Science vocabulary crossword vocabulary pack

Teacher key

1. OSMOSIS · 7 letters · noun · advanced
   Movement of water through a membrane

   Hint: Name the seven-letter cell-transport process involving water rather than any particle.
   Why it fits: OSMOSIS fits because it specifically describes water moving across a selectively permeable membrane as concentrations balance.

2. ECOSYSTEM · 9 letters · noun · introductory
   Community of organisms and their environment

   Hint: Think of the nine-letter unit containing living and nonliving parts.
   Why it fits: ECOSYSTEM fits because it includes both the organisms in a community and the physical environment with which they interact.

3. ATOM · 4 letters · noun · introductory
   Smallest unit of an element

   Hint: Name the four-letter unit built from protons, neutrons, and electrons.
   Why it fits: ATOM fits because this four-letter unit still behaves chemically as the element even though it can contain smaller particles.

4. GRAVITY · 7 letters · noun · introductory
   Force that pulls objects toward Earth

   Hint: Think of the seven-letter force that gives objects weight.
   Why it fits: GRAVITY fits because Earth's mass attracts objects toward its center, producing the familiar downward force described by the clue.

5. VARIABLE · 8 letters · noun · intermediate
   Factor that can change in an experiment

   Hint: Name the eight-letter factor researchers manipulate, control, or measure.
   Why it fits: VARIABLE fits because experiments change, control, or measure factors to test how one condition affects another.

6. HOMEOSTASIS · 11 letters · noun · advanced
   Keeping internal conditions within a stable range

   Hint: A body adjusts when its surroundings change.
   Why it fits: HOMEOSTASIS fits because organisms regulate factors such as temperature and water balance.

7. PHOTOSYNTHESIS · 14 letters · noun · intermediate
   Process plants use to make sugar from light

   Hint: Leaves capture light energy and use carbon dioxide and water.
   Why it fits: PHOTOSYNTHESIS fits because it converts light energy into stored chemical energy.

8. CATALYST · 8 letters · noun · advanced
   A substance that speeds a reaction without being used up

   Hint: It changes the reaction's pathway but remains available afterward.
   Why it fits: CATALYST fits because it lowers the energy barrier while remaining chemically available.

9. DENSITY · 7 letters · noun · intermediate
   How much mass occupies a given volume

   Hint: Compare equal-sized samples by how much matter they contain.
   Why it fits: DENSITY fits because dividing mass by volume lets scientists compare materials.

10. TECTONIC · 8 letters · adjective · intermediate
    Relating to the movement of Earth's large plates

    Hint: Think of the crust as sections that slowly shift.
    Why it fits: TECTONIC fits because plate movement shapes mountains, trenches, and earthquakes.

Accept a different answer only when it matches the clue, length, grammar, and any supplied crossings. Use the reviewed answer when teaching the intended vocabulary target.