COLMIL Examen Intelectual flashcards

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

Main idea

The central claim a passage is written to support. Every paragraph contributes to it, while individual details only illustrate or prove parts of it.

Scope error

An answer choice that is broader or narrower than the passage's actual claim. It may be factually true yet still wrong because it overstates or understates the text.

Contrapositive

The logically equivalent form of a conditional. 'If P then Q' becomes 'If not Q then not P', preserving truth value in every case.

Syllogism validity

A conclusion follows necessarily from two premises by form alone, regardless of whether the premises are factually true in the real world.

Modus tollens

A valid inference pattern: given 'If P then Q' and 'not Q', conclude 'not P'. Denying the consequent forces denial of the antecedent.

Successive percent change

Combined effect of two percentage changes is multiplicative, not additive. A 20% increase then a 20% decrease leaves 96% of the original value.

Harmonic mean speed

For two equal distances traveled at speeds a and b, average speed equals 2ab/(a+b). It is always lower than the arithmetic mean of the speeds.

Mixture concentration

Final concentration equals total solute divided by total solution volume. Each portion contributes solute proportional to its own concentration and volume.

Quadratic discriminant

The expression b² − 4ac from ax² + bx + c = 0. Positive gives two real roots, zero gives one repeated root, negative gives no real roots.

Perpendicular slope rule

Two non-vertical lines are perpendicular exactly when their slopes multiply to −1. Parallel lines instead share identical slopes.

Combination formula

C(n,k) = n! / (k!(n−k)!) counts subsets of size k chosen from n items where order does not matter, unlike permutations.

Polygon interior angles

The interior angles of any polygon with n sides sum to (n − 2) × 180 degrees. A triangle therefore totals 180 degrees.

Photosynthesis equation

Six carbon dioxide molecules plus six water molecules, using light energy, produce one glucose molecule and six oxygen molecules inside chloroplasts.

Newton's second law

Net force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma). Weight is the special case where acceleration is gravitational, approximately 9.8 m/s² on Earth.

DNA base pairing

Adenine pairs with thymine and guanine pairs with cytosine in DNA. RNA replaces thymine with uracil while keeping the same pairing logic.

Three rock types

Igneous rock forms from cooled magma or lava, sedimentary rock from compacted deposits, and metamorphic rock from existing rock altered by heat and pressure.

Porque vs por qué

'Porque' states a cause, 'por qué' asks a question, 'porqué' is a noun meaning reason, and 'por que' follows a preposition.

Ser versus estar

'Ser' expresses identity or inherent traits; 'estar' expresses location or temporary state; 'hay' merely announces that something exists.

Aun versus aún

Written without an accent, 'aun' means 'even'. Written with an accent, 'aún' means 'still' or 'yet' and carries the stress.

Sino versus si no

'Sino' contrasts after a negated clause, meaning 'but rather'. 'Si no' is two words meaning 'if not' and introduces a condition.

Impersonal se

A construction using 'se' with a third-person verb to make a general statement, as in 'Se habla español' or 'Se vende casa'.

Tone words

Adjectives and adverbs that reveal the author's attitude, such as critical, admiring, ironic, or neutral. Topic alone never determines tone.

Negation test

Insert 'not' into a candidate conclusion. If the passage would lose its point, that conclusion is the main idea rather than a supporting detail.

Analogy relations

Common bridges linking word pairs: part to whole, cause to effect, category to member, function, and degree of intensity.

Peru state powers

The Executive led by the President, the Legislative represented by Congress, and the Judicial exercised by courts and the Judiciary under the 1993 Constitution.

United Nations founding

The United Nations was established in 1945. Its Security Council holds five permanent members with veto power over substantive resolutions.

NATO Article 5

The collective-defence clause of the 1949 North Atlantic Treaty. An armed attack on one member is treated as an attack on all members.

Antarctic Treaty

A 1959 agreement reserving Antarctica for peaceful scientific use, prohibiting military bases and weapons testing, and setting aside territorial claims.

Geneva Conventions

International treaties protecting wounded combatants, prisoners of war, and civilians during armed conflict. Attacks deliberately targeting civilians are war crimes.

Chain of command

The formal line of authority running from the President through the Minister of Defence to service commanders and down to subordinate units.

Combatant status

A lawful combatant belongs to an organized armed force under responsible command. Non-combatants, including civilians and medical personnel, are protected from direct attack.

Civic duties

Obligations of citizens such as obeying the Constitution and laws, paying taxes, and defending the nation, complementing the rights the state guarantees.