science flashcards

Question 1

What is conduction?

Answer 1

“Direct heat transfer between neighboring atoms or molecules with energy transferred from hot to cold particles through collisions.””

Question 2

Define radiation in terms of heat transfer.

Answer 2

The release of electromagnetic energy or thermal energy, which can occur through any medium or in a vacuum.

Question 3

What are radio waves used for in everyday life?

Answer 3

Broadcast radio and TV, military communications, mobile phones, and navigation.

Question 4

What is a unique property of microwaves?

Answer 4

Microwaves are absorbed by water and can penetrate the atmosphere, making them suitable for satellite communication and radar.

Question 5

What are the primary uses of infrared radiation?

Answer 5

Infrared is used for heating, remote sensing, and security systems.

Question 6

How does visible light benefit humans?

Answer 6

Visible light allows us to see and is used in lasers and fiber optic networks.

Question 7

What is ultraviolet radiation used for?

Answer 7

Used in sterilization/disinfection, medical therapy, and photography.

Question 8

What are X-rays commonly used for?

Answer 8

Medical imaging, cancer treatment, and astronomy devices.

Question 9

How are gamma rays used in medicine?

Answer 9

Detecting and treating cancer as they carry high energy and penetrate most materials.

Question 10

What does voltage measure in a circuit?

Answer 10

The potential energy difference in an electrical circuit, measured in volts (V).

Question 11

What is the function of current in an electrical circuit?

Answer 11

The rate at which electrons flow, measured in amperes (A).

Question 12

What is resistance in an electrical circuit?

Answer 12

Opposition to the flow of current, measured in ohms (Ω).

Question 13

What is the theory of plate tectonics?

Answer 13

The Earth’s lithosphere is divided into plates that move due to convection currents in the mantle.

Question 14

What evidence supports plate tectonics?

Answer 14

Similar fossils and rock formations on distant continents, seafloor spreading, and the alignment of earthquakes with plate boundaries.

Question 15

Who proposed the theory of continental drift?

Answer 15

Alfred Wegener in 1915.

Question 16

Why was the continental drift theory initially rejected?

Answer 16

It lacked an explanation for why continents would move.

Question 17

What technological advancements aid the study of tectonic plates?

Answer 17

Seismometers, satellite sensing, and computational modeling.

Question 18

What is the biosphere?

Answer 18

The realm of every living organism, including plants, animals, and microbes, impacting other Earth systems.

Question 19

What does the atmosphere do for Earth?

Answer 19

Protects from UV rays, facilitates the water cycle, and allows life to thrive by maintaining climate stability.

Question 20

What is the lithosphere?

Answer 20

The Earth’s crust and upper mantle, containing soil and nutrients for ecosystems.

Question 21

What is the hydrosphere?

Answer 21

All water on Earth, essential for life and cycling nutrients within ecosystems.

Question 22

What role do cyclones play in Earth’s systems?

Answer 22

Cyclones disrupt weather patterns, contaminate water, erode landscapes, and destroy habitats.

Question 23

How do earthquakes impact Earth’s four spheres?

Answer 23

Earthquakes create tsunamis, disrupt water quality, erode soil, and damage ecosystems.

Question 24

Define the oxygen cycle.

Answer 24

The cycle through which oxygen is produced by plants, consumed by animals, and cycled back into the atmosphere.

Question 25

Explain the nitrogen cycle.

Answer 25

Nitrogen is absorbed by plants from soil, consumed by animals, and returned to the soil through decomposition.

Question 26

What is an energy pyramid in an ecosystem?

Answer 26

A representation of energy flow, showing producers at the bottom and apex predators at the top.

Question 27

Why are apex predators less common than primary consumers?

Answer 27

Only 10% of energy transfers up each trophic level, limiting higher-level predators.

Question 28

What is a trophic cascade?

Answer 28

An ecological phenomenon where changes at one level affect multiple levels in an ecosystem.

Question 29

What happens when an abiotic factor, like temperature, changes drastically in an ecosystem?

Answer 29

It can disrupt food webs, alter species composition, and impact plant and animal survival.

Question 30

What is an atom?

Answer 30

The smallest unit of a chemical element, consisting of protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Question 31

Where are protons and neutrons located in an atom?

Answer 31

In the nucleus, which is the center of the atom.

Question 32

What does the atomic number of an element represent?

Answer 32

The number of protons (and electrons in a neutral atom) in that element.

Question 33

How is the periodic table organized?

Answer 33

By increasing atomic number and grouped by similar chemical properties.

Question 34

What are alkali metals?

Answer 34

Highly reactive metals found in group 1 of the periodic table, excluding hydrogen.

Question 35

What are halogens?

Answer 35

Elements in group 17 (or 7) that are very reactive and readily form salts with metals.

Question 36

What is a neutralization reaction?

Answer 36

A reaction between an acid and a base producing a salt and water.

Question 37

Write the general equation for an acid-metal reaction.

Answer 37

Acid + Metal → Salt + Hydrogen

Question 38

What does an acid-carbonate reaction produce?

Answer 38

A salt, water, and carbon dioxide.

Question 39

How do you write a word equation for a chemical reaction?

Answer 39

List the reactants, identify the reaction type, predict the products, and use an arrow to show the reaction.

Question 40

What is Democritus known for in atomic theory?

Answer 40

Proposing the existence of indivisible particles called atoms, though lacking experimental proof.

Question 41

Who discovered the electron?

Answer 41

J.J. Thomson, through the Cathode Ray Experiment.

Question 42

What was Rutherford's contribution to atomic theory?

Answer 42

Discovered the proton and proposed a nucleus-centered atomic model.

Question 43

Who introduced electron shells in the atomic model?

Answer 43

Niels Bohr, showing electrons orbit in fixed levels.

Question 44

What discovery did James Chadwick make?

Answer 44

The neutron, a neutral particle in the nucleus essential for atomic mass.

Question 45

What does the Bohr model describe about electron movement?

Answer 45

Electrons orbit in fixed shells, with higher shells holding more energy.

Question 46

What does the modern quantum mechanical model of the atom involve?

Answer 46

Electron clouds, where electrons are likely to be found, as per Schrodinger and Heisenberg.

Question 47

What is the main product of a neutralization reaction?

Answer 47

A salt and water.

Question 48

Why do only reactive metals undergo acid-metal reactions?

Answer 48

They displace hydrogen easily, unlike non-reactive metals.

Question 49

How are acids and carbonates used in construction?

Answer 49

Carbonates react with acidic pollutants to strengthen cement structures.

Question 50

How does convection work in fluids?

Answer 50

Hot fluids expand and rise due to lower density.