Mathematical Skills

Question 1

What is the speed of light?

Answer 1

3,00 x10^8 m.s^-1

Question 2

What is the mass of an electron?

Answer 2

9,10 x10^-31 kg

Question 3

What is scientific notation?

Answer 3

A way of representing numbers in a compact and consistent form

Question 4

What is the format of scientific notation?

Answer 4

A single digit before the comma and two digits after the comma.
Multiplied by ten
With an exponent
If the number was small to start with, the exponent will be negative.
If the number was big to start with, the exponent will be positive

Question 5

When converting numbers to scientific notation, how do you work out the exponent?

Answer 5

Move the comma so that it is after the first natural number value
Leave the next two digits after the comma, rounding off if you have to.
If you had to move the comma to the left, the exponent will be negative.
If you had to move the comma to the right, the exponent will be negative.
Count the number of “jumps” the comma made.
This will be the value of the exponent.

Question 6

What are SI units?

Answer 6

A system of measurement used by scientists. All other units are derived from these.

Question 7

How many SI units are there?

Answer 7

Seven

Question 8

What do the seven SI units measure?

Answer 8

Length
Time
Mass
Electric current
Temperature
Light intensity 
Amount of matter

Question 9

What is the measurement for length?

Answer 9

Metre

Question 10

What is the measurement for time?

Answer 10

Seconds

Question 11

What is the measurement for mass?

Answer 11

Kilograms

Question 12

What is the unit for electric current?

Answer 12

Ampere

Question 13

What is the measurement for temperature?

Answer 13

Kelvin

Question 14

What is the measurement for the amount of matter in an object?

Answer 14

Mole

Question 15

What is the symbol for metre?

Answer 15

M

Question 16

What is the symbol for second?

Answer 16

s

Question 17

What is the symbol for kilogram?

Answer 17

kg

Question 18

What is the symbol for Ampere?

Answer 18

A

Question 19

What is the symbol for Kelvin?

Answer 19

K

Question 20

What is the symbol for candela?

Answer 20

cd

Question 21

What is the symbol for mole?

Answer 21

mol

Question 22

What is the lowest measurement of temperature?

Answer 22

-273° K

Question 23

Why is that the lowest temperature?

Answer 23

That is when atoms stop moving

Question 24

What is the metric system?

Answer 24

A decimal system of units

Question 25

In the metric system, how do units change in size?

Answer 25

By factors of 10

Question 26

What are the ten main prefixes for sizes in the metric system?

Answer 26

``` pico nano micro milli centi deci kilo mega giga Tera ```

Question 27

Which prefixes indicate the number is below the base unit?

Answer 27

``` pico nano micro milli centi deci ```

Question 28

Which prefixes indicate the number is above the base unit?

Answer 28

kilo Mega Giga Tera

Question 29

What is the symbol for pico?

Answer 29

p

Question 30

What is the symbol for nano?

Answer 30

n

Question 31

What is the symbol for micro?

Answer 31

μ

Question 32

What is the symbol for milli?

Answer 32

m

Question 33

What is the symbol for centi?

Answer 33

c

Question 34

What is the symbol for deci?

Answer 34

d

Question 35

What is the symbol for kilo?

Answer 35

k

Question 36

What exponent does pico indicate?

Answer 36

10^-12

Question 37

What exponent does nano indicate?

Answer 37

10^-9

Question 38

What exponent does micro indicate?

Answer 38

10^-6

Question 39

What exponent does milli indicate?

Answer 39

10^-3

Question 40

What exponent does centi indicate?

Answer 40

10^-2

Question 41

What exponent does deci indicate?

Answer 41

10^-1

Question 42

What exponent does kilo indicate?

Answer 42

10^3

Question 43

How do you convert different measurements to the base unit?

Answer 43

Replace the prefix by its numerical value

Question 44

How do you convert from a unit to another unit that is not the base unit?

Answer 44

Find the difference between the exponents belonging to those units. Multiply the number by ten to the power of that difference

Question 45

What happens when a unit is squared or cubed and you have to convert it?

Answer 45

The conversion factors must also be squared or cubed

Question 46

What do you do when you have to convert from km per hour to m per s?

Answer 46

Divide your value by 3,6

Question 47

How do you convert from m per s to km per hour?

Answer 47

Multiply by 3,6

Question 48

Why is 3.6 used for this conversion?

Answer 48

km/h and m/s To convert from m->km, x10^-3 To convert from h->s, x60x60 10^-3/3600 =3,6

Question 49

How do you find unknown values in scientific formulae?

Answer 49

Substitute the data you have | Make the unknown value the subject of the formula

Question 50

How do you make a variable the subject of a formula?

Answer 50

Get the variable on its own on the one side of the equation

Question 51

What are the two types of relationships between variables in an experiment/formula?

Answer 51

Direct | Inverse

Question 52

What is a directly proportional relationship?

Answer 52

When something happens to one side of the equation, the same thing happens to other side

Question 53

What is an inversely proportional relationship?

Answer 53

When something happens to one side of the equation, the opposite will happen to the other

Question 54

How do you recognise a directly proportional relationship in an experiment?

Answer 54

When the one value gets bigger or smaller, the same happens to the other value

Question 55

How do you recognise an inversely proportional relationship in an experiment?

Answer 55

When the one value gets bigger or smaller, the opposite will happen to the other value.

Question 56

What does a graph of a direct relationship look like?

Answer 56

A straight line increasing in height from left to right

Question 57

What does a graph of an inverse relationship look like?

Answer 57

A curved line sloping down from left to right

Question 58

What is a hypothesis?

Answer 58

An educated guess as to the outcome of the experiment

Question 59

What does a hypothesis require?

Answer 59

It must be a statement Independent variable Dependent variable Controlled variable