CCSLC Integrated Science flashcards
CCSLC Integrated Science · 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.
- Hypothesis
- A testable prediction about the outcome of an investigation, often written as an if–then statement linking the independent variable to the dependent variable.
- Independent variable
- The factor deliberately changed by the investigator in an experiment, for example the temperature of water, so its effect on the measured outcome can be observed.
- Control group
- The group in an experiment that receives no treatment or the standard treatment, used as a baseline for judging the effect of the independent variable.
- Accuracy and precision
- Accuracy is how close a reading is to the true value; precision is how close repeated readings are to each other.
- Median
- The middle value of a data set once the values are arranged in order of size; with an even number of values it is the mean of the two middle ones.
- Cell wall
- A tough layer of cellulose outside the cell membrane of plant cells. It gives support and shape and is freely permeable to water and dissolved substances.
- Photosynthesis equation
- Carbon dioxide plus water, using light energy absorbed by chlorophyll, produces glucose and oxygen inside the chloroplasts of plant cells.
- Food chain arrows
- The arrows in a food chain show the direction in which energy passes from one organism to the next, starting with a producer.
- Decomposers
- Organisms such as bacteria and fungi that break down dead plants and animals, releasing nutrients such as nitrates back into the soil for reuse.
- Abiotic factor
- A non-living part of an environment that affects organisms, such as light intensity, temperature, water supply, soil pH or oxygen level.
- Xerophyte adaptation
- A feature of a plant adapted to dry conditions, such as a thick waxy cuticle, small or rolled leaves, or water stored in fleshy stems.
- Villi
- Tiny finger-like projections of the small intestine wall that increase surface area for absorption and have thin walls and a rich blood supply.
- Left ventricle
- The heart chamber with the thickest muscular wall, because it pumps oxygenated blood at high pressure to the whole body through the aorta.
- Capillary
- A very narrow blood vessel with walls one cell thick, allowing oxygen, nutrients and waste to pass between blood and body cells.
- Inhaled versus exhaled air
- Inhaled air contains about 21% oxygen and little carbon dioxide; exhaled air contains less oxygen and more carbon dioxide, plus water vapour.
- Vaccination
- Introducing a weakened or inactive form of a pathogen so the body makes antibodies and memory cells, giving protection against later infection.
- Kidney reabsorption
- After filtration, useful substances such as glucose and most of the water are taken back into the blood, leaving urea and excess salts in urine.
- Diffusion
- The net movement of particles from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration, caused by random particle motion.
- Filtration
- A separation method in which a mixture is poured through filter paper, trapping an insoluble solid while the liquid passes through as the filtrate.
- Atomic number
- The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom. It identifies the element and equals the number of electrons in a neutral atom.
- Neutralisation
- The reaction between an acid and a base, producing a salt and water; the pH moves towards 7 as the acid is used up.
- Density formula
- Density equals mass divided by volume. It is measured in grams per cubic centimetre or kilograms per cubic metre and helps explain floating and sinking.
- Conservation of energy
- Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred between stores or dissipated to the surroundings, usually as heat.
- Kinetic energy formula
- Kinetic energy equals one half times mass times speed squared. Doubling the speed of a moving object gives it four times the kinetic energy.
- Power
- The rate at which energy is transferred or work is done, calculated as energy transferred divided by time and measured in watts.
- Convection
- Energy transfer in fluids: warmed fluid becomes less dense and rises, while cooler fluid sinks, setting up a circulating current.
- Efficiency
- Useful energy output divided by total energy input, often expressed as a percentage. The lost energy is usually dissipated as heat to the surroundings.
- Renewable energy resource
- An energy resource that is naturally replaced within a short time, such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal or biomass energy.
- Weight versus mass
- Mass is the amount of matter in an object, measured in kilograms and unchanged by location; weight is the force of gravity on it, measured in newtons.
- Resultant force
- The single force that has the same effect as all forces acting on an object combined. A non-zero resultant force causes acceleration.
- Pressure formula
- Pressure equals force divided by the area over which it acts, measured in pascals. The same force gives more pressure over a smaller area.
- Cause of day and night
- Earth spins on its axis once roughly every 24 hours, so the side facing the Sun is in daylight while the opposite side is in darkness.