📖 Science glossary A–Z

💡 Circuit /SIR-kit/ · 电路 · litar

A round-and-round path that electricity travels along.

A complete loop that lets electricity flow.

Example: A battery, wires and a bulb in one unbroken loop make a circuit. · Related: electricity, switch, bulb

💧 Condensation /kon-den-SAY-shun/ · 凝结 · pemeluwapan

Water appearing on a cold glass — it came from the air!

The change of a gas into a liquid.

Example: Droplets on the outside of a cold drink are water vapour from the air turning back into liquid. · Related: evaporation, water cycle, cloud

🔌 Conductor /kon-DUK-ter/ · 导体 · pengalir

A material that lets electricity pass through.

A material that lets electricity or heat flow through it easily.

Example: Metal wires are conductors — that is why they are used in circuits. · Related: insulator, circuit, metal

🌳 Ecosystem /EE-koh-sis-tem/ · 生态系统 · ekosistem

A neighbourhood of plants and animals living together.

A community of living things and the environment they share.

Example: A mangrove in Singapore is an ecosystem full of crabs, mudskippers and birds. · Related: habitat, food chain, environment

💨 Evaporation /ee-vap-oh-RAY-shun/ · 蒸发 · penyejatan

Water disappearing into the air — like a puddle drying up.

The change of a liquid into a gas.

Example: After rain, puddles shrink as the water evaporates into the air. · Related: water cycle, condensation, heat

💪 Force /forss/ · 力 · daya

A push or a pull — that is all a force is!

A push or a pull that can change how something moves.

Example: Kicking a ball, opening a door and squeezing a sponge all use forces. · Related: push, pull, friction

🛑 Friction /FRIK-shun/ · 摩擦力 · geseran

The rub that slows things down.

A force that slows things down when they rub together.

Example: Bicycle brakes use friction to stop the wheels. · Related: force, surface

🏡 Habitat /HAB-i-tat/ · 栖息地 · habitat

The place where an animal lives and finds its food.

The natural home of a plant or animal.

Example: A pond is a habitat for frogs, fish and dragonflies. · Related: environment, food chain

💭 Inference /IN-fer-ens/ · 推断 · inferens

A guess about WHY, based on what you saw.

An explanation you make based on what you observe.

Example: An inference: "The plant may not be healthy." · Related: observation, explanation

🛡️ Insulator /IN-suh-lay-ter/ · 绝缘体 · penebat

A material that blocks electricity.

A material that does not let electricity flow through it easily.

Example: Plastic around a wire is an insulator that keeps us safe. · Related: conductor, safety

🐣 Life Cycle /lyf SY-kul/ · 生命周期 · kitaran hidup

The story of how a living thing grows from a baby to an adult.

The stages a living thing passes through as it grows.

Example: Egg → chick → chicken is the chicken life cycle. · Related: growth, reproduction

🧲 Magnet /MAG-net/ · 磁铁 · magnet

A special stone or metal that can pull some things without touching them.

An object that attracts iron and steel.

Example: A fridge magnet sticks to the fridge door because the door is steel. · Related: magnetism, attract, repel

👀 Observation /ob-ser-VAY-shun/ · 观察 · pemerhatian

Looking, listening and noticing carefully.

Using your senses to notice what is happening.

Example: An observation: "The leaves are yellow." · Related: inference, prediction

🧱 Opaque /oh-PAYK/ · 不透明 · legap

Something light cannot shine through.

A material that light cannot pass through.

Example: A wooden door is opaque — no light gets through. · Related: light, shadow, transparent

🌱☀️ Photosynthesis /foh-toh-SIN-thuh-sis/ · 光合作用 · fotosintesis

Plants use sunlight to cook their own food in their leaves.

The process by which plants use light energy to make their own food.

Example: A leaf is a tiny food factory powered by sunlight. · Related: plant, leaf, sunlight

🔮 Prediction /pree-DIK-shun/ · 预测 · ramalan

Your best guess about what will happen — before you try it!

A scientific guess about what will happen, made before testing.

Example: Before an experiment, scientists predict what they think will happen. · Related: hypothesis, experiment, observation

👤 Shadow /SHAD-oh/ · 影子 · bayang-bayang

The dark shape you make when you stand in the light.

A dark shape made when light is blocked.

Example: Your shadow grows long in the morning and short at noon. · Related: light, opaque

🪟 Transparent /trans-PAIR-ent/ · 透明 · lutsinar

Something you can see straight through.

A material that light can pass through clearly.

Example: A window is transparent — you can see the garden through it. · Related: light, opaque

🔔 Vibration /vy-BRAY-shun/ · 振动 · getaran

Something shaking very fast — like a plucked rubber band.

A rapid back-and-forth movement that makes sound.

Example: Feel your throat vibrate when you hum! · Related: sound, wave

💨 Water Vapour /WAW-ter VAY-per/ · 水蒸气 · wap air

Water that has floated away into the air — you cannot see it.

Water in the form of an invisible gas.

Example: The steam from a kettle becomes invisible water vapour. · Related: evaporation, condensation