Mie Entrance Science key terms

A measure of how fast a function's output changes as its input changes, equal to the slope of the tangent line at a point. Found as the limit of a difference quotient.

A quantity that accumulates a function's values over an interval, interpreted as the area under a curve. It is the reverse operation of differentiation when applied to a continuous function.

The value a function or sequence approaches as its input or index gets arbitrarily close to a specified point, whether or not the function actually reaches that value there.

A function whose graph has no breaks, jumps, or holes: small changes in input produce small changes in output, and the function's value equals its limit at every point in its domain.

An equation of the form ax² + bx + c = 0 with a ≠ 0. Its solutions come from the quadratic formula and are related to the parabola's x-intercepts.

The quantity b² − 4ac in a quadratic equation. Its sign tells whether the equation has two, one, or no real solutions, because it appears under the square root in the quadratic formula.

The U-shaped curve traced by a quadratic function. It opens upward when the leading coefficient is positive, downward when negative, and has a single highest or lowest point called the vertex.

An ordered list of numbers in which each term after the first is obtained by adding a fixed constant, called the common difference, to the previous term.

An ordered list of numbers in which each term after the first is obtained by multiplying the previous term by a fixed nonzero constant, called the common ratio.

A number written as a + bi, where a and b are real and i is the imaginary unit with i² = −1. It extends the real number line to a two-dimensional plane.

A quantity with both magnitude and direction, often drawn as an arrow. Vectors can be added, scaled, and resolved into perpendicular components for calculations.

A physical quantity described by magnitude alone, with no direction. Mass, temperature, and speed are examples, in contrast to quantities such as displacement and force.

The rate at which an object's displacement changes, a vector quantity with both speed and direction. Average velocity equals displacement divided by the time interval taken.

The rate at which velocity changes with time, a vector quantity. It occurs whenever an object speeds up, slows down, or changes direction, and is measured in metres per second squared.

The principle that the net force on an object equals its mass multiplied by its acceleration (F = ma). It links force, mass, and the resulting change in motion.

The principle that forces always occur in equal and opposite pairs: if object A exerts a force on object B, then B exerts an equal force on A in the opposite direction.

Energy transferred to or from an object when a force acts on it while it moves, calculated as force times displacement times the cosine of the angle between them.

The energy an object possesses because of its motion, equal to one half its mass times the square of its speed. It is a scalar quantity measured in joules.

The principle that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted between forms or transferred between objects, so the total energy of an isolated system stays constant.

The relationship that the current through a conductor is directly proportional to the voltage across it and inversely proportional to its resistance, written V = IR.

The rate at which electric charge flows through a conductor, measured in amperes. One ampere equals one coulomb of charge passing a point per second.

A measure of how strongly a component opposes the flow of electric current, measured in ohms. It depends on the material, its length, its cross-sectional area, and temperature.

The smallest unit of an element that retains its chemical properties, consisting of a nucleus of protons and neutrons surrounded by electrons in defined energy levels.

A group of two or more atoms held together by covalent bonds, which may be of the same element or of different elements, and behaves as a single particle.

An atom or group of atoms that carries a net electric charge because it has gained or lost one or more electrons relative to its neutral state.

A chemical bond formed when two atoms share one or more pairs of electrons, typically between nonmetals, holding the atoms together in a molecule.

A chemical bond formed by the electrostatic attraction between positively and negatively charged ions, usually created when a metal transfers electrons to a nonmetal.

The amount of substance containing exactly 6.022 × 10²³ elementary particles, such as atoms or molecules. It links particle counts to measurable masses in chemistry.

The number of particles in one mole of a substance, approximately 6.022 × 10²³ per mole. It connects the microscopic world of atoms to macroscopic quantities.

The mass of one mole of a substance, expressed in grams per mole. It is numerically equal to the substance's relative molecular mass and converts moles to grams.

A scale from 0 to 14 measuring the acidity of a solution, defined as the negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion concentration. Values below 7 are acidic.

A substance that donates protons (hydrogen ions) to another substance, or accepts electron pairs. Acids turn blue litmus red and have a pH below 7 in water.

A substance that accepts protons (hydrogen ions) from another substance, or donates electron pairs. Bases turn red litmus blue and have a pH above 7 in water.

A chemical process in which a substance loses electrons, increasing its oxidation state. It often involves gaining oxygen or losing hydrogen and always accompanies reduction.

A chemical process in which a substance gains electrons, decreasing its oxidation state. It often involves losing oxygen or gaining hydrogen and always accompanies oxidation.

A chemical reaction in which electrons are transferred between species, so one substance is oxidized while another is reduced. Combustion and corrosion are common examples.

A thin, flexible barrier of phospholipids and proteins surrounding every cell, controlling which substances enter and leave and separating the cell from its environment.

The net movement of particles from a region of higher concentration to one of lower concentration, driven by random molecular motion until the distribution becomes even.

The diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membrane from a region of higher water concentration to one of lower water concentration, driven by a concentration difference.

A protein that speeds up a specific biochemical reaction by lowering its activation energy, without being consumed. Its activity depends on temperature and pH.

The process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria use light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen, inside chloroplasts containing chlorophyll.

The green pigment in chloroplasts that absorbs mainly red and blue light for photosynthesis, reflecting green light and transferring absorbed energy to the light reactions.

The set of reactions in which cells break down glucose to release usable energy stored as ATP, using oxygen in aerobic forms and producing carbon dioxide and water.

A type of cell division producing two genetically identical daughter cells, used for growth and repair in which chromosomes are copied and evenly separated.

A two-stage form of cell division that produces four gametes, each with half the chromosome number of the parent cell, creating genetic variation through recombination.

A long thread-like structure of DNA wrapped around proteins, carrying genes. Human body cells normally contain 46 chromosomes arranged in 23 pairs.

Deoxyribonucleic acid, a double-stranded molecule shaped as a twisted ladder whose base sequence stores the genetic instructions used to build and operate living organisms.

A section of DNA that carries the instructions for making a particular protein or trait, and is passed from parents to offspring during reproduction.