OAE Integrated Science flashcards
OAE Integrated Science · Build recall with a focused review session.
34 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Independent variable
- The factor a researcher deliberately changes or manipulates in an experiment; it is the presumed cause whose effect on the dependent variable is measured.
- Control group
- The group in an experiment that receives no treatment or a placebo, providing a baseline against which the experimental group's results are compared.
- Hypothesis vs. theory
- A hypothesis is a testable, falsifiable prediction; a theory is a broad, well-supported explanation unifying many observations and evidence from repeated testing.
- Accuracy vs. precision
- Accuracy describes how close a measurement is to the true value; precision describes how close repeated measurements are to one another.
- Significant figures rules
- Nonzero digits and zeros between them count; leading zeros never count; trailing zeros count only when a decimal point is present in the number.
- Peer review
- A process in which independent experts evaluate a study's methods and conclusions before publication, helping screen out flawed or unsupported scientific claims.
- Percent error formula
- Percent error = |measured value − accepted value| ÷ accepted value × 100, expressing how far a measurement deviates from the true value.
- Scientific model
- A simplified representation of a system or phenomenon used to explain and predict; models are revised or replaced when new evidence conflicts with them.
- Newton's second law
- The net force on an object equals its mass times its acceleration (F = ma); greater force or smaller mass produces greater acceleration.
- Conservation of energy
- Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred or transformed; the total energy of a closed system remains constant.
- Ohm's law
- Voltage equals current times resistance (V = IR); for a fixed resistance, increasing voltage increases current proportionally.
- Series vs. parallel circuits
- In series, current is the same and resistances add; in parallel, voltage is the same and reciprocal resistances add to give total resistance.
- Wave equation
- Wave speed equals frequency times wavelength (v = fλ); higher frequency means shorter wavelength when speed is constant.
- Transverse vs. longitudinal waves
- Transverse waves oscillate perpendicular to travel direction (light); longitudinal waves oscillate parallel to travel direction (sound).
- Atomic number
- The number of protons in an atom's nucleus, which identifies the element and determines its position on the periodic table.
- Isotopes
- Atoms of the same element with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons, giving different mass numbers.
- Ionic vs. covalent bonds
- Ionic bonds transfer electrons between metals and nonmetals, forming charged ions; covalent bonds share electron pairs, usually between nonmetals.
- pH scale
- A logarithmic measure of hydrogen ion concentration where pH = −log[H⁺]; values below 7 are acidic, 7 neutral, above 7 basic.
- Kinetic energy
- The energy of motion, calculated as one-half mass times velocity squared (KE = ½mv²); doubling velocity quadruples kinetic energy.
- Cell theory
- All living organisms are composed of cells, the cell is the basic unit of life, and all cells arise from pre-existing cells.
- Prokaryote vs. eukaryote
- Prokaryotes lack a membrane-bound nucleus and organelles; eukaryotes have a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles such as mitochondria and chloroplasts.
- Photosynthesis equation
- Six carbon dioxide plus six water plus light energy produce one glucose and six oxygen molecules, occurring in chloroplasts using chlorophyll.
- Cellular respiration
- Glucose plus oxygen yield carbon dioxide, water, and ATP energy in mitochondria; the reverse overall of photosynthesis.
- Mitosis vs. meiosis
- Mitosis produces two identical diploid cells for growth and repair; meiosis produces four genetically varied haploid gametes for sexual reproduction.
- DNA base pairing
- In DNA, adenine pairs with thymine and guanine pairs with cytosine; the double helix is held together by hydrogen bonds between bases.
- Genotype vs. phenotype
- Genotype is an organism's allele combination for a trait; phenotype is the observable characteristic produced by that genotype and environment.
- Natural selection
- Heritable variations that improve survival and reproduction become more common in a population over generations, driven by environmental pressure.
- Ten percent rule
- Only about 10% of energy at one trophic level transfers to the next; the rest is lost as heat, limiting food chain length.
- Negative feedback
- A homeostatic mechanism in which a change triggers a response that reverses the change, restoring stable internal conditions such as body temperature.
- Plate boundary types
- Divergent boundaries create new crust, convergent boundaries cause subduction or mountain building, and transform boundaries produce earthquakes as plates slide past.
- Rock cycle
- Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks transform among one another through melting, cooling, weathering, compaction, and heat and pressure.
- Cause of seasons
- Earth's 23.5° axial tilt changes the angle and duration of sunlight through the year, producing seasons; distance from the Sun is not the cause.
- Moon phase cycle
- The Moon completes a phase cycle in about 29.5 days, from new moon through waxing, full moon, and waning back to new moon.
- Spring vs. neap tides
- Spring tides occur at new and full moons when Sun and Moon align, producing highest tides; neap tides occur at quarter moons with smallest tidal range.