General Science and Scientific Temperament
General Science and Scientific Temperament checks basic physics, chemistry, biology, health and environment, plus the ability to distinguish evidence-based claims from pseudoscience. The exam favours definitions, units, simple numericals and everyday applications.
Core rules
- Scientific method: observation → question → hypothesis → experiment → conclusion; a hypothesis must be testable and falsifiable.
- Motion: speed = distance/time; velocity includes direction; acceleration = change in velocity/time. Force = mass × acceleration.
- Units: SI unit of force is newton; energy is joule; power is watt; pressure is pascal.
- Biology: photosynthesis uses sunlight, CO2 and water to make glucose and oxygen; blood groups ABO; vaccines train immune memory.
- Chemistry: pH below 7 acidic, 7 neutral, above 7 basic; metals conduct; acids react with bases.
- Environment: food chains, biodiversity, renewable vs non-renewable resources.
Worked example
Convert 72 km/h to m/s. Reasoning: 1 km = 1000 m and 1 h = 3600 s, so 72 km/h = 72 × 1000/3600 = 72 × 5/18 = 20 m/s. The conversion factor 5/18 is quicker than multiplying by 1000 and dividing by 3600.
Traps
Mass is not weight; weight changes with gravity. Speed is scalar, velocity is vector. In science, a theory is a well-tested explanation, not a guess. Do not accept a claim merely because it is popular or traditional; check evidence, controls and reproducibility.