GACE Middle Grades Science (705) flashcards
GACE Middle Grades Science (705) · 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, falsifiable prediction about the relationship between variables, stated before an investigation and evaluated against collected evidence.
- Independent variable
- The factor deliberately changed or manipulated by the investigator in an experiment; its effect is observed on the dependent variable.
- Control group
- The comparison group that does not receive the experimental treatment, used to isolate the effect of the independent variable.
- Accuracy versus precision
- Accuracy is how close a measurement is to the true value; precision is how close repeated measurements are to one another.
- Scientific theory
- A well-substantiated explanation supported by extensive evidence and repeated testing, broader and more durable than a hypothesis.
- Peer review
- Evaluation of scientific work by independent experts before publication, checking methods, evidence, and conclusions for validity.
- Plate tectonics
- The theory that Earth's lithosphere is divided into plates that move over the asthenosphere, causing earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain building.
- Rock cycle
- The continuous transformation of rock among igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic types through melting, cooling, weathering, erosion, and heat and pressure.
- Causes of seasons
- Seasons result from Earth's 23.5-degree axial tilt changing the angle and duration of sunlight during its orbit, not from distance to the Sun.
- Moon phases
- The changing apparent shape of the Moon caused by the varying angle between Earth, Moon, and Sun as the Moon orbits Earth.
- Solar eclipse
- An event in which the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, blocking sunlight; it can occur only at the new moon phase.
- Weathering versus erosion
- Weathering breaks rock down in place; erosion transports the resulting sediment by water, wind, ice, or gravity.
- Earth's inner core
- The solid, dense iron-nickel center of Earth, kept solid by immense pressure despite temperatures hot enough to melt iron.
- Cell theory
- The principle that all living organisms are composed of cells, the cell is the basic unit of life, and all cells arise from existing cells.
- Prokaryote versus eukaryote
- Prokaryotes lack a membrane-bound nucleus and organelles; eukaryotes have a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles such as mitochondria.
- Photosynthesis equation
- 6CO2 + 6H2O + light energy yields C6H12O6 + 6O2; the process occurs in chloroplasts and stores energy in glucose.
- Cellular respiration
- The process in mitochondria that breaks down glucose with oxygen to release ATP, carbon dioxide, and water for cellular work.
- Mitosis versus meiosis
- Mitosis produces two identical diploid cells for growth and repair; meiosis produces four genetically varied haploid gametes for reproduction.
- Natural selection
- The mechanism of evolution in which heritable traits that improve survival and reproduction become more common in a population over generations.
- Homeostasis
- The maintenance of stable internal conditions, such as temperature and pH, through feedback mechanisms that counteract change.
- Food web energy loss
- Only about ten percent of energy at one trophic level transfers to the next; most is lost as heat through metabolism.
- Newton's second law
- The net force on an object equals its mass times its acceleration (F = ma); greater force or smaller mass produces greater acceleration.
- Conservation of energy
- Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed between forms such as kinetic, potential, thermal, and chemical.
- Kinetic energy formula
- Kinetic energy equals one-half mass times velocity squared (KE = ½mv²); doubling velocity quadruples kinetic energy.
- Ohm's law
- Voltage equals current times resistance (V = IR); for a fixed resistance, increasing voltage increases current proportionally.
- Wave speed equation
- Wave speed equals frequency times wavelength (v = fλ); for a constant speed, higher frequency means shorter wavelength.
- Density and floating
- An object floats in a fluid when its density is less than the fluid's; density equals mass divided by volume.
- Acids and bases
- Acids donate hydrogen ions and have pH below 7; bases accept hydrogen ions and have pH above 7; pH 7 is neutral.
- 5E instructional model
- A lesson sequence of Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate that begins with student inquiry before formal explanation.
- Formative assessment
- Ongoing checks of student understanding during instruction, such as questioning or exit tickets, used to adjust teaching.
- Summative assessment
- An evaluation at the end of a unit or course that measures student achievement against learning goals, such as a unit test.
- Backward design
- A planning approach that identifies desired learning outcomes and acceptable evidence first, then designs instruction aligned to them.