European Baccalaureate Physics flashcards

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

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The level of formality of language, ranging from formal to neutral to informal. It is shaped by vocabulary, sentence complexity, and contraction use, and must match the audience and task.

Thesis statement

A single sentence stating the central claim of an essay. It should be arguable rather than descriptive, appear in the introduction, and be answered directly in the conclusion.

Rhetorical question

A question asked for persuasive effect rather than to obtain an answer. It pushes the reader toward an implied response and is common in argumentative and editorial writing.

Anaphora

Repetition of the same word or phrase at the start of successive clauses. It creates rhythm and emphasis, and is frequently used in political speeches to build momentum.

Paraphrase

Restating a source idea in your own words while keeping the meaning. It requires changing vocabulary and sentence structure, not merely swapping isolated synonyms, and still needs citation.

False friend

A word that looks similar across two languages but differs in meaning. For example, German aktuell means current, not actual, so false friends cause comprehension and production errors.

Subjunctive mood

A verb form expressing doubt, wish, hypothesis, or necessity rather than fact. Romance languages use it after certain conjunctions and expressions of emotion or uncertainty.

Cohesion

The linking of sentences and paragraphs through connectors, pronouns, and repeated key terms. It makes a text read as a connected whole rather than a list of separate points.

Discriminant

The quantity b² − 4ac for a quadratic ax² + bx + c. Positive gives two real roots, zero gives one repeated root, negative gives no real roots.

Chain rule

The rule for differentiating a composite function: d/dx f(g(x)) equals f′(g(x)) times g′(x). It is the standard tool for functions inside functions.

Integration by parts

A technique derived from the product rule: ∫u dv = uv − ∫v du. It suits products such as x·eˣ or x·ln x, where substitution fails.

Dot product

The scalar a·b = |a||b|cos θ. It is zero exactly when the vectors are perpendicular, and it projects one vector onto another.

Geometric sequence sum

For first term u₁ and ratio r ≠ 1, the sum of n terms is u₁(1 − rⁿ)/(1 − r). An infinite sum converges only when |r| < 1.

Conditional probability

The probability of A given that B occurred: P(A|B) = P(A ∩ B)/P(B), provided P(B) > 0. It underlies independence tests and tree diagrams.

Source criticism

Evaluating a historical source by origin, purpose, value, and limitations. Origin covers author, date, and place; purpose covers intended audience and motive; limitations cover bias and silence.

Treaty of Versailles

The 1919 settlement ending World War I between Germany and the Allies. It imposed territorial losses, disarmament, and reparations, and its terms are debated as a cause of later instability.

Demographic transition model

A five-stage model of population change: high stationary, early expanding, late expanding, low stationary, and declining. It links birth and death rates to economic development.

Population pyramid

A graph of population by age group and sex. A wide base signals high birth rates and a young population; a narrow base signals ageing and low fertility.

Subduction zone

A convergent plate boundary where a denser oceanic plate sinks beneath another plate. It generates deep earthquakes, volcanic arcs, and ocean trenches.

Maastricht Treaty

The 1992 treaty that created the European Union, introduced EU citizenship, and set the path toward a single currency. It renamed the EEC and expanded cooperation beyond economics.

Newton's second law

The net force on a body equals mass times acceleration, F = ma. It is a vector equation, so force and acceleration share direction, and it fails at relativistic speeds.

Conservation of momentum

In a system with no external net force, total momentum before an interaction equals total momentum after. It applies to collisions and explosions in one or more dimensions.

Snell's law

For light crossing a boundary, n₁sin θ₁ = n₂sin θ₂, where n is refractive index and θ is measured from the normal. Higher n means slower light and bending toward the normal.

Mole

The amount of substance containing 6.02 × 10²³ particles. Mass in grams divided by molar mass gives moles; concentration times volume in dm³ also gives moles.

pH

The negative base-10 logarithm of hydrogen ion concentration: pH = −log₁₀[H⁺]. A change of one pH unit means a tenfold change in hydrogen ion concentration.

Enzyme denaturation

Loss of an enzyme's three-dimensional active site shape caused by excessive heat or extreme pH. The enzyme cannot bind substrate, so reaction rate falls irreversibly.

Validity

A property of argument form: if the premises were true, the conclusion could not be false. Validity says nothing about whether the premises are actually true.

Soundness

An argument is sound when it is valid and all its premises are true. Soundness therefore guarantees the truth of the conclusion, unlike validity alone.

Categorical imperative

Kant's test of moral maxims: act only on principles you could will as universal law, and treat persons as ends, never merely as means.

Utilitarianism

The consequentialist view that the right action maximises overall welfare, summing benefits and harms across all affected. Bentham and Mill differ on how to measure happiness.

Is–ought gap

Hume's point that descriptive statements about what is the case cannot by themselves justify prescriptive statements about what ought to be done, without an added normative premise.

Straw man fallacy

Misrepresenting an opponent's position in a weaker form, then refuting that version. The refutation succeeds against the distortion but not against the original argument.