PUPCET key terms

A way of comparing two quantities of the same kind by division. A ratio of 3 to 4 means the first quantity is three parts for every four parts of the second.

An equation stating that two ratios are equal, such as 2/3 = 8/12. In a true proportion the cross products are equal, which lets you solve for a missing value.

A number written as a part of one hundred. Twenty percent means twenty out of every hundred, and it can be rewritten as the decimal 0.20 or the fraction 1/5.

An equation in which every variable is raised only to the first power, so its graph is a straight line. A simple example is 2x + 5 = 11.

An equation whose highest power of the variable is two, usually written as ax squared plus bx plus c equals zero, where a is not zero. Its graph is a parabola.

A measure of how steep a line is, found by dividing the vertical change by the horizontal change between two points. A perfectly flat line has a slope of zero.

The middle value of a set of numbers arranged in order from smallest to largest. If the set has an even number of values, the median is the average of the two middle ones.

A number between zero and one that tells how likely an event is. It equals the number of favorable outcomes divided by the total number of equally likely outcomes.

A word that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word in a given context, such as big and large. Synonyms help you answer vocabulary items even when a word is unfamiliar.

A word whose meaning is opposite to that of another word, such as hot and cold. Spotting antonyms helps you eliminate wrong choices in vocabulary and analogy questions.

A hint found in the words and sentences around an unfamiliar word that helps you work out its meaning, often through examples, contrasts, or a definition given nearby.

The central point that a paragraph or passage develops, usually stated in a topic sentence and supported by details. Grasping it helps you answer questions about the whole text.

A conclusion you reach by combining information in a passage with your own knowledge, even though the writer does not state it directly. An inference must be supported by the text.

The rule that a verb must match its subject in number. A singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb, no matter what words come between them.

A figure of speech that compares two unlike things using the words like or as, for example brave as a lion. It makes a description more vivid and easy to picture.

An expression whose meaning cannot be worked out from its individual words, such as break the ice meaning to start a conversation. Idioms are fixed in form and often informal.

A testable, educated prediction about the outcome of an experiment. A good one is stated clearly enough that observations can either support it or show it to be false.

The factor that the experimenter deliberately changes or sets in an experiment. Its effect on the dependent variable is exactly what the study is trying to measure.

The process by which green plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make sugar and release oxygen. It happens mainly in the leaves, inside structures called chloroplasts.

The amount of mass packed into a given volume, calculated as mass divided by volume. An object denser than a liquid sinks in it, while a less dense object floats.

The energy an object has because of its motion. It increases when the object moves faster or has more mass, and it is measured in units called joules.

A community of living organisms interacting with one another and with the nonliving parts of their surroundings, such as water, soil, air, and sunlight.

The type of cell division that produces two daughter cells with the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell. It is used for growth, repair, and asexual reproduction.

A comparison showing that two pairs of items are related in the same way, as in hand is to glove as foot is to shoe. Solving one means naming the link in the first pair.

A list of numbers that follows a hidden rule, such as adding three each time or multiplying by two. You find the next term by working out the pattern.

An argument built from two premises and a conclusion, where the conclusion should follow if the premises are true, for example all mammals are warm-blooded and a whale is a mammal.

Reasoning that starts from general statements and draws a particular conclusion that must follow if those statements are true. It is the opposite of generalizing from specific observations.

Reasoning that examines specific examples or observations and then forms a general rule from them. Its conclusions are only probable, because a new case may not fit the rule.

A sentence of the form if P then Q, where P is the condition and Q is the result. Such a statement is false only when P is true and Q is false.

A single case that shows a general statement or rule is false. One exception is enough to disprove a claim that something is always true.

A traditional Filipino saying that expresses wisdom or a rule for living, such as "Kung may isinuksok, may madudukot." Its meaning is usually direct and moral in tone.

A Filipino idiomatic expression whose meaning is not literal, such as "butas ang bulsa" for being poor. Unlike a salawikain, it teaches no lesson and is used inside sentences.

A Filipino riddle presented as a short, clever description of an object, and the task is to guess what is being described. It often relies on imagery and rhyme.

The Filipino term for figures of speech and rhetorical devices, including simile, metaphor, and personification. These expressions go beyond literal meaning to create vivid images.

The Filipino term for the subject of a sentence, the part being talked about and usually the one performing the action. It may be a noun, a pronoun, or a phrase.

The Filipino term for the predicate, the part of a sentence that tells something about the subject, such as what it does or what it is.

The Filipino term for an essay, a short written composition presenting the writer's thoughts or opinion on a topic. It usually has an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.