AP Biology Review: Foundational Science Skills and Chemistry

Flashcards testing core scientific skills, graphing types, experimental design terms, chemical bonds, polarity, molarity, pH, and chemical reaction energetics.

Line graph

A type of graph used to show change over time.

Scatterplot

A type of graph used to show the correlation between two variables.

Bar graph

A type of graph used for comparing different discrete groups.

Histogram

A type of graph used to show the distribution of data by categorizing values into height or continuous range categories.

Pie chart

A circular graph used to display parts of a whole by comparing a fraction to the total amount.

Line of best fit

A line on a graph representing the average trend of the data, used to summarize data and estimate values.

Independent variable

The variable in an experiment that is intentionally changed or manipulated by the experimenter.

Dependent variable

The variable in an experiment that is measured to observe the effect of the independent variable.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction of an experimental outcome that the experiment aims to support or refute.

Constants

Factors in an experiment kept identical across all treatments to prevent confounding variables from altering results.

Control group

A baseline group in an experiment where all variables remain unchanged, used for comparison to measure the effect of the independent variable.

Organic compounds

A class of chemical compounds that contain carbon.

Nonpolar covalent bond

A chemical bond in which a pair of electrons is shared equally between atoms, such as in $H_2$.

Polar covalent bond

A chemical bond in which electrons are shared unequally due to differences in atomic pull, creating partial charges, such as in $H_2O$.

Ionic bond

A chemical bond formed through electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions, formed when an atom transfers electrons rather than sharing them.

Hydrogen bond

An attraction between $NH$ or $OH$ bonds and neighboring electronegative atoms, essential for protein folding and making ice less dense than liquid water.

Electronegativity

A measure of how strongly an atom pulls shared electrons toward itself in a chemical bond.

Amphipathic molecules

Contains both polar (hydrophilic) and nonpolar (hydrophobic) regions, such as soap.

Solute

The substance in a solution that is dissolved by the solvent.

Solvent

The dissolving agent of a solution that breaks down the solute.

Molarity

A measure of chemical solution concentration calculated as $\text{Molarity} = \frac{\text{moles of solute}}{\text{liters of solution}}$.

Hydronium ion

H₂O, but with 3 hydrogen ions instead of 2.

Hydroxide ion

A negatively charged polyatomic ion ($OH^-$) formed when a water molecule loses a hydrogen ion.

pH

A measure of hydrogen ion concentration calculated as $\text{pH} = -\text{log}[H^+]$, where values $0-6$ are acidic, $7$ is neutral, and $8-14$ are basic.

Exothermic reaction

A chemical reaction that produces or releases heat.

Endothermic reaction

A chemical reaction that absorbs or takes in heat.

Activation energy

The minimum energy required to initiate a chemical reaction.