Physical Science Concepts and Scientific Method Review

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering fundamental chemistry, physics, and scientific experimental design concepts.

Insoluble

A property describing a substance that does not dissolve in a given solvent.

Miscible

The ability of one substance to mix with another substance.

Suspension

A heterogeneous mixture made of particles that separate upon standing, having the largest particle size among mixtures.

Colloid

A mixture that appears cloudy and scatters light, with intermediate particle sizes between a suspension and a solution.

Alloy

A metallic mixture composed of two or more elements that maintain their individual chemical identities.

Mixture

A combination of two or more substances that keep their individual chemical identities.

Heterogeneous Mixture

A type of mixture that does not have the same uniform composition in every part.

Homogeneous Mixture

A type of mixture that has a uniform composition and appearance throughout.

Compound

A pure substance containing atoms of two or more elements chemically bonded together, represented by a chemical formula.

Pure Substance

A classification of matter that consists exclusively of elements and compounds.

Density

A characteristic physical property of a substance defined as its mass per unit volume ($\text{g/cm}^3$ or $\text{g/mL}$) that stays the same regardless of sample size.

Mass

The amount of matter contained in a substance, having the kilogram ($\text{kg}$) as its SI base unit.

Volume

The three-dimensional space occupied by matter, usually measured in milliliters ($\text{mL}$) or cubic centimeters ($\text{cm}^3$).

Thermal Energy

A form of energy that reflects the motion and kinetic energy of the particles within an object.

Sound Energy

A form of kinetic energy caused by the vibration of particles through matter.

Chemical Energy

A type of potential energy stored in chemical bonds, such as the energy found in batteries.

Exothermic Reaction

A chemical reaction that releases energy to the surroundings, causing the temperature of the surroundings to increase.

Endothermic Reaction

A chemical reaction or process that absorbs energy from its surroundings, causing the container or surroundings to feel cold.

Fractional Distillation

A physical separation process used to separate crude oil into light, medium, and heavy fractions by heating them to different boiling points.

Fermentation

An anaerobic preservation process and one of the oldest food preservation methods that adds flavor and preserves a product without oxygen.

Solid

The state of matter characterized by having the least particle motion and the greatest particle density.

Liquid

The state of matter in which the motion and density of particles are intermediate between a solid and a gas.

Physical Change

A change in which matter changes in amount, size, shape, or appearance (such as dyeing cloth green) without changing its chemical identity.

Hypothesis

A possible, testable explanation for a set of observations or an answer to a scientific problem that has not yet been experimentally proven.

Inference

A logical conclusion or prediction formulated based on prior observations.

Observations

Direct, fact-based information collected about phenomena using one or more of the five senses.

Qualitative Observation

A descriptive, non-numerical observation of characteristics, such as noticing that an unknown compound turns litmus paper blue.

Procedures

A sequential list of explicit experimental steps designed for anyone to follow and reproduce an experiment.

Independent Variable

The single variable in an experiment that is deliberately manipulated or altered by the scientist.

Dependent Variable

The variable being measured or tested in an experiment to obtain data in response to changes in the independent variable.

Control Group

The standard part of an experiment that omits the tested variable and serves as a baseline of comparison.

Accuracy

The degree of closeness of a measured value or experimental average to the accepted or true standard value.

Precision

The reproducibility and repeatability of measurements, reflected in the range of values and number of significant figures.