Producing Useful Materials

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Synthetic Material Noun

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[sin-thet-ik muh-teer-ee-ul]

Back

Synthetic Material

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A material made by humans through chemical processes, which does not occur naturally in the environment.

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Example: Monomers are small molecules that join to form polymers, which are synthetic materials.

Front

Natural Resource Noun

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[nach-er-ul ree-sors]

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Natural Resource

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Any substance or material that exists in the environment without human creation and is used by people.

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Example: Earth provides water, a natural resource, which can be used by people.

Front

Chemical Reaction Noun

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[kem-i-kuhl ree-ak-shun]

Back

Chemical Reaction

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A process that involves the rearrangement of atoms to form new substances with different chemical and physical properties.

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Example: The image shows how hydrogen and oxygen atoms rearrange to form water, illustrating a chemical reaction.

Front

Physical Property Noun

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[fiz-i-kuhl prop-er-tee]

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Physical Property

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A characteristic of a substance that can be observed or measured without changing the substance's chemical composition.

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Example: The shiny appearance of gold bars demonstrates a physical property.

Front

Chemical Property Noun

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[kem-i-kuhl prop-er-tee]

Back

Chemical Property

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A characteristic of a substance that becomes evident during a chemical reaction, describing its potential to change.

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Example: Iron reacts with hydrochloric acid to produce gas, showing reactivity.

Front

Chemical Synthesis Noun

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[kem-i-kuhl sin-thuh-sis]

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Chemical Synthesis

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The intentional creation of a complex chemical product from simpler substances through one or more chemical reactions.

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Example: Combining hydrogen and oxygen molecules to form water demonstrates chemical synthesis.

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Replicate Verb

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[rep-li-keyt]

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Replicate

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To make an exact copy of or to repeat a process or experiment to ensure consistent results.

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Example: Planaria can regenerate by replicating their body parts, demonstrating how organisms make exact copies.

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Polymer Noun

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[pol-uh-mer]

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Polymer

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A large molecule composed of many repeating structural units, called monomers, linked together in a long chain.

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Example: The image shows how amino acids link to form proteins, demonstrating polymer formation.

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Monomer Noun

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[mon-uh-mer]

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Monomer

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A small molecule that can chemically bond with other similar molecules to form a larger molecule called a polymer.

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Example: Monomers (small molecules) combine to form a polymer (larger molecule).

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Plastic Noun

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[plas-tik]

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Plastic

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A type of synthetic polymer that can be molded into various shapes and is known for its durability.

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Example: Monomers link together to form polymers, the building blocks of plastics.