Georgia Milestones flashcards

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

Theme

The underlying message or insight about life that a literary work conveys, expressed as a complete statement rather than a single topic word like friendship.

Central idea

The main point an informational text develops about its topic, supported throughout by key details rather than stated only in the title or introduction.

Inference

A logical conclusion reached by combining explicit textual evidence with the reader's background knowledge; it must be supported by details rather than guessed.

Claim versus evidence

A claim is the position an author argues for, while evidence is the specific fact, statistic, quotation, or example used to support that position.

Third-person omniscient

A narrative point of view in which the narrator knows and reports the thoughts and feelings of multiple characters, not just one.

Comma splice

An error in which two independent clauses are joined by only a comma; it is corrected with a coordinating conjunction, semicolon, or separate sentences.

Figurative language

Nonliteral wording such as simile, metaphor, personification, and hyperbole used to create imagery or emphasis beyond the plain meaning of words.

Text structure

The organizational pattern of a passage, such as cause-effect, comparison, chronological order, or problem-solution, signaled by transition words and grouping of ideas.

Slope formula

For two points on a line, slope equals the change in y divided by the change in x: m = (y2 − y1)/(x2 − x1).

Perpendicular slopes

Two nonvertical lines are perpendicular exactly when their slopes are negative reciprocals, so their product equals negative one.

Pythagorean theorem

In a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the two legs: a² + b² = c².

Trapezoid area

The area of a trapezoid equals one half the sum of the parallel bases multiplied by the height: A = ½(b1 + b2)h.

Cone volume

The volume of a cone is one third of the base area times the height: V = ⅓πr²h, one third of the matching cylinder.

Negative exponent rule

A base raised to a negative exponent equals the reciprocal of that base raised to the positive exponent: a⁻ⁿ = 1/aⁿ for nonzero a.

Independent events

Two events are independent when the outcome of one does not change the probability of the other; their joint probability is the product of their probabilities.

Mean versus median

The mean is the sum divided by the count; the median is the middle ordered value. Extreme values shift the mean far more than the median.

Dilation

A transformation that scales a figure by a constant factor about a center point, preserving angle measures and shape but generally changing side lengths.

Prokaryote versus eukaryote

Prokaryotic cells lack a membrane-bound nucleus and organelles; eukaryotic cells contain a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles such as mitochondria.

Photosynthesis

The process in chloroplasts that uses light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen, storing energy in chemical bonds.

Cellular respiration

The process in mitochondria that breaks down glucose with oxygen to release usable energy, producing carbon dioxide and water as byproducts.

Newton's second law

The acceleration of an object equals the net force acting on it divided by its mass, written as F = ma, so greater mass means less acceleration for the same force.

Conservation of mass

In a closed system, matter is neither created nor destroyed during a chemical reaction; atoms are only rearranged, so equations must balance.

Divergent boundary

A plate boundary where two tectonic plates move apart, allowing magma to rise and form new crust, as at mid-ocean ridges.

Genotype versus phenotype

Genotype is an organism's combination of alleles for a trait; phenotype is the observable trait produced by that genotype and environmental influences.

Density and floating

Density equals mass divided by volume; an object floats in a fluid when its density is less than the fluid's and sinks when greater.

Checks and balances

The constitutional system letting each branch limit the others, such as the presidential veto, congressional override, and judicial review of laws.

Federalism

A system dividing governing power between a national government and state governments, with the Tenth Amendment reserving unlisted powers to the states.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, protecting individual liberties such as speech, religion, press, assembly, and fair legal process.

Georgia colony founding

Georgia was founded in 1733 under James Oglethorpe as a buffer against Spanish Florida and a fresh start for debtors, with slavery initially banned.

Reconstruction amendments

The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery, the Fourteenth granted citizenship and equal protection, and the Fifteenth protected voting rights regardless of race.

Opportunity cost

The value of the next-best alternative given up when a choice is made, reflecting that scarce resources force trade-offs among competing uses.

Market equilibrium

The price at which quantity demanded equals quantity supplied; above it a surplus appears, below it a shortage, pushing price back toward equilibrium.