Fundamental Scientific Principles Flashcards

What is the term for the minimum energy required to start a chemical reaction?

Answer: Activation energy

Activation energy is the minimum energy reactant molecules must have for a reaction to occur, often depicted as a hill on an energy diagram.

What phenomenon explains why a straw appears bent when placed in a glass of water?

Answer: Refraction

Refraction is the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another with a different optical density, changing its speed.

Which subatomic particle has no electric charge?

Answer: Neutron

Neutrons are neutral particles found in the atomic nucleus alongside protons, contributing to atomic mass but not charge.

What is the name of the process by which water moves through a semipermeable membrane from low to high solute concentration?

Answer: Osmosis

Osmosis is the passive movement of water across a semipermeable membrane toward the region of higher solute concentration.

According to Einstein's mass-energy equivalence, what does E = mc² tell us?

Answer: Mass can be converted to energy and vice versa

E = mc² shows that mass and energy are two forms of the same thing, with the speed of light squared as the conversion factor.

What is the term for a reaction that absorbs energy from its surroundings?

Answer: Endothermic

Endothermic reactions absorb heat from the surroundings, causing the environment to feel cooler, as seen with cold packs.

Which of Newton's laws explains why a rocket accelerates when exhaust gases are expelled backward?

Answer: Third Law (Action-Reaction)

Newton's Third Law states every action has an equal and opposite reaction — expelled gases push the rocket forward.