New York Regents flashcards

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

Regents passing score

A scaled score of 65 is the traditional passing score on most New York State Regents exams; local districts and appeals processes may allow lower scores to meet graduation requirements in specific cases.

Raw-to-scaled conversion

Each Regents exam administration uses a conversion chart that turns the raw points earned into a scaled 0-100 score; the same raw score can map to different scaled scores on different test dates.

Regents constructed-response scoring

Parts II through IV of many Regents exams contain short-answer and extended-response questions scored with rubrics; partial credit is possible, and showing work or citing evidence can earn points even with an incorrect final answer.

Reference tables

Certain science Regents exams supply reference tables containing constants, formulas, and data; students should use the supplied values instead of memorized ones when the exam provides them.

Document-based question

A Regents social studies task requiring students to use provided historical documents plus outside knowledge; credit depends on citing documents explicitly and connecting them to the historical context and task.

Quadratic formula

For ax^2 + bx + c = 0 with a not zero, the solutions are x = [-b plus or minus the square root of (b^2 - 4ac)] divided by 2a; the discriminant b^2 - 4ac determines the number of real solutions.

Slope of perpendicular lines

Two nonvertical lines are perpendicular when their slopes are negative reciprocals, so the product of their slopes equals -1; parallel lines instead have equal slopes.

Distance formula

The distance between points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) is the square root of [(x2 - x1)^2 + (y2 - y1)^2]; this formula is used in coordinate geometry problems on Regents math exams.

Interior angle sum

The sum of the interior angles of a polygon with n sides is (n - 2) multiplied by 180 degrees; for a quadrilateral this is 360 degrees, and for a triangle it is 180 degrees.

Circle equation

A circle with center (h, k) and radius r has equation (x - h)^2 + (y - k)^2 = r^2; completing the square converts a general circle equation into this standard form.

Volume of a sphere

The volume of a sphere with radius r is V = (4/3) times pi times r cubed; related Regents formulas include cylinder V = pi r^2 h and cone V = (1/3) pi r^2 h.

Logarithm product rule

The logarithm of a product equals the sum of the logarithms: log(ab) = log a + log b; related rules are log(a/b) = log a - log b and log(a^n) = n log a.

Vertex form of a quadratic

The vertex form y = a(x - h)^2 + k identifies the vertex of a parabola as (h, k); the value of a determines whether the parabola opens upward or downward and how wide it is.

Standard deviation meaning

Standard deviation measures how far data values typically spread from the mean; a larger standard deviation indicates greater variability, while a smaller value indicates data clustered near the mean.

Cell theory

Cell theory states that all living things are composed of cells, cells are the basic unit of structure and function, and new cells arise from preexisting cells through cell division.

Photosynthesis inputs and outputs

Photosynthesis uses light energy, carbon dioxide, and water to produce glucose and oxygen; cellular respiration reverses the process, releasing energy from glucose for cell use.

Transcription and translation

Transcription copies DNA into messenger RNA in the nucleus, and translation at the ribosome assembles amino acids into a protein according to mRNA codons; mutations can alter the resulting protein.

Natural selection requirements

Natural selection requires variation among individuals, heritability of that variation, and differential reproductive success; over generations, favorable traits become more common in a population.

Law of superposition

In undisturbed sedimentary rock layers, older layers lie below younger layers; this principle, found in the Earth Science Reference Tables, helps order geologic events and fossils.

P and S seismic waves

P waves are compressional and fastest, arriving first at a seismograph; S waves are shear waves that cannot travel through liquids, which is evidence that Earth's outer core is liquid.

Mole definition

One mole of a substance contains 6.02 times 10 to the 23rd particles, known as Avogadro's number; molar mass in grams per mole converts between mass and moles in chemistry problems.

Newton's second law

Newton's second law states that force equals mass times acceleration, F = ma; a net force produces acceleration in the direction of the force, and greater mass reduces acceleration for the same force.

Checks and balances

The Constitution separates power among legislative, executive, and judicial branches, each able to limit the others; for example, the president vetoes laws and the Supreme Court can rule laws unconstitutional.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution protect individual liberties, including speech, religion, press, assembly, and rights of the accused, and were ratified in 1791.

Marbury v. Madison

The 1803 Supreme Court decision established judicial review, the power of courts to declare laws unconstitutional; it is a key example of checks and balances in U.S. government.

Brown v. Board of Education

The 1954 Supreme Court decision ruled that racial segregation in public schools violated the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson and energizing the civil rights movement.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Adopted by the United Nations in 1948, this document sets out fundamental rights for all people, reflecting international responses to the atrocities of World War II and the Holocaust.

Neolithic Revolution

The shift from hunting and gathering to settled agriculture around 10,000 years ago led to permanent settlements, food surpluses, specialization of labor, and the rise of early civilizations.

Cold War definition

The Cold War was a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II, marked by nuclear arms competition, alliances, proxy wars, and ideological conflict.

Central idea in a passage

The central idea is the main point an author develops throughout a text; supporting details and evidence explain or illustrate it, and Regents responses should cite specific textual evidence.

Argument essay evidence

On the Regents English Language Arts argument essay, a strong response states a clear position, uses evidence from the provided sources, and acknowledges counterclaims rather than relying on unsupported opinion.