Maharashtra HSC Education flashcards

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

HSC full form

Higher Secondary Certificate, the Class 12 public examination certificate awarded by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) after passing the board examinations.

Theory paper marks

Most Maharashtra HSC theory papers carry 80 marks written in a single three-hour session, with the remaining 20 marks from internal assessment or practical work.

Passing criterion HSC

A candidate must obtain at least 35 percent in each subject overall, combining theory and internal or practical marks, with separate passing heads where the board prescribes them.

Trilingual question paper

Maharashtra HSC question papers are printed in Marathi, Hindi, and English; a candidate answers in one medium, and standard technical terms may be written in English.

Practical examination weightage

Science subjects such as Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics include a practical examination whose marks are counted within the internal assessment component of the subject.

Step-wise marking

Maharashtra board marking schemes award marks for correct method, formula, and intermediate steps, so a right final answer without working does not receive full credit.

Equations of motion

For uniform acceleration: v = u + at, s = ut + one-half at squared, and v squared = u squared + 2as, where u and v are initial and final velocities.

Newton's second law

The net force on a body equals the rate of change of its momentum, F = dp/dt, which reduces to F = ma when mass is constant.

Work-energy theorem

The net work done on a body by all forces equals the change in its kinetic energy; for conservative forces, total mechanical energy remains constant.

Ideal gas equation

PV = nRT relates pressure, volume, moles, and absolute temperature of an ideal gas; at STP one mole occupies about 22.4 litres.

pH definition

pH equals the negative logarithm of hydrogen ion concentration; values below 7 are acidic, above 7 basic, and a strong acid dissociates completely in water.

Mole concept

One mole contains 6.022 times ten to the twenty-third particles and equals the molar mass in grams; molarity is moles of solute per litre of solution.

Le Chatelier's principle

When a system at equilibrium is disturbed by concentration, pressure, or temperature change, it shifts in the direction that partly opposes the disturbance; catalysts do not shift equilibrium.

Faraday in electrolysis

One Faraday, about 96500 coulombs, is the charge on one mole of electrons and deposits one equivalent weight of a substance at an electrode.

Chain rule

If y depends on u and u depends on x, then dy/dx equals dy/du multiplied by du/dx; used to differentiate composite functions.

Product rule

The derivative of a product uv equals u prime times v plus u times v prime, written (uv)' = u'v + uv'.

Integral of 1/x

The indefinite integral of 1/x with respect to x is the natural logarithm of the absolute value of x, plus an arbitrary constant C.

Conditional probability

P(A given B) equals P(A and B) divided by P(B), provided P(B) is not zero; it restricts the sample space to outcomes where B occurs.

Binomial mean and variance

For a binomial distribution with n trials and success probability p, the mean is np and the variance is npq, where q equals 1 minus p.

Coefficient of variation

The coefficient of variation equals standard deviation divided by mean, multiplied by 100; it compares variability between data sets with different units.

Determinant of 2x2 matrix

For a matrix with rows a, b and c, d, the determinant is ad minus bc; the matrix is invertible only when this value is nonzero.

Dot and cross product

The dot product gives a scalar |a||b|cos theta; the cross product gives a vector of magnitude |a||b|sin theta perpendicular to both vectors.

Mendel's law of segregation

The two alleles of a gene separate during gamete formation, so each gamete carries only one allele, restoring pairs at fertilisation.

Photolysis in photosynthesis

In the light reactions, water is split in the thylakoid membranes, releasing oxygen and supplying electrons and protons for ATP and NADPH production.

Calvin cycle

The light-independent stage in the stroma where RuBisCO fixes carbon dioxide into organic compounds using ATP and NADPH made in the light reactions.

Tidal volume

The volume of air moved into or out of the lungs during one normal quiet breath, approximately 500 millilitres in a healthy adult.

ADH action

Antidiuretic hormone increases water reabsorption in the collecting duct of the nephron, concentrating urine and reducing water loss.

Base pairing in DNA

In the DNA double helix, adenine pairs with thymine by two hydrogen bonds and guanine pairs with cytosine by three hydrogen bonds.

Restriction endonuclease

An enzyme that recognises a specific palindromic DNA sequence and cuts the double strand there, producing fragments used in recombinant DNA technology.

Pyramid of energy

A representation of energy flow between trophic levels; it is always upright because roughly ninety percent of energy is lost as heat at each transfer.

Summary writing marks

In language papers, summary answers are scored for brevity and coverage of the main ideas; lifting whole sentences from the passage loses marks.

Point-wise marking social science

History, Geography, and Political Science answers are scored point-wise, and the number of expected points usually matches the marks allotted to the question.