Science Review - College Entrance Tests 2022

Flashcards for reviewing key concepts in science based on college entrance exam preparation.

What are the three major branches of science?

Formal Science, Social Science, Natural Science.

What is the study of matter, its motion and interactions with forces and energy?

Physics.

What type of scientific method step involves defining a question to be answered?

Problem Statement.

What is a testable, tentative explanation of a problem called?

Hypothesis.

What variables are kept unchanged in an experiment?

Controlled variables.

In an experiment, what does the control group serve as?

The standard to which results are compared.

What is the relationship where 'y increases as x increases' called?

Direct Proportion.

What scientific law states that mass is neither created nor destroyed in chemical reactions?

Law of Conservation of Mass.

What is the key difference between a scientific theory and a scientific law?

A theory explains phenomena, while a law describes consistent relationships.

Which layer of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer?

Stratosphere.

What is the prefix for a thousand?

Kilo (k).

What is the SI unit of measure for electric current?

Ampere (A).

What serves as evidence for continental drift?

Similar fossils found on separate continents.

What geological feature forms at divergent plate boundaries?

Mid-ocean ridges.

Which type of rock forms from molten rock that has cooled?

Igneous rock.

What is the scientific process that describes how rocks change types through different geological processes?

The Rock Cycle.

What type of volcano is characterized by gentle slopes and primarily fluid lava flows?

Shield Volcano.

What is measured to determine how energy is contained during an earthquake?

Magnitude.

What type of change occurs when ice melts into water?

Physical Change.

According to the theory of isostasy, what happens to a thick mountain?

It has a lower root than a thinner slab of earth.

What process in the water cycle involves the evaporation of water from plants?

Transpiration.

What type of stress occurs when rocks are pulled apart?

Tension Stress.

What does the Richter Scale measure?

The magnitude or amount of energy of an earthquake.

What is the result of subduction at a convergent boundary?

Formation of trenches.

What are the two types of waves caused by earthquakes?

Body waves and Surface waves.

What type of symbiotic relationship involves both organisms benefiting?

Mutualism.

Which cycle includes the processes of nitrogen fixation and denitrification?

Nitrogen Cycle.

What describes the increase in global temperatures due to greenhouse gases?

Global Warming.

What is a food chain?

A linear sequence showing energy flow from producer to consumer.

What does the term biodiversity refer to?

The variety of life in an ecosystem.

How is density calculated?

Density = mass/volume.

What is the name for the boundary that separates the Earth’s crust and mantle?

Mohorovicic Discontinuity.

What phenomenon occurs when rocks break along a fault line?

Earthquake.

Which gas is responsible for ozone depletion?

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

What is the primary driver of plate tectonics?

Convection currents in the asthenosphere.

What are index fossils used for?

To determine the relative age of rock layers.

What does a seismometer measure?

Earth movements, especially seismic waves.

What type of change does burning wood represent?

Chemical Change.