Navy Officer Cadet flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Contrapositive

The statement formed by negating and reversing a conditional: 'If P then Q' becomes 'If not Q then not P'. It is logically equivalent to the original, unlike the converse or inverse.

Necessary versus sufficient condition

A necessary condition must hold for the outcome; a sufficient condition guarantees it. 'Only if' signals necessity, while 'if' signals sufficiency in standard test phrasing.

Harmonic mean for average speed

When equal distances are covered at speeds x and y, average speed equals 2xy/(x + y). Using the arithmetic mean of the speeds overstates the true average.

Successive percentage change

Consecutive percentage changes multiply rather than add. A 20% increase followed by a 25% decrease gives a factor of 1.20 × 0.75 = 0.90, a net fall of 10%.

Compound interest two-year gap

The excess of compound interest over simple interest for two years equals P × (R/100)², where P is principal and R the annual rate as a percentage.

Combined work rate formula

If one worker completes a job in a days and another in b days, working together they finish in ab/(a + b) days, because their rates add.

Chirality under reflection

Reflection reverses orientation, so a reflected figure cannot be rotated to match the original. Rotation preserves orientation and always allows superposition.

Cube net opposite faces

On a valid cube net, two faces that lie in a straight line with exactly one face between them become opposite faces when folded, so they never share an edge.

Lever mechanical advantage

Mechanical advantage equals effort arm divided by load arm. Balance occurs when load times load arm equals effort times effort arm about the fulcrum.

Gear train ratio

Gear ratio equals teeth on the driven gear divided by teeth on the driver. Rotational speed is inversely proportional to tooth count, and meshed gears turn in opposite directions.

Sunk cost fallacy

Allowing already-spent, unrecoverable costs to influence a decision. Only future costs and benefits are relevant, since past spending cannot be recovered either way.

Break-even point

The sales volume at which total revenue equals total cost, calculated as fixed costs divided by the difference between unit price and variable cost per unit.

Expected value

The probability-weighted average of all possible outcomes, computed by multiplying each outcome by its probability and summing the products across the full set.

Tuckman team stages

The sequence forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning. Interpersonal conflict typically peaks during storming, so early direct intervention prevents prolonged disruption.

Psychological safety

A shared team belief that speaking up, admitting error, and challenging ideas is safe. It predicts learning and error reporting better than individual ability does.

Situation-Behaviour-Impact feedback

A feedback structure naming the specific situation, the observable behaviour, and its impact on others, followed by inviting the person's perspective before agreeing action.

UNCLOS maritime zones

The 1982 Law of the Sea Convention sets a territorial sea extending 12 nautical miles from the baseline and an exclusive economic zone extending 200 nautical miles.

NATO Article 5

The collective defence clause of the 1949 North Atlantic Treaty, stating that an armed attack against one member is treated as an attack against all members.

Laws of armed conflict principles

Four core principles govern military conduct: distinction between combatants and civilians, proportionality of force, military necessity, and humanity. They derive from the Geneva Conventions.

Latitude versus longitude

Latitude lines run east-west and measure north-south position from the equator. Longitude lines run pole to pole and measure east-west position from the prime meridian.

Comma splice

An error joining two independent clauses with only a comma. Correct it with a semicolon, a coordinating conjunction, or by splitting into separate sentences.

Dangling modifier

An introductory participial phrase that fails to modify the subject of the main clause, producing unintended meaning such as an action attributed to the wrong noun.

Affect versus effect

Affect is normally a verb meaning to influence; effect is normally a noun meaning a result. Confusing the two is among the most common written-accuracy errors.

Parallel structure

Items in a list or comparison must share grammatical form, such as 'plan, brief, and execute'. Mixing infinitives, nouns, and participles breaks parallelism.

VO2 max

The maximum rate at which the body can take up and use oxygen during intense exercise, expressed in millilitres per kilogram of body mass per minute.

FITT principle

A training prescription framework covering Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type. Progressing one variable at a time reduces injury risk while building fitness.

Estimated maximum heart rate

A rough age-based estimate of peak heart rate, approximately 220 minus age in years. Aerobic training zones are commonly set at 60 to 80 percent of this value.

Body mass index

Body mass in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. It is a screening tool only and does not distinguish fat mass from muscle or indicate fitness.

STAR interview structure

A way of answering competency questions by describing the Situation, the Task, the Action taken, and the Result. Evidence must be specific and personal.

Integrity in selection

The assessed willingness to disclose one's own errors, take responsibility rather than blame others, and refuse unethical instructions through proper channels.

Group exercise assessment

Assessors score task contribution, inclusion of quieter members, and willingness to change position when a better argument appears, rather than dominance or talk time.

Motivation question preparation

Candidates should know the officer role, its commitments, and current operations. Questions showing that understanding signal genuine motivation better than pay or leave questions.