Science Vocabulary for 5th Grade
62 terms
JamWise Education Team·Updated March 2026
In 5th grade, students in the upper elementary (3-5) band encounter 62 essential science vocabulary terms. These words form the foundation for classroom discussions, reading comprehension, written assignments, and standardized assessments. Mastering this vocabulary gives students the language they need to express their understanding with clarity and confidence.
Below you will find every science term for 5th grade, organized by topic where applicable. Each term links to a detailed definition page with grade-level explanations, related vocabulary, and connections to JamWise learning resources.
earth-science
View topic hubAir mass
An air mass is a large body of air that has about the same temperature and moisture throughout.
Air pressure
Air pressure is the weight of the atmosphere pushing down on Earth's surface.
Anemometer
An anemometer is a tool with spinning cups that measures wind speed.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere is the layer of gases surrounding Earth that contains the air we breathe.
Barometer
A barometer is a tool that measures air pressure, which helps predict weather changes.
Biosphere
The biosphere is the part of Earth where life exists — from deep ocean floors to high mountain peaks.
Climate
Climate is the average weather conditions in a region over a long period of time, usually 30 years or more.
Condensation
Condensation is when water vapor cools and changes back into tiny liquid water drops, forming clouds or dew.
Constellation
A constellation is a group of stars that form a pattern or picture in the night sky.
Deposition
Deposition is when eroded material is dropped in a new location when the wind or water carrying it slows down.
Erosion
Erosion is the movement of weathered rock, soil, and sediment from one place to another by water, wind, ice, or gravity.
Evaporation
Evaporation is when liquid water is heated and changes into water vapor, an invisible gas that rises into the air.
Front
A front is the boundary where two different air masses meet, often causing changes in weather.
Geosphere
The geosphere is all the rock, soil, and minerals that make up the solid part of Earth.
Hydrosphere
The hydrosphere is all the water on Earth — in oceans, lakes, rivers, glaciers, and underground.
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a gas that makes up about 78% of Earth's atmosphere and is essential for plant growth.
Orbit
An orbit is the curved path an object takes as it travels around another object in space due to gravity.
Oxygen
Oxygen is a gas in the air that animals breathe in and plants release during photosynthesis.
Revolution
Revolution is when one object travels all the way around another object. Earth's revolution around the sun takes one year.
Rotation
Rotation is when an object spins around its own axis. Earth rotates once every 24 hours, causing day and night.
Runoff
Runoff is water from rain or melting snow that flows over the ground into streams, rivers, and lakes.
Telescope
A telescope is a tool that makes distant objects like stars and planets appear closer and larger.
Transpiration
Transpiration is when water moves through a plant and evaporates from its leaves into the air.
Water cycle
The water cycle is the continuous movement of water from Earth's surface to the atmosphere and back again through evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
Weather map
A weather map shows weather conditions over a large area using symbols for temperature, pressure, and fronts.
engineering
View topic hubConstraint
A constraint is a limitation on a design, such as available time, materials, or cost.
Criteria
Criteria are the requirements or standards that a design solution must meet to be considered successful.
Microscope
A microscope is a tool that magnifies very small objects so you can see details invisible to the naked eye.
life-science
View topic hubCarnivore
A carnivore is an animal that eats only other animals.
Cell
A cell is the smallest unit of life. All living things are made of one or more cells.
Community
A community is all the different populations of organisms living together in the same area.
Competition
Competition happens when organisms struggle against each other for the same resources like food, water, or space.
Decomposer
A decomposer is an organism that breaks down dead material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
Ecosystem
An ecosystem includes all the living things and nonliving things in an area and how they interact.
Energy pyramid
An energy pyramid shows how energy decreases at each level of a food chain. Producers have the most energy.
Food chain
A food chain shows the path of energy from the sun to producers to consumers in an ecosystem.
Food web
A food web shows the many overlapping food chains in an ecosystem.
Herbivore
A herbivore is an animal that eats only plants.
Inherited trait
An inherited trait is a characteristic passed from parents to offspring through genes, like eye color or leaf shape.
Multicellular
Multicellular means made of many cells working together. Plants and animals are multicellular.
Omnivore
An omnivore is an animal that eats both plants and animals.
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make sugar and release oxygen.
Population
A population is all the members of one species living in the same area.
Predator
A predator is an animal that hunts, catches, and eats other animals for food.
Prey
Prey is an animal that is hunted and eaten by a predator.
Unicellular
Unicellular means made of just one single cell. Bacteria and amoebas are unicellular.
physical-science
View topic hubAbsorption
Absorption is when a material soaks up light, heat, or sound instead of reflecting it. Dark colors absorb more light.
Acceleration
Acceleration is the change in speed or direction of a moving object.
Chemical change
A chemical change turns one substance into a completely new substance with different properties. Burning wood is a chemical change.
Conduction
Conduction is the transfer of heat through direct contact between materials.
Convection
Convection is the transfer of heat through the movement of liquids or gases in circular currents.
Force
A force is a push or a pull that can change an object's speed, direction, or shape.
Gravity
Gravity is a force that pulls objects toward each other. Earth's gravity keeps us on the ground and the moon in orbit.
Inertia
Inertia is the tendency of an object to resist changes in its motion. An object at rest stays at rest unless a force acts on it.
Mass
Mass is the amount of matter in an object. It is measured in grams or kilograms.
Mixture
A mixture is two or more substances combined together where each keeps its own properties and can be separated.
Physical change
A physical change alters the form or appearance of matter but does not turn it into a new substance. Cutting paper is a physical change.
Radiation
Radiation is the transfer of heat through waves that can travel through empty space. The sun heats Earth by radiation.
Solubility
Solubility is a measure of how much of a substance can dissolve in a liquid at a given temperature.
Solution
A solution is a mixture where one substance dissolves completely in another, like sugar dissolved in water.
Thermal energy
Thermal energy is the energy of moving particles inside matter. The faster particles move, the warmer the matter is.
Volume
Volume is the amount of space an object takes up. It is measured in liters or cubic centimeters.