TASC Transdisciplinary Science cheat sheet

Cell theory: all living things are made of cells, the cell is the basic unit of life, and all cells come from preexisting cells.

Prokaryotic cells lack a membrane-bound nucleus and organelles; eukaryotic cells have a nucleus, mitochondria, and other membrane-bound organelles.

Photosynthesis: 6CO2 + 6H2O + light energy → C6H12O6 + 6O2; occurs in chloroplasts using chlorophyll.

Cellular respiration: C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + ATP; aerobic respiration occurs mainly in mitochondria.

DNA base pairing: adenine pairs with thymine (A-T) and guanine pairs with cytosine (G-C) in DNA; RNA substitutes uracil for thymine.

Mitosis produces two genetically identical diploid daughter cells; meiosis produces four genetically varied haploid gametes.

Mendelian ratios: a monohybrid cross of two heterozygotes (Aa × Aa) yields a 3:1 phenotype ratio and a 1:2:1 genotype ratio.

Natural selection requires heritable variation, differential reproductive success, and inheritance of advantageous traits across generations.

Ecological roles: producers make their own food, consumers eat other organisms, and decomposers break down dead matter and recycle nutrients.

Atomic structure: protons (positive, in nucleus), neutrons (neutral, in nucleus), and electrons (negative, in orbitals); atomic number = protons.

Newton's second law: F = ma; net force equals mass times acceleration, and weight equals mg where g ≈ 9.8 m/s² on Earth.

Speed = distance ÷ time; acceleration = change in velocity ÷ time; velocity includes both speed and direction.

Kinetic energy KE = ½mv²; gravitational potential energy PE = mgh; energy is conserved but can change form.

Density = mass ÷ volume; an object floats in a fluid if its density is less than the fluid's density.

pH scale: values below 7 are acidic, 7 is neutral, and above 7 is basic; each whole step represents a tenfold change in hydrogen ion concentration.

Chemical reactions conserve mass: the number of atoms of each element is equal on both sides of a balanced equation.

Periodic table trends: elements in the same group share valence electron counts and similar chemical properties; periods are horizontal rows.

Ohm's law: V = IR; voltage equals current times resistance, and power P = IV.

Earth's layers from outside inward: crust, mantle, outer core (liquid), and inner core (solid); the outer core's motion generates the magnetic field.

Plate tectonics: divergent boundaries create new crust, convergent boundaries cause subduction or mountain building, and transform boundaries cause earthquakes.

The rock cycle converts among igneous (cooled magma), sedimentary (compacted deposits), and metamorphic (heat and pressure) rocks.

Water cycle stages: evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, and runoff; the Sun is the primary energy source.

Earth's tilt of about 23.5° and its revolution around the Sun cause the seasons, not distance from the Sun.

Moon phases result from the relative positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon; a full lunar cycle takes about 29.5 days.

Solar system order from the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune; inner planets are rocky, outer planets are gas or ice giants.

The Sun is a main-sequence star powered by nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium in its core.

Weathering breaks rock down in place, while erosion transports the broken material by water, wind, or ice.

Independent variable is deliberately changed by the experimenter; dependent variable is measured; controlled variables are held constant.

A valid experiment includes a control group and repeated trials to reduce the effect of random error.

A hypothesis is a testable, falsifiable prediction; a theory is a well-supported explanation, and a law describes a consistent relationship.

Correlation does not establish causation; confounding variables can produce apparent relationships between unrelated factors.

Accuracy is closeness to the true value; precision is closeness of repeated measurements to one another.

Significant figures: multiplication and division keep the least number of significant figures, while addition and subtraction keep the least decimal places.

Scientific notation writes numbers as a × 10ⁿ where 1 ≤ a < 10; it simplifies very large or very small quantities.

Crosscutting concepts include patterns, cause and effect, scale and proportion, systems, energy and matter flow, structure and function, and stability and change.

A graph's slope represents a rate of change; a linear relationship has constant slope, and an inverse relationship produces a curve.

Independent variable is deliberately changed by the experimenter; dependent variable is measured; controlled variables are held constant.

A valid experiment includes a control group and repeated trials to reduce the effect of random error.

A hypothesis is a testable, falsifiable prediction; a theory is a well-supported explanation, and a law describes a consistent relationship.

Correlation does not establish causation; confounding variables can produce apparent relationships between unrelated factors.

Accuracy is closeness to the true value; precision is closeness of repeated measurements to one another.

Significant figures: multiplication and division keep the least number of significant figures, while addition and subtraction keep the least decimal places.

Scientific notation writes numbers as a × 10ⁿ where 1 ≤ a < 10; it simplifies very large or very small quantities.

Crosscutting concepts include patterns, cause and effect, scale and proportion, systems, energy and matter flow, structure and function, and stability and change.

A graph's slope represents a rate of change; a linear relationship has constant slope, and an inverse relationship produces a curve.