Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics (Syllabus A) Vocabulary Flashcards - Paper 1 & 2 (Notes 2024)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, formulas, and terminology encountered in the notes for Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics (Syllabus A) Paper 1 & 2.

Fraction

A value written as a/b, where a is the numerator and b is the denominator, representing part of a whole.

Decimal

A number written in base-10 with a decimal point, representing tenths, hundredths, etc.

Percentage

A fraction with a denominator of 100, expressed using the symbol % to describe a part per hundred.

Equivalent fractions

Fractions that have the same value even though they may look different.

Ratio

A relation between two quantities showing how many times one value contains the other, written as a:b or a/b.

Proportion

An equation indicating that two ratios are equal.

Mode

The value that occurs most frequently in a data set.

Mean

The average of a data set; sum of values divided by the number of values.

Median

The middle value in an ordered data set (or the average of the two middle values for even-sized data).

Range

The difference between the maximum and minimum values in a data set.

Sample space

The set of all possible outcomes of a probability experiment.

Probability

A measure of how likely an event is to occur, often expressed as a fraction, decimal, or percentage.

Perimeter

The total distance around a two-dimensional shape (sum of its sides).

Area

The amount of space inside a two-dimensional shape.

Pythagoras

In a right-angled triangle, a^2 + b^2 = c^2 relates the lengths of the sides.

Distance formula

Distance between points (x1,y1) and (x2,y2): √[(x2−x1)^2 + (y2−y1)^2].

Gradient (slope)

The rate of change of y with respect to x; m = Δy/Δx.

Perpendicular gradient property

Two non-vertical lines are perpendicular if the product of their gradients is −1.

Interior angle

An angle inside a polygon at a vertex.

Exterior angle

An angle formed by extending one side of a polygon; supplementary to the interior angle at that vertex.

Sum of interior angles (pentagon)

For an n-gon, sum = (n−2)×180°. For a pentagon, 540°.

Exterior angle sum

The sum of the exterior angles of any polygon equals 360°.

Circle sector

A region of a circle bounded by two radii and an arc; area depends on central angle.

Area of a sector

Area = (θ/360)πr^2 (degrees) or Area = (1/2)r^2θ (radians).

Radius

A line segment from the center of a circle to any point on the circle.

Diameter

A chord passing through the center; equal to 2r.

Circumference

The distance around a circle; C = 2πr.

Volume of a cone

V = (1/3)πr^2h, where r is the radius and h is the height.

Surface area (cuboid)

Total area of all six faces of a cuboid; SA = 2(lw + lh + wh).

Regular polygon interior angle

Interior angle of a regular n-gon is [(n−2)×180°]/n.

Line of symmetry

A line that divides a figure into two mirror-image halves.

Vertex / Minimum point

The turning point of a parabola; minimum y-value for upward-opening parabolas.

Quadratic equation

An equation of the form ax^2 + bx + c = 0.

Factorisation

Writing a polynomial as a product of its factors.

HCF (Highest Common Factor)

The largest factor that divides two or more integers.

LCM (Lowest Common Multiple)

The smallest common multiple of two or more integers.

Prime factorisation

Expressing a number as a product of prime numbers.

Simultaneous equations

Two or more equations with the same variables solved together.

Scale diagram

A drawing where lengths are proportional to real lengths by a fixed scale factor.

Exponential function

A function of the form y = a·b^x showing growth or decay.

Standard form (scientific notation)

A number written as a × 10^n with 1 ≤ a < 10.

Cumulative frequency diagram

A graph showing the running total of frequencies, used to estimate medians and quartiles.

Interquartile range (IQR)

Difference between the third and first quartiles; spread of the middle 50% of data.

Pie chart vs histogram

Pie chart shows proportions of a whole; histogram shows distribution of continuous data.

Mean vs Standard Deviation

Mean is the average; standard deviation measures data dispersion around the mean.