General Science: Principles and Processes
General Science covers basic biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science at a conceptual level. You do not need advanced math-you need to recognize core principles and apply them to everyday situations.
Core concepts
- Biology: cells are the basic unit of life; plants make food by photosynthesis (using sunlight, water, CO₂); the human body has systems (circulatory, respiratory, digestive) that work together.
- Chemistry: matter is made of atoms; elements are pure substances; compounds combine elements in fixed ratios; states of matter change with temperature; acids and bases are measured on the pH scale.
- Physics: Newton's laws (force causes acceleration; every action has an equal and opposite reaction); energy is conserved; light and sound travel as waves; electricity flows in circuits.
- Earth science: the water cycle (evaporation, condensation, precipitation); Earth's layers; seasons caused by axial tilt, not distance from the sun.
Traps
- Common misconceptions: heavier objects do not always fall faster (ignoring air resistance); the moon does not make its own light.
- Confusing similar terms: mass vs. weight, evaporation vs. condensation, mitosis vs. meiosis.
- Overgeneralizing: "all" or "always" statements are often false.
Worked example
Why does ice float on water? Ice is less dense than liquid water. When water freezes, its molecules arrange into a structure with more space between them, lowering density. Since a less dense object floats in a denser fluid, ice floats. The key concept is density, not temperature alone.
Rule of thumb
When a question describes a phenomenon, name the underlying principle (density, energy transfer, force, chemical change) before choosing an answer.