Physical Science
If an element has 7 valence electrons, what is the most likely way it will react to achieve a stable octet (8 electrons).
It will gain one electron
What are the three components that make up a single nucleotide in a DNA molecule
A sugar, a phosphate, and a nitrogenous base
What theory, supported by cosmic microwave background radiation, suggests the universe began as a single point and has been expanding for billions of years? (Is also a popular TV show...)
The Big Bang Theory
In a scientific experiment, this is the variable that the scientist purposefully changes or manipulates
The independent variable
What does bya and mya stand for?
"Billion Years Ago" and "Million Years Ago."
According to Newton’s Second Law (F=ma), if you double the force applied to an object while keeping the mass constant, this happens to the acceleration
it doubles
In an ecosystem, what organisms occupy the base of the energy pyramid and convert light energy into chemical energy
primary producers or autotrophs
Most of Earth's seismic activity and mountain building occurs at these locations where tectonic plates meet
Plate boundaries
If a graph shows a line sloping downward from left to right, it indicates this type of relationship between the two variables
A negative (or inverse) correlation
What term describes the "reflectivity" of a surface (like ice or pavement). A high value means it reflects most sunlight; a low value means it absorbs it
Albedo
Which law of thermodynamics explains why energy transfers are never 100% efficient and why systems tend toward increased disorder (entropy)
The Second Law of Thermodynamics
What process explains how a specific trait becomes more common in a population over time because it improves an organism's chance of survival and reproduction
natural selection
This "loop" occurs when an increase in Earth's temperature causes ice to melt, which reduces the planet's reflectivity (albedo) and causes further warming
a positive feedback loop
On the NH SAS, when you see a "Phenomenon" (a real-world event), your first step should be to identify this—the "Why" behind what is happening
The underlying cause (or mechanism)
What term is oftenused in "Item Clusters" about ecosystems, this term refers to the specific position an organism occupies in a food chain or energy pyramid
Trophic Level
What type of wave does not require a medium to travel through and is used to transmit digital data.
An Electromagnetic (EM) wave
If a population exceeds this "limit" of its environment, resources become scarce and the death rate typically increases
carrying capacity
This stellar property determines whether a star will eventually become a white dwarf or end its life in a massive supernova
Its initial mass
What is the purpose of a "Control Group" in an experiment?
To provide a baseline for comparison
If a test question asks about "Anthropogenic climate change," it is specifically referring to environmental changes caused by what source?
Humans
In a closed system where two objects collide, this quantity remains constant before and after the collision
Momentum
What is the specific "instructional" role that mRNA plays during protein synthesis (translation)
Carrying the genetic code from the nucleus to the ribosome
This is the primary human activity responsible for the rapid increase of CO2 in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution
Burning fossil fuels
When analyzing a scatter plot, what are data points that fall far outside the general pattern or trend of the rest of the data called?
outliers
In physics and earth science, if you are asked to compare the "magnitude" of a force or an earthquake what is being asked for? (What is magnitude?)
The size or strength (the numerical value, regardless of direction)