GTLE Subject Specialism Integrated Science cheat sheet

Matter is classified as pure substances (elements, compounds) or mixtures (homogeneous, heterogeneous); elements contain one atom type and cannot be decomposed chemically.

Physical properties (density, melting point, solubility, conductivity) are measured without changing composition; chemical properties describe reactivity and are observed only through chemical change.

Density = mass / volume (ρ = m/V); water at 4 °C has density 1.00 g/cm³, so objects denser than water sink and less dense objects float.

Particles in solids vibrate in fixed positions, liquids slide past each other, gases move freely and fill the container; particle spacing explains compressibility and diffusion.

Changes of state (melting, freezing, evaporation, condensation, sublimation) are physical changes; mass is conserved but volume usually is not.

Living things share defining features: cellular organisation, metabolism, growth, response to stimuli, reproduction, and homeostasis; non-living matter lacks all of these.

Metals are typically lustrous, malleable, ductile and good conductors; non-metals are usually brittle, dull and poor conductors - a decision rule for classifying unknown samples.

Mixtures are separated by physical methods chosen by property difference: filtration (insoluble solid), distillation (boiling point), magnetism (iron), chromatography (solubility).

A pure substance has a sharp fixed melting point; a mixture melts over a range, which is a practical test for purity.

A food chain transfers energy from producer to consumer; arrows show energy flow direction, and only about 10% of energy passes to the next trophic level.

Photosynthesis: 6CO₂ + 6H₂O + light energy → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂; respiration reverses it, releasing energy for life processes.

Carbon cycle steps: photosynthesis fixes CO₂, respiration and combustion release it, decomposition returns carbon to soil and air, oceans act as a carbon sink.

Nitrogen cycle: nitrogen fixation (bacteria, lightning) → nitrification → assimilation by plants → ammonification → denitrification back to N₂.

Water cycle processes: evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, run-off and infiltration; groundwater recharge depends on soil permeability.

Energy flows one way through ecosystems and is lost as heat, whereas matter (carbon, nitrogen, water) is recycled repeatedly.

Population size is limited by biotic potential and environmental resistance (food, predators, disease, space); carrying capacity is the sustainable maximum.

Decomposers (bacteria, fungi) break down dead matter, recycling nutrients; removing them collapses nutrient cycling.

Symbiosis types: mutualism (both benefit), commensalism (one benefits, other unaffected), parasitism (one benefits, host harmed).

Newton's laws: (1) no net force means no change in motion, (2) F = ma, (3) every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

Work = force × distance moved in the force direction (W = Fd); power = work / time (P = W/t); energy is the capacity to do work, measured in joules.

Kinetic energy KE = ½mv²; gravitational potential energy GPE = mgh; in a closed system total mechanical energy is conserved (ignoring friction).

Energy transforms between stores (chemical, thermal, light, sound, electrical, nuclear) but is never created or destroyed - conservation of energy.

Wave equation v = fλ; frequency is set by the source, wave speed by the medium; amplitude determines energy and loudness/brightness.

Sound needs a medium and travels faster in solids than gases; light travels through a vacuum at about 3 × 10⁸ m/s and can be reflected, refracted, dispersed.

Ohm's law V = IR; series circuits share current (I constant) and sum voltages; parallel circuits share voltage and sum branch currents.

Electrical power P = VI = I²R; energy consumed = power × time, measured in kilowatt-hours for domestic billing.

Pressure = force / area; in liquids pressure increases with depth, and a larger area reduces pressure for the same force.

Balanced diet needs carbohydrates (energy), proteins (growth and repair), lipids (energy storage and insulation), vitamins, minerals, fibre and water.

Digestion: mechanical breakdown in mouth, starch digested by amylase, protein begins digestion in the stomach (pepsin, acid), fat digested in the small intestine with bile and lipase; absorption occurs in villi.

Blood transport: arteries carry blood away from the heart under high pressure, veins return blood with valves, capillaries allow exchange; red cells carry oxygen via haemoglobin.

Human reproduction: fertilisation normally occurs in the fallopian tube; the placenta exchanges nutrients, oxygen and wastes between mother and fetus.

Pathogens include bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa; transmission routes are airborne, water/food-borne, vector-borne, contact and blood-borne.

Immunity: white blood cells engulf pathogens (phagocytosis) or produce antibodies; vaccination exposes the body to antigens to create memory cells.

Communicable diseases (e.g., malaria via mosquito vector, cholera via contaminated water) spread between hosts; non-communicable diseases (diabetes, hypertension) do not.

Homeostasis keeps internal conditions stable; negative feedback reverses a change, as in insulin lowering blood glucose after a meal.

Plant transport: xylem carries water and minerals upward; phloem transports sugars from sources to sinks; transpiration is driven by water loss through stomata.

Earth's structure: crust, mantle, outer core (liquid), inner core (solid); plate tectonics explains earthquakes, volcanoes and mountain building at plate boundaries.

Rock types: igneous forms from cooling magma, sedimentary from compaction of deposited particles, metamorphic from heat and pressure altering existing rock.

The rock cycle links the three rock types through melting, cooling, weathering, erosion, deposition and metamorphism.

Weathering breaks rock in place (physical, chemical, biological); erosion transports the fragments; deposition lays them down.

Weather is short-term atmospheric state; climate is the long-term average. Air pressure falls with altitude; wind blows from high to low pressure.

Relative humidity is the ratio of actual water vapour to the maximum the air can hold at that temperature; cooling air to the dew point causes condensation.

Solar system order from the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune; inner planets are rocky, outer planets are gas or ice giants.

Seasons result from Earth's axial tilt (about 23.5°) changing the angle and duration of sunlight, not from distance to the Sun.

Phases of the Moon arise from the changing angle between Sun, Earth and Moon; a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon blocks the Sun's light from Earth.

Variables: the independent variable is deliberately changed, the dependent variable is measured, and controlled variables are held constant to ensure a fair test.

A valid conclusion must be supported by the data collected; correlation alone does not establish cause and effect.

Reliability improves with repeated trials and averaging; validity depends on whether the method actually measures the intended variable.

Accuracy is closeness to the true value; precision is closeness of repeated readings to each other; random errors scatter, systematic errors shift all readings.

Measurement rules: read a thermometer or measuring cylinder at eye level, read the meniscus at its lowest point, and record to the smallest scale division plus one estimated digit.

Laboratory safety: tie back hair, wear goggles and a lab coat, never taste chemicals, waft vapours toward the nose, and add acid to water (not water to acid).

Bunsen burner: yellow flame is safe and visible, blue flame is hot and used for heating; a heatproof mat protects the bench.

A line graph suits continuous data, a bar chart suits discrete categories, and a scatter plot shows the relationship between two measured variables.

Reporting: state the aim, hypothesis, method, results, analysis and conclusion, and include units with every measured quantity.

Renewable resources (solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass) are replenished faster than used; fossil fuels are finite and release CO₂ when burned.

Greenhouse gases (CO₂, CH₄, N₂O, water vapour) trap outgoing infrared radiation; increased concentration strengthens the greenhouse effect and global warming.

Acid rain forms when SO₂ and NOₓ from burning fossil fuels dissolve in rainwater, lowering pH and damaging soils, lakes and buildings.

Water treatment stages: screening, coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, disinfection (chlorination or UV) - a sequence for producing safe drinking water.

Eutrophication: nutrient run-off (nitrates, phosphates) triggers algal blooms, decomposition depletes oxygen, and aquatic life dies.

The 3Rs hierarchy is reduce, reuse, recycle; recycling saves raw materials and energy but does not eliminate waste.

Biotechnology applications include fermentation in food production, antibiotics from microorganisms, and genetic modification of crops.

Risk assessment weighs hazard severity against probability of exposure; science informs policy but decisions also involve economic and ethical factors.

Sustainable development meets present needs without compromising future generations, balancing environmental, social and economic dimensions.

Common misconception: plants obtain food from soil - correct it by showing photosynthesis uses CO₂ and water to make glucose in leaves.

Common misconception: heavier objects fall faster - correct it by demonstrating that acceleration due to gravity is independent of mass (ignoring air resistance).

Common misconception: mass and weight are the same - mass is the amount of matter (kg), weight is the force of gravity (N).

Common misconception: particles in a solid do not move - address by modelling vibration in fixed positions and linking it to heating.

Inquiry-based planning: pose a question, plan variables, collect data, analyse, conclude, evaluate; practical work should target a specific learning objective.

Formative assessment (questioning, exit tickets, concept maps) guides teaching during a unit; summative assessment (tests, projects) judges achievement at the end.

Diagnostic assessment before a topic reveals prior knowledge and misconceptions that planning must address.

Use models and analogies with explicit limits (e.g., particle diagrams) and discuss where the model breaks down to avoid creating new misconceptions.

Differentiation: adapt task level, scaffolding and grouping while keeping the same core learning objective for all learners.