Harder Practice Test Review: Chemistry, Physics, and Biology

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from chemistry, nuclear science, physics, molecular biology, genetics, and astronomy based on the practice exam.

$$FeSO_3$$

The chemical formula for Iron(II) sulfite.

Chromium(III) carbonate

A chemical compound with the formula $Cr_2(CO_3)_3$.

$$Fe_2O_3$$

A compound containing a metal with an oxidation state of $+3$.

$$N_2O$$

A covalent compound correctly named dinitrogen oxide.

Lead(IV) phosphate

A chemical compound with the formula $Pb_3(PO_4)_4$.

Single replacement reaction

A type of chemical reaction where one element replaces another in a compound, such as $Zn + CuSO_4 \rightarrow ZnSO_4 + Cu$.

Endothermic process

A reaction or physical change that absorbs energy overall, such as melting ice.

Half-life

The time required for a radioactive sample to decrease in mass by half; for example, an isotope with a $12$-hour half-life will leave $6\,g$ remaining from a $48\,g$ sample after $36$ hours.

Beta decay

A nuclear process where a parent atom emits an electron ($e^-$), as seen in the equation $^{14}C \rightarrow ^{14}N + e^-$.

Alpha decay

A nuclear process during which the parent atom's mass number changes by $-4$ and the atomic number changes by $-2$.

Nuclear Fission

A process where a heavy nucleus is split into two lighter nuclei.

Nuclear Fusion

A process that powers stars by combining small nuclei into larger ones, converting mass into energy.

Gravitational potential energy

The energy an object possesses due to its position in a gravitational field, calculated as $PE = mgh$. For a $3.0\,kg$ object at $8.0\,m$, it is approximately $235.2\,J$.

Kinetic energy

The energy of motion, calculated as $KE = \frac{1}{2}mv^2$. If an object's speed triples, this value increases by a factor of $9$.

Specific heat capacity ($c$)

The amount of energy required to change the temperature of a substance. A substance needing very little energy to change temperature has a low specific heat capacity.

mRNA transcript

The RNA sequence produced from a DNA template. For example, the template $TAC-GGA-TTT-ACC$ produces the transcript $AUG-CCU-AAA-UGG$.

Start codon

The specific RNA sequence $AUG$ which signals the beginning of translation.

tRNA

The molecule responsible for bringing specific amino acids to the ribosome during protein synthesis.

Silent mutation

A change in a DNA base that does not result in a change to the amino acid produced.

Frameshift mutation

A mutation involving the insertion or deletion of a base, which can cause significant changes to the resulting protein.

Heterozygous

An organism having two different alleles for a trait (e.g., $Tt$). Crossing two heterozygotes for a dominant trait results in a $25\%$ probability of a recessive phenotype.

Codominance

An inheritance pattern where crossing two heterozygotes typically yields a phenotypic ratio of $1:2:1$.

Autosomal dominant

A pattern of inheritance where a trait appears in every generation, affects males and females equally, and affected individuals usually have an affected parent.

Sexual selection

A mechanism of evolution where traits, such as bright plumage, increase mating success even if they increase predation risk.

Genetic drift

A process that changes allele frequencies in a population due to random events rather than environmental pressure.

Convergent evolution

A process explaining why two distantly related species may look similar due to adapting to similar environments.

Redshift

The shifting of a galaxy's spectral lines toward longer wavelengths, indicating the galaxy is moving away from Earth.

Cosmic microwave background radiation

An observation that provides strong evidence for the Big Bang model of the universe.