Master Subtest 2 practices and concepts

VOCABULARY flashcards based on Master Subtest 2 lecture notes covering science and mathematics concepts.

Condensation

The phase in the water cycle where water vapor turns into liquid; it is often represented by 'X' in diagrams when following evaporation.

Saltwater freezing point

The temperature at which ocean water begins to form ice, which is approximately $29^{\circ}\text{F}$ due to salt ions keeping water molecules from sticking together, compared to fresh water which freezes at $32^{\circ}\text{F}$.

Osmosis

The process where a plant loses water and wilts if watered with salt water; if too much water is lost, the plant will die.

Villi

Internal folds in the long digestive system that dramatically increase the surface area available for the absorption of nutrients.

Barometer

A scientific instrument used to measure air pressure.

Mutation

A change in DNA (gene) that results in variations in populations, which can be beneficial for survival (like white fur in the arctic) or harmful (like Sickle Cell Anemia).

Polaris

Also known as the North Star; it lies directly above Earth's north rotational axis and appears stationary while other stars appear to circle it as Earth rotates.

Continental Shelf

A shallow region of the ocean floor where sunlight penetrates, allowing organisms such as plants, algae, and seaweed to flourish.

Natural Selection

A process that causes populations to change over time through variations, overpopulation, competition, and reproduction as organisms adapt to their environment.

Photosynthesis

The process by which plants use carbon dioxide ($\text{CO}_2$), water ($\text{H}_2\text{O}$), and light energy to produce glucose ($\text{C}_6\text{H}_{12}\text{O}_6$) and oxygen ($\text{O}_2$).

Physical Weathering

The breaking down of rocks through natural processes like frost wedging, where ice crystals in rock cracks cause the material to break.

Nucleus

The control center of a cell which contains chromosomes and DNA; it is the site where RNA molecules are synthesized from a DNA template.

Atomic Nucleus

The center of an atom consisting of electrically positive protons and electrically neutral neutrons.

Loma Prieta Earthquake (1989)

A seismic event where homes near San Francisco Bay sustained worse damage due to the existence of sediments and fill near the shoreline.

El Niño

A weather phenomenon characterized by warming waters that disrupt the food chain by reducing the upwelling of cold water, leading to a loss of phytoplankton.

Mitochondria

Membrane-bound cell organelles often called 'powerhouses' that generate chemical energy stored in a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

Renewable Energy Conversion

The process where kinetic energy is transformed into electric energy, such as the movement-related operation of a windmill.

Igneous Rock

Rock formed from cooling magma; the size of the minerals indicates the cooling duration, with slow cooling resulting in large crystals and quick cooling resulting in small crystals.

Coriolis Effect

A phenomenon caused by Earth's rotation that deflects circulating air toward the right in the Northern Hemisphere and toward the left in the Southern Hemisphere.

Estuaries

Productive marine environments, sometimes called 'nurseries of the sea,' where fresh water from land mixes with salt water from the ocean.

Lever

A simple machine consisting of a beam or rigid rod pivoted at a fixed hinge, or fulcrum; a nutcracker is a common example.

Inclined Plane

A simple machine consisting of a sloping surface; a screw is a specific example of this machine.

Copper

A material characterized as a good conductor of electricity.

Tectonic Plate Motion

The movement of Earth's crustal plates caused by radioactive decay producing heat and convection within the Earth's mantle.

Coastal Aquifers

Underground water sources that face the risk of seawater intrusion, particularly in areas like Los Angeles.

Comet

A celestial body consisting of a large mass of mixed ice and dust orbiting a star.

Trophic Levels

The hierarchical levels in an ecosystem comprising organisms that share the same function in the food chain; for example, crows can perform at different levels.

Mean

A measure of central tendency representing the average of a set of numbers, calculated by adding the values and dividing by the count.

Median

The middle number in a sorted data set; this value typically remains unchanged if an extreme value at the end of the set is replaced.

Scientific Notation

A mathematical expression used to write very large or small numbers; for example, $4.21e-18$ is notation for $4.21 \times 10^{-18}$.

Troy Pound

A unit of weight equal to 12 ounces or 4800 grains, often contrasted with the customary pound of 16 ounces.

Distributive Property

A mathematical property used to solve expressions like $3 \times 35.2$ by rewriting it as $3 \times (30 + 5.2)$.

Pythagorean Theorem

The fundamental geometric relation $a^2 + b^2 = c^2$ used to find the missing side lengths of a right triangle.

GCF (Greatest Common Factor)

The highest number or expression that divides exactly into two or more numbers/monomials; for example, the GCF of $8a^2b^2c$, $-b^2c$, and $2ab^2c$ is $b^2c$.

Range

The difference between the highest and lowest values in a set of data.