9 E
Word Sheets
9Ea – Materials of the future/About ceramics
Word Pronunciation Meaning
bond A force that holds some atoms tightly together.
brittle Hard but easily broken or cracked
ceramic ser-am-ick A range of hard, durable, non-metallic materials, which
are generally unaffected by heat. E.g. china and glass.
clay Very fine particles of rock.
crystals Pieces of a mineral with sharp edges. A solid with a
regular shape and flat surfaces which reflect light
heat resistant A substance that is not easily damaged by heat.
insulator A material that does not allow something to pass
through it (e.g. heat, electricity).
lattice structure latt-iss An arrangement of many atoms or other particles, which
are bonded together in a fixed regular (grid-like) pattern.
sand Fine particles of rocks, mainly made of quartz
(silicon dioxide).
unreactive (un-ree-yak-tive) A substance that reacts with few other substances,
or reacts very slowly or not at all.
9Eb – Polymers
Word Pronunciation Meaning
crude oil A fossil fuel formed from the decay of sea creatures over
millions of years under the conditions of high heat and
pressure and in the absence of air.
elastic Any substance that will return to its original shape and
size after it has been stretched or squashed.
endothermic A change or reaction that absorbs energy from the
surroundings making the temperature of the
surroundings fall.
exothermic A change or reaction that transfers energy into the
surroundings making the temperature of the
surroundings rise.
monomer A small molecule that can join with other molecules like
itself to form a polymer.
natural polymer A substance found in nature that is made up of very long
molecules containing repeating groups of atoms.
plastic A description of a substance that can be moulded into
different shapes.
polymer A substance made up very long molecules containing
repeating groups of atoms. (Formed by joining monomer
molecules together.)
polymerisation The reaction that joins monomer molecules together to
form a polymer.
raw material Substance used to make other substances.
synthetic polymer A substance made by the chemical industry that is
made up of very long molecules containing repeating
groups of atoms.
vulcanisation When rubber is heated with sulfur. The sulfur forms
cross-links between the rubber molecules, changing the
material’s properties.
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9 E
Word Sheets
9Eb – Peer review / Working scientifically
Word Pronunciation Meaning
aim What you are trying to find out or do.
conclusion What the results of an investigation show.
hypothesis (hy-poth-uh-sis) An idea about how something works that can be tested
using experiments. Plural = hypotheses.
method A description of how an experiment is carried out, written
in simple, well-organised steps.
peer review An evaluation of the quality of a scientific paper
carried out by other scientists who work in the same
area of science.
references Acknowledgement of any outside sources of information
used when writing a scientific paper.
result A measurement or observation from an experiment.
scientific journal A scientific magazine in which scientists publish their
findings by writing articles called scientific papers.
scientific paper An article written by scientists and published in a
science magazine called a journal. It is like an
investigation report but usually shows the results and
conclusions drawn from many experiments.
9Ec – Composite materials
Word Pronunciation Meaning
aggregate Gravel, small stones or pieces of crushed rocks used
in building.
composite material A material made by combining two or more other
materials. The separate materials do not react together.
cement A substance that binds materials together. In building it
refers to a mixture of clay and lime (calcium oxide).
concrete Artificial stone made from a mixture sand, cement, water,
and larger pieces of material such as gravel or small
stones (aggregate).
endothermic reaction A change or reaction that absorbs energy from the
surroundings, making the temperature of the
surroundings fall.
exothermic reaction A change or reaction that transfers energy into the
surroundings, making the temperature of the
surroundings rise.
fibre A long thin continuous strand or thread.
thermal Breaking down a compound into simpler substances
decomposition using heat.
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9 E
Word Sheets
9Ed – Problems with materials
Word Pronunciation Meaning
acid rain Rainwater that is more acidic than usual due to air
pollution, usually caused by sulfur dioxide and nitrogen
oxides dissolved in it.
biodegradable Capable of being decomposed (broken down) by
organisms in the soil.
carbon capture Technology that can be used to remove carbon dioxide
technology from the waste gases produced by power stations and
industrial processes preventing it from entering the
atmosphere.
climate change Changes that will happen to the weather as a result of
global warming.
finite Something that is a limited resource and will eventually
run out.
global warming Increased warming of the Earth’s surface as a result of
increased amounts of carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases in the air.
greenhouse effect The warming effect on the Earth’s surface caused by
greenhouse gases absorbing energy emitted from the
warm surface of the Earth and re-emitting it back to
the surface.
impurity An unwanted substance that is found mixed into a
useful substance.
incomplete combustion When a substance only reacts partially with oxygen, such
as when carbon burns in air producing carbon dioxide,
carbon monoxide and soot (unburnt carbon).
non-biodegradable Not decomposed (broken down) by organisms in the soil.
9Ee – Recycling materials / Material failures?
Word Pronunciation Meaning
landfill site Large area in which rubbish is left.
recycling ree-sy-cling Using a material again, often by melting it and using it to
make new objects.
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