which natural object orbits a planet?
• Which organ stores excess liquid (urine) before it leaves the body?
• Which organelle captures light energy for photosynthesis in plant cells?
• Which of the following is a common plant-based example of a behavioral adaptation?
• Any star around which planets revolve.
• Which term is used for a study of the natural world that may include observations, questions, conclusions and does not necessarily test a variable?
• The distance between two adjacent crests of a wave is known as what?
• Which organ processes information and coordinates body actions?
• Which law states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction?
• A natural object that orbits a planet.
• What subatomic particle has no electric charge and resides in the nucleus?
• An animal that migrates annually to warmer climates is exhibiting a:
• What type of energy is associated with an object's motion?
• What term describes a scientific study of the natural world that may include observations, questions, gathering information, analyzing data, and drawing conclusions, not necessarily testing a variable?
• What subatomic particle carries a positive charge?
• What term describes the amount of water vapor in the air?
• What is the center of an atom where protons and neutrons are located?
• What pH value represents neutrality?
• What term refers to the data gathered during an experiment, including measurements and observations?
• Which term describes the electrons available for bonding with other atoms?
• An animal with a backbone.
• Which pH range characterizes bases?
• Which energy do you hear in a running engine?
• What icy body orbits the Sun and often has a glowing tail?
• Which term names the spiral galaxy that contains Earth and the Sun?
• Which group of nonmetals in Group 17 is known for highly reactive elements?
• Which term describes the process of examining evidence to determine what it means in the context of a study?
• What is the process called when substances are changed into different substances with different properties, creating a new substance?
• Which organ turns food into fuel and makes enzymes for digestion and helps control the amount of sugar in your blood after you eat?
• What type of wave requires a medium and cannot travel through a vacuum?
• What term is used for an animal that does not have a backbone?
• Which organelle performs photosynthesis in plant cells?
• Which organ covers and protects the body from germs and bacteria and helps regulate body temperature?
• What term refers to information about the natural world gathered through the five senses or measurements?
• What term describes water falling to Earth as rain, sleet, hail, or snow?
• What is the SI unit of force?
• In an ecosystem, which term refers to the interconnected feeding relationships among organisms?
• Which state of matter has no definite shape and no definite volume?
• Which term describes the continuous movement of water on Earth driven by the sun?
• The circular or elliptical path of a celestial object as it revolves around another object.
• Which law states that force equals mass times acceleration?
• What term describes the broad collection of stars bound by gravity that includes our galaxy?
• Which object is a large rocky body that orbits the Sun and is mainly found between Mars and Jupiter?
• How would you define speed?
• Which phenomenon is the movement of air from high-pressure to low-pressure areas?
• Which term describes energy due to motion?
• When liquid is heated and turns into a gas called water vapor, this process is called?
• Which term describes the act of repeating an investigation to verify results?
• What term describes a special kind of mixture in which the particles are evenly mixed and you may not be able to see all the substances?
• Which material allows heat or electricity to pass through easily?
• Which organ filters our blood and sends waste to the bladder?
• Muscles that contract automatically (ex: The heart).
• What is the energy of all moving objects?
• What term describes an animal that eats both plants and other animals?
• What form of precipitation starts as snow, melts in a warm layer, then refreezes near the ground because surface air is very cold?
• When cold temperatures cause matter to change from liquid to solid, this process is called?
• Which zone near the equator is hot and humid year-round with dense vegetation?
• What is the framework of the body that holds us up and gives us support?
• Which scenario illustrates a behavioral adaptation in response to predation?
• A material that stops electricity from passing through is called a
• What term describes a symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit?
• What term is a statement that describes what an investigation showed, based on observations and data?
• Which organ stores urine before it leaves the body?
• What phenomenon describes the bending of light as it passes between media?
• Which organ absorbs water and salt from your food?
• The form matter can take, such as solid, liquid, or gas, is called the
• Which organelle generates most of the cell’s usable energy?
• Which term refers to a vast system of stars, dust, and gas bound by gravity, including our solar system?
• Which organ absorbs the nutrients from your food?
• Which energy is necessary for a lamp to glow?
• Which quantity describes how fast something is moving without regard to direction?
• To pull towards; opposite poles of a magnet come together when they attract each other.
• What term describes a combination of two or more substances in which each substance keeps its own properties?
• Characteristics or behaviors that help organisms survive in their environment.
• Which term describes a circuit that provides a continuous path for current to flow?
• What is the term for the amount of pressure that air exerts on a surface, which rises with fair weather and falls with storms?
• What is the name of a cross that analyzes a single trait using two alleles?
• Which state of matter has a definite volume and a definite shape?
• What term refers to measurements or observations that are collected and recorded in a study?
• What term describes the complex network of feeding relationships in an ecosystem?
• What is the outermost layer of Earth called?
• When forces acting on an object are not balanced and the object moves in the direction of the stronger force, this is called?
• What molecule carries genetic information in most organisms?
• What term describes when you redo the same investigation multiple times?
• Which quantity includes both speed and direction?
• Which of the following is NOT typically considered a behavioral adaptation?
• What energy flows through wires from a power plant to outlets?
• Which term means the vertical height of terrain above sea level?
• Bring in oxygen rich air and send out carbon dioxide.
• This organ makes BILE to help your body break down fat and filters harmful substances.
• Which process occurs when water vapor cools and changes into a liquid?
• Two magnets with opposite poles attract each other. What term describes this action?
• Anything that has mass and takes up space is called