FINALS 2026 SCIENCE

What is the difference between an ecosystem and a habitat?

An ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with their physical environment, while a habitat is the specific area where an organism lives.

What are biotic factors?

Biotic factors are the living components of an ecosystem, such as plants, animals, and microorganisms.

What are abiotic factors?

Abiotic factors are the non-living physical and chemical components of an ecosystem, such as sunlight, temperature, and water.

What is the difference between an organism, population, and community?

An organism is a single living entity, a population is a group of the same species living in a specific area, and a community is a group of different species living together in an area.

What are reasons an organism's population may change?

Reasons include births, deaths, immigration (incoming individuals), and emigration (outgoing individuals).

What are limiting factors?

Limiting factors are environmental conditions that restrict the growth, abundance, or distribution of a population.

How do you calculate population density?

Population density is calculated by dividing the number of individuals by the area they occupy (e.g., number of bobcats per acre).

What is carrying capacity?

Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can sustainably support.

What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?

A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass, while a food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains.

What are the four types of consumers?

The four types of consumers are herbivores (plant eaters), carnivores (meat eaters), omnivores (both plant and meat eaters), and decomposers (break down dead material).

What is an autotroph?

An autotroph is an organism that produces its own food from inorganic substances, typically through photosynthesis.

What is a heterotroph?

A heterotroph is an organism that cannot produce its own food and relies on consuming other organisms for energy.

What is the conservation of mass?

The conservation of mass states that mass cannot be created or destroyed in a closed system; it can only change forms.

What is the conservation of energy?

The conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.

What is precipitation?

Precipitation is any form of water, liquid or solid, that falls from the atmosphere to the Earth's surface, such as rain or snow.

What is condensation?

Condensation is the process by which water vapor in the air is changed into liquid water, often forming clouds.

What is evaporation?

Evaporation is the process by which liquid water is transformed into water vapor, usually due to heat.

What role do consumers play in the carbon/oxygen cycle?

Consumers play a role by taking in oxygen for respiration and releasing carbon dioxide, which is used by producers in photosynthesis.

What is a niche?

A niche is the role or function of an organism or species within an ecosystem, including its habitat, resource use, and interactions with other organisms.

What are the three aspects of an organism's niche?

The three aspects include its habitat, the resources it uses, and its interactions with other organisms.

What is symbiosis?

Symbiosis is a close and long-term interaction between two different species, which can be beneficial, neutral, or harmful to one or both parties.

What is primary succession?

Primary succession is the process of ecological change that occurs in an area where no soil exists, such as after a volcanic eruption.

What is secondary succession?

Secondary succession is the process of ecological change that occurs in an area where a disturbance has destroyed an existing community but soil remains.

What is a keystone species?

A keystone species is a species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance, often maintaining the structure of the ecosystem.

What is electric force?

Electric force is the attraction or repulsion between charged particles, which depends on the magnitude of the charges and the distance between them.

What is a circuit?

A circuit is a closed loop through which electric current can flow, consisting of a power source, conductors, and load.

What is Ohm's Law?

Ohm's Law states that the current (I) through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the voltage (V) across the two points and inversely proportional to the resistance (R), expressed as V = IR.

What is a magnet?

A magnet is an object that produces a magnetic field, which can attract or repel other magnetic materials.

What is magnetism?

Magnetism is a physical phenomenon produced by the motion of electric charge, resulting in attractive and repulsive forces between objects.

What is a magnetic field?

A magnetic field is the region around a magnet where magnetic forces can be detected, often represented by field lines.