Toyama Prefectural Public High School Entrance Examination - Science flashcards

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

Inertia

The tendency of an object to keep its current state of motion when no net force acts on it; a stationary object stays still and a moving object continues at constant velocity.

Ohm's law

The current through a conductor is directly proportional to the voltage across it, expressed as V=IR, where R is resistance in ohms.

Series circuit resistance

In a series circuit, the total resistance equals the sum of individual resistances, and the same current flows through every component.

Parallel circuit resistance

In a parallel circuit, the reciprocal of total resistance equals the sum of reciprocals of branch resistances; voltage is equal across branches.

Electric power

The rate at which electrical energy is converted, calculated as P=VI, where P is watts, V is volts, and I is amperes.

Convex lens focal point

The point on the principal axis where rays parallel to the axis converge after passing through a convex lens; its distance from the lens is the focal length.

Sound pitch

Pitch is determined by the frequency of a sound wave; higher frequency produces higher pitch, while amplitude determines loudness.

Law of conservation of energy

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted between forms; the total energy of an isolated system remains constant.

Law of conservation of mass

In a chemical reaction, the total mass of reactants equals the total mass of products because atoms are rearranged, not created or destroyed.

Exothermic reaction

A chemical reaction that releases energy to the surroundings, usually as heat, causing the temperature of the surroundings to rise.

Endothermic reaction

A chemical reaction that absorbs energy from the surroundings, usually as heat, causing the temperature of the surroundings to fall.

Ion

An atom or molecule that has gained or lost electrons, giving it a positive or negative electric charge.

Neutralization

A reaction between an acid and a base that produces water and a salt; hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions combine to form water.

Catalyst

A substance that speeds up a chemical reaction by lowering activation energy without being consumed or permanently changed in the reaction.

Electrolysis

The decomposition of an ionic compound by passing an electric current through its molten or dissolved form.

Precipitation reaction

A reaction in which two soluble solutions mix and form an insoluble solid, called a precipitate, which separates from the solution.

Chloroplast

A green organelle in plant cells containing chlorophyll, where photosynthesis converts light energy into chemical energy in glucose.

Mitochondrion

An organelle in eukaryotic cells where aerobic respiration releases energy from glucose, producing ATP for cellular activities.

Meiosis

A cell division that produces gametes with half the normal chromosome number, creating genetic variation through independent assortment and crossing over.

Dominant trait

An inherited characteristic that appears in the offspring whenever at least one dominant allele is present, masking the recessive allele.

Natural selection

The process by which individuals with inherited traits better suited to their environment survive and reproduce more, increasing those traits in later generations.

Food chain

A sequence showing the transfer of energy from producers to consumers, beginning with organisms that make their own food.

Decomposer

An organism such as bacteria or fungi that breaks down dead organisms and waste, returning nutrients to the ecosystem.

Xylem

A plant tissue that transports water and dissolved minerals upward from the roots to the leaves through hollow conducting cells.

P wave

A primary seismic wave that is longitudinal, travels fastest, and passes through solids and liquids, arriving first at a seismograph.

S wave

A secondary seismic wave that is transverse, travels slower than P waves, and cannot pass through liquids.

Epicenter

The point on Earth's surface directly above the earthquake focus, which lies underground where seismic waves originate.

Principle of superposition

In undisturbed sedimentary rock layers, older layers lie below younger layers, allowing relative ages to be determined.

Strato-volcano

A steep-sided volcano built from alternating layers of lava and pyroclastic material, often producing explosive eruptions.

Air pressure

The force exerted by the weight of air per unit area; it decreases with altitude and causes wind to flow from high to low pressure.

Moon phases

The changing appearance of the Moon as seen from Earth, caused by its revolution and the varying sunlit portion facing Earth.

Earth's revolution

The orbit of Earth around the Sun once per year, which, combined with the tilt of Earth's axis, causes the seasons.