General Science – Comprehensive Vocabulary Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts across general science, Earth science, biology, chemistry, physics, and astronomy.

Science

A systematized body of knowledge acquired through research and experimentation.

Physical Science

Branch of science that studies non-living systems, matter, and energy.

Biological Science

Branch of science focused on living organisms and life processes.

Social Science

Field that examines humans, societies, and social interactions.

Astronomy

Study of celestial bodies, space, and the universe as a whole.

Chemistry

Science of matter, its properties, and the changes it undergoes.

Physics

Science of matter, energy, motion, and force.

Geology

Study of Earth's structure, history, and the processes that act on it.

Botany

Scientific study of plants.

Zoology

Scientific study of animals.

Psychology

Study of human behavior and mental processes.

Sociology

Study of human society and social behavior.

Scientific Method

Systematic process for acquiring knowledge through observation and experimentation.

Hypothesis

Tentative explanation or prediction that can be tested.

Independent Variable

Factor deliberately changed or controlled in an experiment.

Dependent Variable

Factor being measured; changes in response to the independent variable.

Controlled Variable

Factor kept constant across experimental setups.

Manipulated Variable

Variable that is purposely altered between setups; usually the independent variable.

Inductive Reasoning

Drawing general conclusions from specific observations.

Deductive Reasoning

Applying general principles to predict specific results.

Significant Figures

Digits in a number that carry meaning regarding precision.

Scientific Notation

Shorthand expression of numbers as a × 10ʰ.

Rounding Off

Reducing number of digits while keeping value approximately constant.

Direct Relationship

Two variables increase or decrease together proportionally.

Inverse Relationship

One variable increases as the other decreases.

Fundamental Quantity

Basic physical measurement such as length, mass, or time.

Derived Quantity

Physical quantity calculated from fundamental quantities.

Metric System

Measurement system based on powers of ten.

English System

Traditional measurement system using units like foot and pound.

Conversion Factor

Ratio equal to 1 used to convert between units.

Geosphere

Solid part of Earth including crust, mantle, and core.

Lithosphere

Rigid outer layer consisting of crust and upper mantle.

Asthenosphere

Semi-solid upper mantle layer beneath lithosphere.

Tectonic Plate

Rigid segment of lithosphere that moves over the asthenosphere.

Plate Tectonics

Theory describing large-scale motions of Earth's lithosphere.

Continental Drift

Hypothesis that continents move slowly across Earth’s surface.

Sea-Floor Spreading

Formation of new oceanic crust as plates diverge at ridges.

Divergent Boundary

Plate boundary where plates move apart, creating new crust.

Convergent Boundary

Plate boundary where plates move toward each other, destroying crust.

Transform Boundary

Plate boundary where plates slide past one another horizontally.

Earthquake Focus

Point inside Earth where seismic waves originate.

Epicenter

Surface point directly above an earthquake focus.

P-Wave

Fast compressional body wave that travels through all media.

S-Wave

Slower shear body wave that moves only through solids.

Rayleigh Wave

Rolling surface seismic wave that decreases with depth.

Love Wave

Surface wave causing horizontal shearing of ground.

Richter Scale

Logarithmic scale measuring earthquake magnitude.

Mercalli Scale

Qualitative scale measuring earthquake intensity based on observations.

Volcano

Opening in Earth’s crust releasing lava, gas, and ash.

Cinder Cone

Small, steep volcano built from pyroclastic fragments.

Composite Volcano

Large, layered volcano of alternating lava and ash.

Shield Volcano

Broad, gently sloping volcano formed by fluid lava flows.

Igneous Rock

Rock formed by solidification of magma or lava.

Sedimentary Rock

Rock formed from accumulation and lithification of sediments.

Metamorphic Rock

Rock altered by heat, pressure, or chemical processes.

Mohs Scale

Scale ranking mineral hardness from 1 (talc) to 10 (diamond).

Hydrosphere

All water on, under, or above Earth’s surface.

Water Table

Upper surface of the zone of saturation in groundwater.

Evaporation

Process of liquid water becoming water vapor.

Condensation

Process of water vapor converting to liquid droplets.

Precipitation

Any form of water, liquid or solid, falling from clouds.

Atmosphere

Layer of gases surrounding Earth.

Troposphere

Lowest atmospheric layer where weather occurs.

Stratosphere

Atmospheric layer containing the ozone layer.

Mesosphere

Middle atmospheric layer where meteors burn.

Thermosphere

High-temperature atmospheric layer with auroras and ionosphere.

Exosphere

Outermost, very thin atmospheric layer.

Sea Breeze

Daytime wind blowing from sea to land.

Land Breeze

Nighttime wind blowing from land to sea.

Cyclone

Large, low-pressure system with strong winds and rain.

Thunderstorm

Small storm producing heavy rain, lightning, and thunder.

Tornado

Violent rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to ground.

Astronomy

Study of celestial objects and the universe.

Rotation (Earth)

Earth’s spin about its axis, taking ~24 hours.

Revolution (Earth)

Earth’s orbit around the Sun, taking ~365 days.

Solstice

Time when Sun reaches highest or lowest point in sky, longest or shortest day.

Equinox

Time when day and night are approximately equal globally.

Perigee

Moon’s closest point to Earth in its orbit.

Apogee

Moon’s farthest point from Earth in its orbit.

Spring Tide

Extreme tides during full or new moon alignment.

Neap Tide

Moderate tides occurring at first and third quarter moon.

Solar Eclipse

Moon passes between Sun and Earth, blocking sunlight.

Lunar Eclipse

Earth passes between Sun and Moon, casting shadow on Moon.

Terrestrial Planet

Rocky inner planet like Mercury, Venus, Earth, or Mars.

Jovian Planet

Gas-giant outer planet like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune.

Asteroid

Small rocky body orbiting the Sun, mostly in asteroid belt.

Comet

Icy body releasing gas and dust when near the Sun.

Galaxy

Massive system of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter bound by gravity.

Nebula

Immense cloud of gas and dust; stellar nursery.

Supernova

Explosive death of a massive star.

Black Hole

Region of spacetime with gravity so strong not even light escapes.

Pulsar

Rapidly rotating neutron star emitting regular radio pulses.

Big Bang Theory

Model describing origin of Universe from an initial expansion of a singularity.

Homeostasis

Regulation of internal conditions within living organisms.

Metabolism

Sum of all chemical reactions in an organism.

DNA

Double-helix molecule carrying genetic information.

RNA

Single-stranded nucleic acid involved in protein synthesis.

Amino Acid

Building block of proteins containing amino and carboxyl groups.

Monosaccharide

Single-sugar molecule like glucose or fructose.

Lipid

Hydrophobic biomolecule such as fat or oil.