BCSE (Class X) flashcards
BCSE (Class X) · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Main idea
- The central point that the whole passage develops. It is broader than any single supporting detail and is usually stated in the introduction or conclusion.
- Supporting detail
- A specific fact, example, or statistic inside a passage that backs up the main idea. Detail questions are answered by locating this stated information directly.
- Inference
- A conclusion drawn from stated evidence rather than written outright. A valid inference must follow logically from the passage and cannot contradict it.
- Comma splice
- An error in which two independent clauses are joined by only a comma. Correct it with a period, a semicolon, or a comma plus a coordinating conjunction.
- Subject-verb agreement
- The rule that a verb matches its subject in number. Singular subjects take singular verbs and plural subjects take plural verbs, regardless of phrases between them.
- Context clue
- Surrounding words in a sentence that reveal an unfamiliar word's meaning. Definition, example, contrast, and cause-effect clues are the most common types.
- Simile and metaphor
- A simile compares two things using like or as; a metaphor states one thing is another without like or as. Both create figurative, non-literal comparison.
- Percent change
- The difference between new and old values divided by the old value, then multiplied by 100. A negative result indicates a decrease.
- Ratio
- A comparison of two quantities by division, written as a to b, a:b, or a/b. Ratios can be scaled by multiplying both terms by the same number.
- Unit rate
- A rate expressed per single unit of the second quantity, found by dividing. For example, 150 km in 3 hours gives 50 km per hour.
- Mean, median, mode
- Mean is the sum divided by the count; median is the middle ordered value; mode is the most frequent value. Outliers affect the mean most strongly.
- Probability of an event
- The number of favorable outcomes divided by the total number of equally likely outcomes. Values always lie between 0 and 1 inclusive.
- Area of a triangle
- One half multiplied by the base multiplied by the perpendicular height. The height must be measured perpendicular to the chosen base, not along a slanted side.
- Circumference of a circle
- The distance around a circle, equal to 2 times pi times the radius, or pi times the diameter. Pi is approximately 3.14.
- Pythagorean theorem
- In a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the other two sides: a squared plus b squared equals c squared.
- Linear equation
- An equation whose variables appear only to the first power, graphing as a straight line. Solve by isolating the variable using inverse operations on both sides.
- Scientific notation
- A number written as a value between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of 10. Positive exponents represent large numbers and negative exponents small ones.
- Significant figures
- Digits that carry meaningful measurement precision. Nonzero digits count, interior zeros count, leading zeros do not, and trailing zeros count only with a decimal point.
- Independent variable
- The factor deliberately changed by the experimenter. It is plotted on the horizontal axis, and its effect on the dependent variable is what the experiment measures.
- Dependent variable
- The factor that responds to changes in the independent variable and is measured as the outcome. It is plotted on the vertical axis of a graph.
- Control group
- The group in an experiment that receives no treatment and is used as a baseline. Comparing it with the experimental group reveals the treatment's effect.
- Hypothesis
- A testable, falsifiable prediction about the relationship between variables. It is written before data collection and revised if evidence contradicts it.
- Correlation versus causation
- Two variables changing together shows correlation only. Causation requires evidence that changing one variable directly produces change in the other.
- Unit conversion
- Rewriting a measurement in different units by multiplying by a fraction equal to one, arranged so the unwanted unit cancels and the desired unit remains.
- Rounding rule
- To round to a given place, check the next digit. If it is 5 or more, increase the target digit by one; otherwise leave it unchanged.
- Graph slope
- The steepness of a line, calculated as change in the vertical value divided by change in the horizontal value. On a distance-time graph it represents speed.
- Order of operations
- Evaluate expressions in this order: parentheses, exponents, multiplication and division from left to right, then addition and subtraction from left to right.
- Photosynthesis
- The process by which green plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make glucose and release oxygen, occurring mainly in chloroplasts containing chlorophyll.
- States of matter
- Solid has fixed shape and volume; liquid has fixed volume but takes container shape; gas fills its container. Heating generally moves particles from solid toward gas.
- Newton's third law
- For every action force there is an equal and opposite reaction force acting on a different object. The two forces never cancel because they act on separate bodies.
- Acids and bases
- Acids release hydrogen ions in solution and turn blue litmus red; bases release hydroxide ions and turn red litmus blue. They neutralize each other to form salt and water.
- Primary versus secondary source
- A primary source is an original firsthand record such as a diary or data set; a secondary source interprets or summarizes primary material, such as a textbook.