UPlink General Science Review Flashcards

Flashcards covering the foundational vocabulary and concepts for General Science, Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics as outlined in the UPlink Review Module.

Science

A systematized body of knowledge acquired through research.

Physical Sciences

The study of the nature and properties of the universe and all its contents, including branches like Astronomy and Physics.

Inference

A tentative solution to a problem or a prediction of the outcome, often stated in a clear and specific statement.

Independent Variables

Factors that are NOT affected by other variables; they are usually predetermined.

Controlled Variables

Factors that are kept the SAME for all setups during an experiment.

Inductive Reasoning

A type of reasoning where a conclusion is made based on REPEATED OBSERVATION, moving from specific to general.

Deductive Reasoning

A type of reasoning where a conclusion is made based on established PRINCIPLES and CONCEPTS, moving from general to specific.

Scientific Notation

A shorthand representation of numbers using powers of $10$ in the form $a \times 10^{b}$.

Fundamental Quantities

Physical quantities that can be determined using measuring devices, such as length ($meter$), mass ($kilogram$), and time ($second$).

Geology

The study of the Earth's structure, history, and processes involved in it.

Lithosphere

The region made of solid rocks which includes the crust and the upper solid part of the mantle.

Continental Drift Theory

A theory suggesting that the Earth had a single continent called Pangea through most of geologic time.

Divergent Boundary

A plate boundary where plates MOVE AWAY from each other; it is constructive because new crust is created.

Epicenter

The center of an earthquake on the surface directly above the focus.

Primary or P waves

Compressional seismic waves that are fast and can travel through all mediums, with particles moving in the direction of the wave.

Tsunami

A series of enormous waves caused by the sudden displacement of water, usually in oceans or large lakes.

Richter Scale

A numerical scale for expressing the magnitude of an earthquake based on seismograph oscillations.

Igneous Rocks

Rocks formed when magma or lava solidifies, categorized into intrusive and extrusive types.

Mohs Scale of Hardness

A relative hardness scale for minerals where $1$ is the softest (Talc) and $10$ is the hardest (Diamond).

Troposphere

The layer of the atmosphere where weather conditions occur, located between the surface and $20\,km$.

Biology

The study of life and living things, divided into major branches like Zoology and Botany.

Homeostasis

The characteristic of life referring to the maintenance of internal balance.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)

A double-helix shaped molecule that serves as the genetic blueprint of an organism and the basis for protein production.

Mitochondrion

An organelle considered the powerhouse of the cell that produces energy for the organism.

Mitosis

A method of equational division where a cell duplicates its contents and divides once, creating diploid daughter cells for growth and repair.

Meiosis

A method of reductional division creating haploid cells with half the number of chromosomes, serving as the basis for sexual reproduction.

Metabolism

The sum of all chemical reactions in an organism, divided into catabolism (breaking down) and anabolism (synthesis).

Taxonomy

The study of classifying organisms into groups based on similarities and differences in characteristics.

Natural Selection

A process described by Charles Darwin where conditions favor certain characteristics, possibly resulting in the eradication of unfavored members.

Heredity

The passing of traits from parents to offspring.

Matter

Anything that has mass and occupies space.

Intensive Properties

Properties of matter that do NOT depend on the amount of matter in a substance, such as density and boiling point.

Extensive Properties

Properties of matter that depend on the amount of matter present, such as mass and volume.

Atomic Number ($Z$)

A value equal to the number of protons in an atom's nucleus.

Isotopes

Atoms of the same element that have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons.

Electronegativity

The tendency of an atom to attract and bind with electrons, which increases from left to right along a period.

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond formed when atoms share valence electrons, typically occurring between two non-metals.

pH (Power of Hydrogen)

A measure of acidity defined as $pH = -\log([H_{3}O^{+}])$, where a value of $7$ is neutral.

Vector Quantity

A quantity that measures both magnitude and direction, such as displacement and velocity.

Acceleration ($a$)

A vector quantity defined as the rate at which an object changes its velocity: $a = \frac{V_{final} - V_{initial}}{t}$.

Newton's Second Law of Motion

The Law of Acceleration, stating that a net force acting on a mass will cause it to accelerate: $F_{net} = m \times a$.

Kinetic Energy ($KE$)

The energy of motion of an object, calculated as $KE = \frac{1}{2}mv^{2}$.

Torque ($\tau$)

The force needed to rotate an object about a fulcrum, calculated as $\tau = F \times r$.

OHM'S Law

A law stating that current ($I$) in a circuit is directly proportional to voltage ($V$) and inversely proportional to resistance ($R$): $I = \frac{V}{R}$.