Manhattan Prep Vocab List 1 Flashcards
A.U.
Astronomical Unit. 1 A.U. = average distance between the Earth and the Sun, or about 93 million miles. Distances within the solar system (Sun, Earth, other planets, asteroids) are often more easily expressed in A.U. Note that stars are much further away; the distance to the nearest star besides the Sun is about 4 light-years, or about 250,000 A.U.
Acceleration
Typically, the rate at which an object’s speed increases. In common language, when you accelerate, you go faster. The higher your acceleration, the more quickly your speed increases. In science, you can also use acceleration to talk about a decrease in an object’s speed or even a change in its direction of motion (all of these changes require “accelerations”).
Aerosols
A substance held under pressure and released as a spray in the air.
Altitude
Height above the Earth’s surface.
Amino Acid
The building block of proteins. A molecule of an amino acid contains both an amine group (a group of atoms containing nitrogen) and an acid group (COOH). Amino acids are linked together to make much bigger protein molecules.
Angstroms
A unit of length equal to one hundred-millionth of a centimeter, or one-ten-billionth of a meter. Used mainly to express distances between atoms or to measure the wavelengths of certain kinds of electromagnetic radiation.
Arbitrary
Based on random choice.
Atomic nuclei
The centers of atoms. Atoms are the building blocks of ordinary matter, or stuff.
Atoms can be bonded into molecules. Atoms are themselves composed of electrons, protons, and neutrons. The light, negatively charged electrons whirl around the heavy, positively charged nucleus, which contains the protons and the neutrons. The plural of “nucleus” is “nuclei” (noo-klee-eye).
Boiling Point
The temperature at which a substance turns from liquid to gas, or “boils.” The boiling point of water is 212 degrees Fahrenheit = 100 degrees Celsius. The boiling point of other substances may be much higher or much lower than that temperature.
Capillary Tube
A very thin straw-like tube of glass. Because water is attracted to glass, water or water-based solutions are drawn easily into capillary tubes.
Carbohydrate
Organic compounds occurring in foods and living tissues and including sugars, starch, and cellulose. They are made up of the elements carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in specific patterns. Carbohydrates are often produced by plants and can be broken down to release energy in the animal body.
Carbon Dioxide
A colorless, odorless gas that is naturally present in the air and is absorbed by plants in photosynthesis to make carbohydrates. Carbon dioxide is re-emitted into the atmosphere when plants or fossil fuels (made out of long-dead plants) are burned. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas: it traps heat from the Sun and warms the Earth. The chemical formula is CO2. One molecule of CO2 contains one atom of carbon (C) and two atoms of oxygen (O). The “di-“ prefix means “two.”
Carbon Monoxide
A colorless, odorless gas that is toxic. The chemical formula is CO. One molecule of CO contains one atom of carbon (C) and one atom of oxygen (O). The “mono-“ prefix means “one.”
Combustion
The process of burning something. This usually involves chemically combining that substance with oxygen, a process that releases heat and new substances. For instance, burning coal (which is essentially the element carbon) typically releases a mix of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
Comets
Large objects (though smaller than a planet) made of ice and dust that orbit the Sun. Unlike planets, which tend to have nearly circular orbits, comets usually have very elliptical (oval) orbits that take them far away from, and then close by, the Sun over a period of many years.
Concentration
The amount of some substance contained in a certain volume of a solution or mixture. For instance, the concentration of salt (sodium chloride) in normal seawater could be expressed in grams of salt per liter of seawater. (Grams are a measure of mass or amount, while liters are a measure of volume. One kilogram, or 1,000 grams, of anything weighs a little more than 2 pounds at the Earth’s surface. A liter is a little more than a quart, which is a fourth of a gallon.)
Cytoplasm
In biology, the fluid filling of a cell where many chemical reactions take place.
Density
The mass of something divided by its volume. A substance that is denser than water will sink (unless you shape it to include air, which is much less dense than water). A substance that is less dense than water will float, even if it is not shaped to contain air.
Diameter
Distance from the center of a circle to an edge.
Diffuse
(As a verb, pronounced “diff-YOOZ.”) When particles diffuse, they move from an
area of high concentration (where they are very common) to an area of low concentration (where they are not very common). This happens in water (aqueous) solutions because particles are free to move around in liquids, and the invisible but constant jiggling and jostling of molecules at room temperature causes them to mix. So, after a while, a tiny area that was initially very concentrated in salt, say, will become less concentrated as the salt diffuses throughout the larger solution.
Directly Proportional
Two quantities are directly proportional if they have this relationship: when one of them doubles, so does the other. Likewise, if you cut one of the quantities in half, the other quantity is reduced by half as well.
Dissolve
When a solid dissolves in a liquid, the solid is incorporated into the liquid. The color of the liquid may change, but there is no longer any visible solid left. The result is often called a solution.
Ecological
Having to do with a environment that harbors life.
Flask
A container or bottle. Various kinds of glass flasks are often used in laboratories.
Freezing Point
The temperature at which a substance turns from liquid to solid.
Frictionless
Smooth. Friction is the resistance caused by one object moving against another.
Friction saps energy from that motion and turns it into waste heat. So if motion is frictionless, then the motion does not lose energy to friction.
Gene
A segment of genetic information on the DNA molecules that cells carry.
Graduated
In lab: having marks on the side for measurement. A graduated cylinder is marked like a ruler, allowing you to measure the volume of liquid contained in the cylinder.
Gravitational Field
Gravity is the natural pull of one object (such as the Earth) on other objects (such as you). At least one of the objects must be very massive, and the objects should be reasonably close, for the force of gravity to be significant. Technically, the Earth creates around itself a “gravitational field” in space, and then objects in that field feel that field and, as a result, are pulled toward the Earth.
Heptane
A hydrocarbon made of the elements carbon and hydrogen and predominantly used in fuels such as gasoline. “Hept-“ means “seven,” and each heptane molecule has 7 carbon atoms in it. The chemical formula of heptane is C7H16. When hydrocarbons such as heptane are burned, or combusted, they react with oxygen from the air to release heat and byproducts such as water and carbon dioxide.
Hexane
A colorless liquid hydrocarbon, made (like heptane) from carbon and hydrogen. “Hex-“ means “six,” and each hexane molecule has 6 carbon atoms. The chemical formula of hexane is C6H14.
Hypothesize
To theorize, or to guess in a formal way. A hypothesis is a scientific guess that can be tested with experiments and proven or disproven.
Infrared Radiation
Invisible radiation in the part of the electromagnetic spectrum characterized by wavelengths just longer than those of ordinary visible red light and shorter than those of microwaves or radio waves. Room-temperature objects emit infrared radiation, and “night-vision” goggles convert that infrared radiation into visible light.
Insulated
Protected with a material that prevents the loss of heat.
Isooctane
A hydrocarbon, made of carbon and hydrogen and predominantly used in fuels such as gasoline. “Oct-“ means “eight,” and any octane molecule has 8 carbon atoms in it. The chemical formula of octane in general is C8H18. Since these atoms can be arranged in various ways, the prefix “iso-“ is used to single out a particular arrangement of the atoms that is very useful in gasoline (pure isooctane has an octane rating of 100).
Joule
A unit of energy. One joule of energy is needed to apply a force of 1 “newton” (about a quarter of a pound) through the distance of 1 meter (about a yard). About 4,000 joules are equivalent to 1 kilocalorie, or “food calorie,” of energy.
Lipid
The biological or chemical name for various kinds of fats. Lipids as a class of chemicals include natural oils from plants and animals, waxes, and steroids.
Ma
A unit signifying 1 million years ago. The capital M stands for “mega” and means “million.” The lowercase “a” stands for “annum,” which means “year” in Latin (think “annual” = yearly, or “millennium” = a thousand years).
Manometer
A U-shaped tube used to measure the force acting on a particular liquid.
Marine
Having to do with the ocean.
Meiosis
The process of cell reproduction that produces sex cells (gametes).
Mercury (Hg)
A heavy, silver-ish metal that is liquid at room temperature.
Migrator
An animal that moves from one region or habitat to another, especially regularly according to the seasons.
mm Hg
Millimeters of mercury, a unit to measure pressure.
Mole
6.02 x 10^23, approximately 6 with 23 zeros –> a giant number used for counting
atoms or molecules, which are extremely tiny and light. A single atom of carbon is far too small to work with in most laboratories, but a mole of carbon atoms weighs about 12 grams and is an easily measurable amount.
NaCl
Sodium Chloride, which is the chemical name for table salt.
Nanometer (nm)
One billionth of a meter.
Objective Lens
The lens on a microscope that is closest to the specimen (the thing you’re examining).
Oil Bath
A heating device used in the laboratory that transfers heat by means of oil. Literally a bath of oil.
Organic
Having to do with life.
Osmosis
The diffusion of water; the movement of water from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.
Ozone
O3, a colorless gas with a pungent odor that makes up an important part of our atmosphere. Most of the element oxygen in the atmosphere comes in two-atom molecules (O2), which we and other animals breathe. However, a small amount of the oxygen is in the form of ozone, which is even more reactive than O2. Near the surface of the Earth, ozone can be a pollutant as a component of smog, but in the high atmosphere, it forms the “ozone layer,” which helps protect the Earth from damaging ultraviolet rays from the Sun.
Paleozoic
A prehistoric period.
pH
A measure of acidity. A pH of 7 is neutral; higher numbers are more basic, while lower numbers are more acidic.
Photosynthetic
Having to do with the process by which green plants (and some other organisms) use sunlight to synthesize foods (carbohydrates) from carbon dioxide and water.
Platform scale
An instrument used to measure weight.
Polymer
A large molecule that is made up of many repeating smaller units called monomers.
Pores
Holes.
Precipitate
To cause a substance to be deposited out of a solution in solid form. “Precipitate” is the opposite of “dissolve.”
Protein
Molecules made of amino acids that play essential roles in all living organisms, especially as structural components of body tissues (such as muscle and hair) and as enzymes and antibodies.
Radar
Pulses of radio waves or microwaves that are used to detect objects such as distant planes. By bouncing these pulses off of an object and measuring the time it takes for the pulses to return (and other characteristics), you can figure out how far away the object is, how fast it’s going, etc.
Radiation
Emitted energy. “Radiate” in this sense means “emit” or “send out.” Typically, the radiation in question is “electromagnetic,” meaning that the emitted energy has to do with electric charges (positive and negative) and with magnetism. Waves of electric and magnetic fields can carry energy, even across empty space. Light is a form of electromagnetic radiation, as are radio waves, microwaves, infrared, ultraviolet, and X-rays. Some forms of nuclear radiation are not electromagnetic waves, but instead are high-energy particles emitted from atomic nuclei.
Salts
Any chemical compound formed from the reaction of an acid with a base. Table salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) is an example: it can be formed by reacting hydrochloric acid (HCl) with the base sodium hydroxide (NaOH).
Solar
Having to do with the Sun.
Solute
Material that has been dissolved in a solution.
Solution
A liquid mixture in which one component (solute) is dissolved in another component (solvent).
Sparking Device
A device that creates a spark of heat and light, usually to start a fire, explosion, or some other form of combustion.
Suspended
To be dispersed throughout a fluid. A solid that is not truly dissolved in a solution could be suspended in that solution: the particles would be small, but the solution would be milky or cloudy. In contrast, a substance that is truly dissolved in a solution will leave that solution clear.
Syringe
A tube with a nozzle and piston or bulb for sucking in and ejecting liquid in a thin stream. You can use a syringe to clean wounds or body cavities. You can also fit a syringe with a hollow needle in order to inject or withdraw fluids.
Test Tube
A thin glass tube closed at one end. You use a test tube to hold small amounts of material in the laboratory.
Ultraviolet Light
A high-energy form of electromagnetic radiation (akin to visible light, infrared rays, or radio, but higher-energy than any of these). UV light is not visible to the human eye. UV light from the sun can cause skin cancer.
Vapor
A substance suspended in air.
Visible Light
Light that is visible to the human eye – the colors of the rainbow (red-orange- yellow-green-blue-purple), or mixtures of those colors, such as white light.
Voltage
Difference in electric potential between two objects. If a wire connects those two objects, then electricity (electric current, usually the movement of electrons) will flow from the high-voltage object to the low-voltage object.
Volume
Amount of three-dimensional space that an object takes up.
Watt
A unit that measures the rate at which energy is transferred. 1 watt = 1 joule of
energy transferred per second. A 60-watt incandescent light bulb converts 60 joules of electrical energy every second into heat (mostly) and light.
Wavelength
The distance between successive crests of a wave. The wavelength of a sound wave corresponds to its pitch (long wavelength = low pitch; short wavelength = high pitch). The wavelength of an electromagnetic wave determines what kind of wave it is. Radio waves have wavelengths measured in meters. Visible light waves have wavelengths measured in hundreds of nanometers (billionths of meters). Within the visible light spectrum, different wavelengths correspond to different colors we see.
X-rays
An electromagnetic wave ofvery high energy and very short wavelength, even shorter than the wavelengths of ultraviolet rays. X-rays are able to pass through many materials.
ΔT
Change in temperature. Pronounced “delta-T.” The Greek letter delta (Δ) is used to indicate a change in a quantity.
