BSSE General Science 1430 flashcards
BSSE General Science 1430 · 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.
- Independent variable
- The factor in an experiment that the researcher deliberately changes or manipulates to observe its effect on the dependent variable.
- Accuracy vs precision
- Accuracy measures how close a result is to the true value; precision measures how close repeated measurements are to each other.
- Significant figures
- Digits in a measurement that carry meaningful information about its precision; nonzero digits, zeros between them, and trailing zeros after a decimal point count.
- Density formula
- Density equals mass divided by volume (D = m/V); it expresses how much matter is packed into a given space and is often measured in g/cm³.
- Isotope
- An atom of the same element with the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons, giving it a different mass number.
- Mole
- The amount of a substance containing 6.022 × 10^23 representative particles (Avogadro's number); molar mass is the mass of one mole in grams.
- pH scale
- A logarithmic scale measuring hydrogen ion concentration: pH = -log[H+]; values below 7 are acidic, 7 is neutral, and above 7 are basic.
- Newton's second law
- The net force acting on an object equals its mass times its acceleration (F = ma); greater force or smaller mass produces greater acceleration.
- Kinetic energy
- The energy of motion, calculated as one-half mass times velocity squared (KE = ½mv²); doubling speed quadruples kinetic energy.
- Conservation of momentum
- In an isolated system with no external forces, the total momentum before a collision equals the total momentum after the collision.
- Wave speed equation
- Wave speed equals frequency multiplied by wavelength (v = fλ); frequency is cycles per second and wavelength is distance between corresponding wave points.
- Ohm's law
- Voltage equals current times resistance (V = IR); it relates potential difference, current flow, and opposition to current in a circuit.
- Series vs parallel circuits
- In series, current is the same through all components and resistances add; in parallel, voltage is the same and currents add as reciprocals of resistance.
- Electromagnetic induction
- A changing magnetic field through a conductor induces a voltage; this principle underlies generators, transformers, and electric motors.
- Half-life
- The time required for half of the radioactive nuclei in a sample to decay into other elements or isotopes; it is constant for a given isotope.
- Plate tectonics
- The theory that Earth's lithosphere is divided into plates that move over the asthenosphere, causing earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain building at boundaries.
- Rock cycle
- The continuous process by which igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks change from one type to another through melting, cooling, weathering, erosion, and metamorphism.
- Seismic waves
- Vibrations generated by earthquakes; P waves are longitudinal and fastest, S waves are transverse and slower, and surface waves cause the most damage.
- Greenhouse effect
- Atmospheric gases absorb and re-emit infrared radiation from Earth's surface, trapping heat and keeping the planet warm enough to support life.
- Coriolis effect
- The apparent deflection of moving air or water caused by Earth's rotation; it deflects right in the Northern Hemisphere and left in the Southern Hemisphere.
- Weather front
- A boundary between two air masses of different temperature and humidity; cold, warm, stationary, and occluded fronts produce characteristic weather patterns.
- Kepler's third law
- The square of a planet's orbital period is proportional to the cube of its semi-major axis (T² ∝ a³), relating distance from the Sun to orbital time.
- Moon phases
- The changing appearance of the Moon as seen from Earth due to the relative positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon; a full cycle takes about 29.5 days.
- Light-year
- The distance light travels in one year in a vacuum, approximately 9.46 × 10^12 kilometers; used to measure distances to stars and galaxies.
- Mitosis vs meiosis
- Mitosis produces two identical diploid cells for growth and repair; meiosis produces four genetically varied haploid gametes for sexual reproduction.
- Natural selection
- The process by which individuals with inherited traits better suited to their environment survive and reproduce more, increasing those traits in later generations.
- Photosynthesis
- The process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen inside chloroplasts.
- Homeostasis
- The maintenance of stable internal conditions such as temperature, pH, and blood glucose within a narrow range despite changes in the external environment.
- Alveoli
- Tiny air sacs in the lungs where oxygen diffuses into the blood and carbon dioxide diffuses out; their large surface area maximizes gas exchange.
- Trophic levels
- Feeding positions in a food chain: producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and decomposers; only about 10% of energy passes to the next level.
- Carrying capacity
- The maximum population size an ecosystem can sustain indefinitely given available food, water, space, and other resources; logistic growth levels off at this limit.
- Renewable resources
- Natural resources such as sunlight, wind, water, and biomass that are replenished by natural processes faster than they are consumed by humans.