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TMSCA Science
Concept/Vocabulary/Review Packet
This packet has been created for the purpose of assisting the process of studying and reviewing
for the Texas Math and Science Coaches Association Science Competition. Having been a
student and competed in these competitions I hope that my experience and research can assist
you in your journey towards success.

Enjoy!

Tony Liu

Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Biology 4
Introduction 1
Chemistry 5
Introduction 1
Physics 6
Introduction 1
Earth Sciences 6
Introduction 1
Space Science6
Introduction 1
Science History/Miscellaneous 6
Introduction 1
Vocabulary 6
Further Reading 6

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Introduction
Science is a fascinating subject, and the TMSCA Science test is designed to promote the
love of science. This does occur. However, the fact is that in order to succeed in TMSCA
Science, it is much more about memorizing crucial facts. If one studies the various tests over the
years, a general pattern of topics emerges. Studying the topics listed on the below list will not
only greatly improve your TMSCA Science ability but will also add significantly to your body of
scientific knowledge.

Here is a general list of the topics:

1. Biology
a. Cells
i. Structure
ii. Function
b. Ecology
i. Ecological Roles and niches
ii. Ecological Succession
c. Botany
i. Plant Parts
ii. Gymnosperms and Angiosperms
iii. Plant Reproduction
d. Taxonomy
e. Anatomy
i. Different Systems
ii. System Connections
2. Chemistry
a. The Periodic Table
i. Groups
b. Periodicity
3. Physics
a. Atoms, Molecules, and Compounds
i. Atomic Structure
ii. Atomic Properties
b. Newton’s Laws
c. Work, Energy, and Simple Machines
i. Force, Work, Power Equations
ii. Various simple machines
d. Basic Optics
i. Lenses
ii. Light movement

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e. Ideal Gases
i. The Kinetic Theory
ii. Avogadro’s Law
iii. Boyle’s Law
iv. Charles’s Law
v. Ideal Gas Law
f. Waves
4. Earth Sciences
a. The Earth
i. Parts
b. Geographic Features
i. Plate Tectonics
ii. Geographic Features
iii. Soil and Ground Structures
c. Natural Disasters
i. Earthquakes
ii. Other Natural Disasters
d. Weather and Atmosphere
i. Parts of the Atmosphere
ii. Clouds
iii. Weather Measurements
iv. Weather Systems
e. Rocks and Minerals
f. Erosion and Weathering
i. Glaciers
ii. Rivers
iii. Wind
g. The Ocean
i. Parts of the Ocean/Water Systems
ii. Organisms in the Ocean
5. Space Sciences
a. The Planets
i. General Characteristics
ii. Groupings
iii. Beyond the Solar System
b. The Moon
i. Phases
ii. Composition
iii. Evolution
c. The Sun
i. Parts
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d. Stellar Evolution
i. Hertzsprung-Russell Diagrams
6. Science History/Miscellaneous
a. Contributions by various notable scientists
b. Units
c. Fields of Science

This list may seem quite overwhelming, but studying learning topics from it is not
difficult, and will be supplemented by tutelage at school. Also, for some topics there may only be
a few facts that need to be covered.
In terms of frequency of occurrence, a few topics must be highlighted. Some of the most
frequently occurring topics/fields are:

1. Plant Parts (and plants in general)

2. Various Earth Science Topics, especially Earthquakes, Ocean Features, and Rocks and
Minerals
3. The periodic table and atomic properties (such as atomic number, mass number, etc.)

And in no particular order:

 Taxonomy
 Science History
 Periodic Table
 Ecology
 Atmospheric Layers
 Work, Energy, Newton’s Laws, Simple Machines

Also note the fact that at the end of this document a collection of vital vocabulary is
included for your reviewing and studying pleasures.

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Biology

Biology is a rich subject, and occurs semi-often on TMSCA tests.

In life forms there is a general hierarchy that is followed and that may be mentioned sometimes
on tests: (starting from the broadest and narrowing down)

The Biosphere
All environments on Earth that are inhabited by life
↓
Ecosystems
All living things and the nonliving things in a particular area
↓
Communities
All living things in an ecosystem; a set of populations
↓
Populations
All individuals within a species
↓
Organisms
Individual living things
↓
Organs and Organ systems
A body part made of more than 2 tissues
↓
Tissues
A group of similar cells; has a function and a structure
↓
Cells
Sometimes specialized, these are the fundamental building blocks of life
↓
Organelles
The functional components of a cell
↓
Molecules
2 or more atoms

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Cells

Cells are the basic building blocks of life. Life is defined as being able to/having:
1. Order
2. Evolutionary Adaptation
3. Response to Stimulus and the Environment
4. Regulation
5. Energy Processing
6. Growth and Development
7. Reproduction

Cells are either Prokaryotic or Eukaryotic. Both types have unique characteristics.

Eukaryotic cells

Eukaryotic cells are defined as having true nucleuses, bound by a membranous nuclear envelope.
Additionally eukaryotic cells have specialized, membrane bound organelles. Eukaryotic cells can
be divided into Animal Cells and Plant Cells.

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Cell Wall: commonly found in plants cells – protection & support

Plasma Membrane: control of substances coming in and out
Cilia: sweep materials across the cell surface
Flagellum: enables a cell to propel and move in different directions
Cytoplasm: between plasma membrane and nucleus – many organelles
Endoplasmic reticulum (ER): the passageway for transport of materials within the cell
Ribosomes: the site of protein synthesis
Golgi apparatus: Final modification of proteins & lipids. Also, packing of materials for secretion
of the cell occurs here
Mitochondria: the site of aerobic cell respiration-where ATP is converted into energy
Lysosomes: contain enzymes to digest ingested material or damaged tissue
Chloroplasts: store chlorophyll – photosynthesis light reaction
Vacuoles: storage – increase cell surface area
Centrioles: organize the spindle fibers during cell division
Cytoskeleton: cell shape, internal organization, cell movement & locomotion
Nuclear membrane: membrane around nucleus – controls movement in an out
Nucleolus: assembly of subunits of ribosomes.
DNA: encoding of heredity information
RNA: transcription and translation of DNA coding into proteins

Note that in the Plant Cell there is a cell wall, as opposed to a cell membrane in the animal cell.
Additionally, the plant cell has chloroplasts and will often have a large central vacuole, which an
animal cell will not have. The animal cell has Lysosomes, Centrioles, and sometimes flagella.

Prokaryotic Cell

Prokaryotic cells have their genetic material in a loose form as a mass of bacterial chromosomes.

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Typically Prokaryotic cells can be both Bacteria and Archaea. However, research shows that
Archaea may be more closely related to Eukaryotic cells than Prokaryotic.

Pili: attachment structures on the surface of some prokaryotes

Nucleoid: region where the cell’s DNA is located, but is not enclosed by a membrane
Ribosome: organelles that synthesize proteins
Plasma Membrane: membrane enclosing the cytoplasm
Cell Wall: rigid structure outside the plasma membrane
Capsule: jelly like outer coating of many prokaryotes
Flagella: locomotion organelles of some bacteria

Similarities and Differences between Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes

Similarities:
1. They can both be enclosed by plasma membranes
2. Contain ribosomes
3. Contain genetic material (DNA)
4. Are filled with cytosol
Differences:
1. Size: Eukaryotic cells are larger and more complex
2. Nucleus: Prokaryotic cells do not have nucleuses
3. Structure of DNA: Eukaryotic DNA is linear, while Prokaryotic DNA is circular
4. Ribosomes: Eukaryotic ribosomes are much larger
5. Organelles: Prokaryotic cells do not actually have any organelles

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Ecology

Ecology is essentially the study of organisms and the environment, and how they interact.
Ecology in itself is not very common, although some sub topics of it are. First we will go through
a brief overview of the fundamentals of ecology.

The chart used at the very beginning of the biology section, depicting a top to bottom life
organization is applicable to ecology. Words such as population were mentioned. A population is
just a group of members of a certain species living in the same area. When multiple populations
come into an area a community forms. Thus a community is just a set of populations occupying
an area.

The term ecosystem applies to how the varied populations in a community interact with their
physical environment. A habitat is the type of place that an organism would prefer to live. It can
also refer to the actual quality of the environment.

To more deeply investigate an ecosystem, a look at food chains is required. The position each
organism occupies in the food chain is called its trophic level. The trophic levels are generally
organized as such: (starting from the lowest level)
1. Primary Producers: this level harnesses energy from the sun and turns it into chemical
energy that can be used. These include grass, trees, bushes, and other plants.
2. Primary Consumers: these are organisms that eat the primary producers. The organisms
at this level are mostly herbivores or omnivores. (Meaning that they eat either all plants
or a mix of plant and animal, respectively) Examples include rabbits, deer, and turtles.
3. Secondary Consumers: these eat the primary consumers. They are also sometimes called
the primary carnivores, being the first trophic level that consumes animals. Examples
include foxes, small birds of prey, and some fish.
4. Tertiary Consumers: eat the secondary consumers. Generally these are the top level of
consumers. However, sometimes there are…
5. Apex Predators: these are the top of the food chain – nothing else can consume them.
Examples include grizzly bears, saltwater crocodiles, and humans.
Note that at each level the total amount of energy decreases. The ecological efficiency of a food
web is the proportion of energy at each level, generally only 10% in most food webs.
Another level that should be recognized is the level of decomposers. They get their energy from
dead organic matter (detritus). Producers, consumers, and decomposers can also be called
autotrophs, heterotrophs, and detritivores, respectively.

Another important aspect of ecology is the various biogeochemical cycles. There are four of
these, and include diagrams.

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The Hydrologic (Water) Cycle

Water is an incredibly vital
part of life – our bodies are
made up of 70% water. The
water cycle is fairly well
known, so I won’t go into
much detail.

The Carbon Cycle

Carbon is what makes all
living organisms organic.
(Organic essentially
means living, containing
carbon) All living things
contain carbon. Carbon is
released through animals
breathing, organic matter
being burned, and decay.
Carbon is then taken in by
plants, which transfer
carbon back to the
animals when they are
eaten. Thus the cycle
repeats itself. Coal, peat,
and oil are formed from decaying organic matter and are essentially made of carbon.

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The Phosphorus Cycle

Phosphorus is required for ATP (an
important energy molecule) and for
DNA and RNA. Phosphorus is found in
the soil, and is absorbed by plants. Then
it is transferred to animals when they
consume the plants. Once the animals
die then the phosphorus inside their
bodies is transferred back into the soil.
From there it is reabsorbed by plants.
Thus the cycle is completed.

The Nitrogen Cycle

Nitrogen is the base part of amino

acids, which form protein. It also is
present in DNA and RNA. The
Nitrogen Cycle is the most complex
because of how many forms nitrogen
can exist in. Although many different
paths can be taken along the way, we
generally start with the nitrogen
fixation step, in which nitrogen is
from the atmosphere is converted by
nitrogen-fixing bacteria into
ammonium in the soil. (It can also be
other things, but this is the most
common) From here the nitrogen can
be assimilated (absorbed) by the plants, and from the plants the animals obtain the nitrogen. (By
eating the plants) After the animals die their bodies are broken down and through
ammonification the nitrogen in their bodies is changed back to ammonium. This could be
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assimilated by the plants again, but it could also be converted into nitrates by nitrogen fixing
bacteria through the process of nitrification. Finally denitrification happens, in which the
nitrogen is converted back into the atmosphere. Yep, it’s really complicated, but I found that
Google and Wikipedia helped.
There are a final few things about ecology that need to be covered. First of all, we’ll cover
human impact on environment. This can be seen through climate change. Increased greenhouse
gas output by us humans has increased the greenhouse effect, in which heat is trapped in the
Earth’s atmosphere and changes the world’s climate. (It doesn’t only heat up – in some cases it
can cool down areas and in general will cause dramatic changes to the world’s climate)

Acid rain and eutrophication are two aspects of human impact that are covered often. Acid rain is
rain in which the acidity is higher than normal. This occurs when water evaporates from bodies
of water that have too many chemicals, or the water mixes with acidic vapors in the air.
Eutrophication occurs when there are too many nutrients in some body of water and an
overgrowth of algae occurs. Both of these are dangerous to the environment.

The final topic is ecological succession. Ecological succession is when some ecosystem
undergoes regenerative changes following some type of disturbance or initial colonization of a
new habitat. Primary succession occurs after a volcano or some other disaster destroys the
ecosystem. (Yellowstone after the Mount St. Helens eruption comes to mind.) Secondary
succession is when life newly colonizes some previously lifeless area, such as plants resettling
the area uncovered by a receding glacier. Succession eventually leads to a stable climax
community.

Botany

In my experience there are always 3 – 4 questions about plant structure and plant classifications.
Therefore that’s what this section will primarily focus on.

Plants perform photosynthesis. This reaction takes carbon dioxide and water and produces
glucose and oxygen with energy from sunlight. This can be written out as:
6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2
Note that the number of atoms of each element is the same on each side of the equation. Also,
this reaction only takes place under the presence of sunlight in chlorophyll. (The green “stuff”
contained in the chloroplasts of plant cells) Photosynthesis is much more complicated, but this is
all you will need to know for TMSCA.

Plants can be classified into these main types:

1. Green algae (Chlorophyta): aquatic algae

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2. Nonvascular Plants (Bryophyta): includes mosses, hornworts, and liverworts. They lack
roots, stems, and leaves, and only have a minimal cuticle. Thus they must remain small
and primitive.
3. Vascular Plants (Tracheophyta): contain a stiff, central column that conducts water and
essential nutrients through the plant (from the roots) and supports the plant. Here the
water and dissolved nutrients pass through a stiff network of dead cells known as the
xylem, while the living phloem carries the products of photosynthesis, such as glucose. A
waxy cuticle protects the plant to prevent it from drying out. Stomata (stoma) are small
openings in the cuticle to allow the plant to receive gas from the air. Guard cells around
the stoma regulate the intake of carbon dioxide or oxygen.
a. Ferns (Filicopsida): the first vascular plants are represented by plants such as
horsetails, club mosses, and ferns. These use spores to reproduce, and rely on
water to fertilize for them.
b. Seed Bearing Plants (Spermatopsida): these reproduce by seeds, and can be
classified as:
i. Gymnosperms (conifers): these were the first type of seed bearing plants.
They reproduce through cones; their pollen grains are spread by the wind
and do not depend on moisture to reproduce. This type includes fir, pine,
spruce, gingkoes, and other cone bearing plants.
ii. Angiosperms (flowering plants): appeared relatively recently, at first
included beech trees, figs, and magnolias, but has expanded to encompass
a wide variety of flowering plants, including generally all crop plants and
flowers. These are more complex than gymnosperms, and have seeds not
dependent on water for dispersal. Rely on wind and animals to spread their
seeds.
1. Monocots (Monocotyledonous): grasses whose seed first extends a
single cotyledon or seed leaf. Lilies and other bulb plants are also
monocots.
2. Dicots (Dicotyledonous): have seeds that forms a pair of
cotyledons, examples include roses, most trees, sunflowers, beans,
and tomatoes.

And there is the general breakdown of the various plant classifications. However, there are many
more important topics that have not yet been discussed. Let’s start with the differences between
monocots and dicots.
Monocots: Dicots:
 1 cotyledon (seed leaf; the little bud  2 cotyledons
that makes up the body of the seed)  Network veined leaves
 Parallel veined leaves  Flowers in multiples of 4 or 5
 Flowers in multiples of 3  Xylem and Phloem arranged in a neat
 Xylem and Phloem scattered tubular/ringed pattern
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randomly  Taproot system (a single large
 Fibrous roots (a network of many protruding root)
roots)
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Another important topic is plant growth. This is categorized in two ways – primary growth and
secondary growth. Primary growth is vertical and secondary growth is thickness. Primary results
from ongoing cell division at the apical meristem (tip) of the plant. Secondary results when new
xylem pushes old xylem inside, while new phloem pushes old phloem outward.

It’s about time for some diagrams to clear a couple terms up. Reference back to these diagrams.

This depicts a cross section of a stem (or trunk). The xylem and phloem were mentioned earlier,
but another important part of the stem is the cambium. The cambium is the growing part of the
stem. Remember secondary growth and the xylem pushing in and phloem pushing out? That
occurs on the inside and outside of the cambium.

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This depicts a cross section of a leaf.

A typical tap root – notice the meristematic zone – this is the aforementioned apical meristem.
(On the root side) A type of beneficial fungi known as mycorrhizae grows on the roots.

And finally, flowers! The function of flowers is sexual reproduction – thus they are often the
“showiest” parts of the plant.

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The perianth consists of all the parts of the flower that protects its reproductive organs. They can
be divided into petals and sepals. Sepals are the small buds at the base of a flower that protect the
flower bud. Collectively the sepals are called the calyx. Petals are fairly self explanatory.
Collectively the petals make up the corolla.

The pistil is the bowling-pin shaped female portion of the flower, often found in the flowers
center. The tip of the pistil is known as the stigma, which is connected to the ovary by the style.
In the ovary the ovules develop, which become seeds once fertilized.

Finally, the stamen is the male portion of the flower. It contains a pollen sac, known as the
anther, and a supporting filament which holds it in place.

Taxonomy

Taxonomy, or the study of classification of organisms, is not that common. However, it is still
important to know and understand.

The most basic thing to understand is the names of the different organizational groups as you
move down. I think the easiest way to remember this is through a mnemonic.

Dear King Phillip Came Over For Good Spaghetti

Domain; Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species

Going through the classifications for a fairly common animal, a human, we find:

Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Family: Hominidae
Genus: Homo
Species: Sapiens

This system was devised by the 18th century Swedish biologist Carolus
Linnaeus. In 1753 he introduced a system which, although it has been
refined and expanded, remains the same approximate system we use
today! The amazing fact is that he knew nothing about evolution or
what new species might be found.

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Here we will go over the Domains, the Kingdoms, and the most important Phyla. You can go to
Wikipedia and search for “Phylum”, “List of Classes”, etc. for a good list of the various other
divisions. A document containing a list of the phyla and major classes will be posted on the
website, so check there if you are interested.

There are three widely recognized domains. These are Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya. Of
these Archaea and Bacteria are prokaryotic, while the Eukarya are eukaryotic. Archaea are a type
of primitive life form that have existed on Earth for a very long time and are extremely tolerant
of extremes. (They are sometimes called “extremophiles”) Bacteria can also survive in a vast
variety of environments. They are generally found in three shapes; spherical (cocci), rod shaped
(bacilli), and spirally (spirilium). Finally, Eukarya are the most complex of the domains, and
include fungi, protozoa, plants, and animals.

The classification of kingdoms is much sketchier, and there still is no definitive accepted
classification. (Accepted as in used by everybody) Generally the kingdoms are not that important
and you only need to know a general idea of them. Here I will show one that I am not quite sure
is the correct one as I have not found it online, but it is the one that I have found in my book
references. This classification takes the Kingdom Protista and splits it into five separate
kingdoms. The kingdoms resulting from this split are the first five kingdoms listed. Remember
that there is still much conflict about the kingdom system, so take this with a grain of salt.
1. Kindom Archaezoa: perhaps the oldest Eukarya, lack mitochnodria, are flagellated,
have dual nuclei and have a simple cytoskeleton
2. Kingdom Euglenozoa: flagellated protozoa with mitochnodria
3. Kingdom Alveolata: have vesicles below their membrane, or alveoli, include
dinoflagellates (which cause red tide) and ciliates
4. Kingdom Stramenophila: have flagella with hairlike protrusions, include diatoms (a
very common type of phytoplankton) and brown and gold algae
5. Kingdom Rhodophyta: protozoa without flagella, include red algae
6. Kingdom Fungi: mostly multi-celled; food obtained by absorbing material from dead
organisms, include mushrooms, molds, and yeasts
7. Kingdom Plantae: multi-cellular that perform photosynthesis and have cell walls made
of cellulose, include plants (trust me, there is no way you would have realized that)
8. Kingdom Animalia: multi-cellular with tissue, organs, and obtain food by ingestion,
include animals
Other ways of classifying that are older include putting all organisms into kingdoms Monera
(bacteria), Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia. The notable change here is the kingdom
Monera and Protista. Kingdom Monera is mentioned sometimes, so know that it contains
bacteria and cyanobacteria.

A few of the semi-important phyla that it is good to know are:

1. Phylum Porifera: sponges
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2. Phylum Cnidaria: sea anemones and jellyfish

3. Phylum Nematoda, Platyhelminthes, Nemertea: all types of parasitic worms; they are
roundworms, flatworms, and ribbon worms respectively
4. Phylum Mollusca: mollusks
5. Phylum Arthropoda: arthropods, can be split into subphylum Uniramia (centipedes,
millipedes, and insects), subphylum Crustacea (crabs, shrimp, lobsters)
6. Phylum Echinodermata: echinoderms, such as sea stars, sea urchins, and sea
cucumbers

Now, we are going to skip a whole ton of other phyla and just focus on the phyla in which we
humans belong to, Phylum Chordata. (Remember, if you want to look more into this go to the
other word document on the wiki) Phylum Chordata is defined as the collection of animals that
possess a notochord (a kind of backbone in embryos of chordates), have bilaterally symmetric
bodies, a hollow dorsal nerve cord, and pharyngeal slits (essentially gill slits).

Anatomy

A question that often comes up when studying anatomy and physiology is, just what is the
difference between anatomy and physiology? Anatomy is defined as the study of the various
structures of the body, while physiology studies the function of these structures.

This is a bit of a non sequitur, but there are four types of tissue in the body:
1. Epithelium: protective, lining tissue in the body. Consists of layers of epithelial cells.
Can be found in many places, including the skin and the pharynx (windpipe).
2. Muscle: consists of bundles of highly active muscle cells. There are three types: smooth
muscle, skeletal muscle, and cardiac muscle. Smooth muscle is the type of muscle in
most of the organs that is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, meaning that it is
not under conscious control. Skeletal muscle is attached to and moves bones, and is
striated. Cardiac muscle is found in the heart, and each fiber can move at its own rate,
coordinated by the pacemaker in the heart.
3. Connective Tissue: blood, bones, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments are all forms of
connective blood. This type provides support and protects other tissues. Here a
differentiation between tendons, which connect muscles to bones, and ligaments, which
connect bones, should be made.
4. Nervous Tissue: this type of tissue is used to conduct electrical impulses that carry
messages in response to stimuli, or outside influences on somebody. Nervous tissue is

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made up of neurons. Neurons are a particularly interesting type of cell, and are quite
complex. Just because they are so interesting I’ll go into them a little after this diagram.

Neurons consist of a cell body with many protrusions called dendrites and another long
protrusion called an axon. The cell body is also called the soma.

The dendrites function to receive incoming electrical signals. The axon serves to transmit the
impulse onto the next cell. The place where an axon meets a dendrite is known as a synapse.
Within your brain, the places where there are mostly axons are called the white matter, while the
places where there are mostly somas are called the gray matter. There’s some pretty complex
stuff involved in this, and you can read more about it by going to the Helpful Links page on the
wiki and looking at the “Neuron” link.

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The exact number of systems in the body is debatable, but there are about 11. (Some consider the
various bacteria to be a separate system; some systems are combined or separated, etc.)
1. Skeletal system: the bones that serve as the framework for the body and protect the
internal organs. They also produce the blood cells and store calcium.
2. Muscular system: all the muscles work together and contract and relax, which allows
motion in its various forms
3. Circulatory system: carries blood to all parts of the body, consists of the heart and all the
blood vessels
4. Digestive system: subjects food through a series of chemical and physical changes,
which allows the nutrients in them to be accessible to the body
5. Respiratory system: oxygen is inhaled and passed through the lungs and body, while
carbon dioxide is exhaled
6. Excretory system: wastes are extracted from the body and passed out
7. Lymphatic system: made up of a series of ducts that carry lymph. Lymph then circulates
through the body to carry food from blood to cells and wastes from the body to the blood.
Lymph nodes effectively filter out the blood and are vital for protection.
8. Endocrine system: consists of a group of glands that secrete body regulating substances,
known as hormones, into the bloodstream.
9. Nervous system: impulses are carried to and from the central nervous system, which
consists of the brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system consists of the
sensory organs and other regions that can pick up stimuli.
10. Urogenital system: includes the urinary organs as well as the organs of reproduction.
11. Integumentary system: the external covering of the body, made up of the skin, hair, nails,
and other structures associated with the skin. This system protects underlying tissue, acts
as a sensory organ, and helps regulates body temperature.
It is vital to realize that all these organ systems are closely intertwined, and could not exist apart.

The adult human skeleton consists of 206 various bones. Bone is primarily made from mineral
matter and a gelatin-like, elastic substance known as collagen. Within the marrow of the bones
red blood cells are manufactured. The ends of bones are often covered by cartilage, and are
connected to other bones by ligaments.

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The above diagram should be memorized as best you can, although the bones of the pubis are not
that important. Some important facts are listed below.
 The femur is the longest bone in the body.
 Left out on this diagram are the coccyx and sacrum, which are the very base of the
spinal column.
 In total there are about 24 vertebrae
 Arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome are two common bone diseases

The circulatory system consists of the heart and all the various blood vessels throughout the
body. This circulating blood transports nutrients and oxygen, removes wastes, and can help fight
infections. Arteries are the blood vessels going away from the heart, and that (a vast majority of
the time) carry oxygenated blood from the heart to the body. Veins are the blood vessels going
into the heart, and that (the vast majority of the time) carry deoxygenated blood from the body to
the heart. Capillaries are tiny, connect the arteries and veins, and are involved directly with the
cells.

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In the above diagram of the heart, note that the blues areas contain deoxygenated blood, while
the red areas contain the oxygenated blood.

Blood that is devoid of oxygen travels from the body to the heart through a network of veins,
which congregated in the superior and inferior vena cava. These two large veins receive blood
from the top half of the body and the bottom half, respectively. The two vena cavas channel
blood into the right atrium. (Remember that right and left as described here is from the
perspective of the person with the heart, not the diagram.)

From the atrium the heart flows into the right ventricle. From there the still deoxygenated blood
flows through the pulmonary arteries to the lungs, where it picks up oxygen. (This will be
elaborated more upon when we cover the respiratory system) The pulmonary veins then pick up
that newly oxygenated blood and take it to the left atrium. After flowing into the left ventricle,
the blood goes through the aorta and returns to the body, to complete its rounds again.

Thus the path blood travels through the body is:

Vena Cava → Right Atrium → Right Ventricle → Pulmonary Arteries → Lungs → Pulmonary
Veins → Left Atrium → Left Ventricle → Aorta → Arteries → Capillaries → Veins
Whereupon the cycle renews.

A brief digression is needed to cover the various contents and functions of blood.

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Blood contains two important substances: plasma and so called “formed elements”. (This
includes platelets, white blood cells, and red blood cells) The above diagram is excellent, and
covers almost all that you will need to know.

Plasma is the watery part of blood. It is a clear yellow fluid serving as the vehicle for the
transportation of the formed elements.

The formed elements include red blood cells, or erythrocytes, the white blood cells, or
leukocytes, and the platelets.

Erythrocytes are the most numerous cells in blood, and function to carry oxygen throughout the
body and return oxygen to the lungs. Hemoglobin is the most important chemical substance
within red blood cells, and includes an iron pigment called heme and a protein called globin.
Hemoglobin is the substance that actually carries the oxygen. Worn out erythrocytes are
destroyed by the spleen (a small organ to the side of the abdomen).

Leukocytes are the cells that serve to attack disease causing organisms. They are generally
created either in bone marrow or in lymphatic tissues. Generally they are larger than red blood
cells.

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Finally, platelets are tiny cell fragments (they do not have DNA) that are involved in blood
clotting. Clotting is a process the body uses to prevent loss of blood from cuts or other wounds.
Platelets stick to injured blood vessels and release chemicals that attract additional platelets to
clump together.

There are four blood types: A, B, O, and AB. When having a blood transfusion, only certain
types of blood are compatible with each other. If two incompatible blood types are combined, the
blood would start clumping together, resulting in many problems.

The above diagram shows how O blood type can donate to every other type, A can donate to AB
type, and B can donate to AB type. Also, every member of the type can donate to other members
of the same type.

The respiratory system consists of the lungs and the various organs that transport air through the
body.

Air enters the body through the nose and nasal cavity, which is filled with hair that filters out
foreign matter. This hair is called cilia. Air then passes into the pharynx, which is also called the
throat. In the pharynx there are two openings. One leads down the esophagus to the digestive
system, while the other opening leads down the larynx to the respiratory system. A flap of
cartilage called the epiglottis folds to prevent air from entering the digestive tract, and food from
entering the respiratory tract.

The larynx, also known as the voice box, vibrates air to produce sound. The air then passes into
the trachea, a long tube connecting the larynx to the lungs. The walls of the trachea are also lined
with cilia.

Finally the air has reached the lungs. Here the trachea splits into two tubes, called bronchi. The
bronchi in the lungs continue splitting into smaller and smaller tubes, until they reach the
smallest tubes, the bronchioles. At the ends of bronchioles are clusters of air sacs, or alveoli.

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As shown in the diagram at the top left, here oxygen is sent into the blood in return for carbon
dioxide. The blood in the lungs (that has been carried here by the pulmonary arteries) goes into
capillaries, which eventually surround the alveoli, which are full of air. Here, through a process
known as diffusion, the oxygen molecules travel through the thin wall of the alveoli into the
blood of the capillaries, while carbon dioxide travels out of the capillaries into the alveoli, where
the air is sent it back out. Eventually these capillaries grow larger until they become the
pulmonary veins, which flow back into the heart.

The last big topic of the respiratory system is the muscle known as the diaphragm. This is a
large, dome shaped muscle that lies at the bottom of the lungs. When we inhale the diaphragm
lowers (contracting). When we exhale the diaphragm returns to its starting position (relaxing).
When the diaphragm contracts, the space available in the lungs increases, which gives more

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space for the air molecules to move around in. This in turn lowers the air pressure in the lungs.
Molecules always want to move from somewhere of higher pressure to an area of lower pressure.
(This is an important fundamental fact) Thus, because the air pressure in the lungs is now lower,
air from outside the body rushes in and inhalation occurs. The converse (opposite) happens
during exhalation.

The digestive system is composed of the entire tract, which passes through the body, and that
digests food, absorbs the necessary nutrients, and then excretes it.

Note that the digestive system digests food in two ways: chemically and mechanically. At almost
all points of the tract food is being digested both chemically and mechanically. This occurs
chemically through the action of chemicals and enzymes (proteins that speed/produce reactions),
and mechanically through the various churning and moving actions.

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After chewing by the teeth until the food becomes a mushy mass called a bolus, food passes into
the pharynx, or the throat. From the pharynx the bolus is pushed into the esophagus, a long, thick
walled tube. In the esophagus there are waves of contractions, known as peristalsis, which
pushes the food on. (This is why you can still digest things even while hanging upside down)
The esophagus ends in the stomach.

The stomach breaks down the bolus into a “nutrient soup” called chyme. Additionally, gastric
juice, which contains hydrochloric acid and pepsin (an enzyme that breaks down proteins), is
secreted. At the end of the stomach is the beginning of the small intestine, made up of an organ
known as the duodenum. Into the duodenum flows bile and pancreatic juice, which are produced
in the liver and the pancreas, respectively. Bile breaks down fats and is stored in the gallbladder.

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Here in the duodenum most of the absorption of nutrients takes place. The small intestine is lined
with millions and millions of tiny protrusions called villi that greatly increase the small intestines
absorptive area. The other two parts of the small intestine are called the jejunum and the ileum.

The small intestine leads into the large intestine, where most of the water is absorbed. Finally the
remains of the food reach the rectum and then anus, where it is expelled.

The excretory system is made up of the kidneys, the urinary organs, the sweat glands, the liver,
and even the lungs.

Blood passes through the kidneys and is then filtered, the waste passing into an area called the
renal pelvis. From the renal pelvis the waste (including substances such as water, urea, and
excess minerals) flows into the ureter, a tube connecting the kidneys to the bladder. From the
bladder the urine is then expelled.

Chemistry

Chemistry is the science of matter – it concerns itself with the properties, structure, and
reactions. In TMSCA chemistry will primarily focus on the periodic table and some basic
knowledge about atoms and molecules.

Atoms, Molecules, and Compounds

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The most fundamental unit of matter is the atom. The atom consists of a nucleus and the
surrounding electron cloud. (The nucleus contains protons and neutrons) Electrons have negative
charges, protons are positive, and neutrons are neutral.

An atom’s electrons can be envisioned as occupying spherical shells radiating from the nucleus.
(Although in nature electrons do not actually occupy specific shells, it is useful to think of it this
way) Aside from the first shell, which fills at 2 electrons, all other shells strive to contain 8
electrons. This is the famous “Octet Rule”. This rule governs just about all atomic bonding and
atomic properties.

This rule concerns the outer electrons, or valence electrons. These valence electrons are the ones
that participate in reactions and bonding. (And thus valence electrons largely determine atomic
properties)

Bonding is the process in which atoms join together. (Primarily in order to fulfill their need for 8
valence electrons) When atoms bond they form molecules and compounds.

There are two primary types of bonding. These types are ionic bonding and covalent bonding. In
ionic bonding the electrons are transferred and bonding occurs because of charge attractions. In
covalent bonding the electrons are actually shared between the atoms.

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An example of ionic bonding is common table salt, or NaCl. (Sodium chloride, which is a
sodium atom bonded to a chlorine atom) Sodium has one valence electron (how to figure that out
will be explained below) and chlorine has seven. If you think about it, the easiest way for sodium
to get to 8 valence electrons is to let go of the single outer electron (so that the inner shell of 8
would be exposed). This would cause sodium’s electron configuration to look a lot like neon.

Additionally, the easiest way for chlorine to get to eight is to gain an electron, which would
make its electron configuration look like argon. Thus these two atoms are a perfect match for
each other. Sodium gives its valence electron to chlorine, and both parties are satisfied.

This creates something interesting though, as now sodium is a positive ion (an ion is a charged
atom), while chlorine is a negative ion. (A positive ion is called a cation while a negative ion is
called an anion. Some tricks to remember this are that cats are (generally) positive, hence cation.
Also, onions make you cry, which is negative, thus anion.) Because opposites attract, the sodium
and chlorine will join together. This type of a bond is called an ionic bond.

An example of covalent bonding would be a common water molecule, H2O. In this case we have
an oxygen atom. An atom of oxygen has 6 valence electrons, so the easiest way for it to complete
its shell would be for it to share/take two electrons. Say two hydrogen electrons happen along.
These two atoms both need to share/take one electron to satisfy its needs, so all three atoms
“decide” to form a bond in which they share their electrons. (See the diagram below for just
how) This type of bond, in which the electrons are shared, is called a covalent bond.

The Periodic Table

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This is the periodic table – created by Dmitri Mendeleev. It looks slightly peculiar – after all, the
indentations seem quite random. However, these patterns are actually what make the periodic
table so interesting.

Elements generally have a few numbers associated with them: their atomic number and their
mass number. In the periodic table above the atomic number is the one in the top left corner. This
number represents the numbers of protons in a neutral atom of the element. Note that the atomic
number generally also refers to the number of electrons, unless the atom is an ion. The mass
number represents the mass of the atom – this is generally a miniscule number, and is measured
in atomic mass units or Daltons. (The two units are approximately equivalent) It is technically
the sum of protons and neutrons, (Each has a mass of about 1 dalton) but when you look at a
chart of masses you will see that in fact it is some decimal. This is because the mass number is
actually the average of all different “kinds” of that element in nature.

The different “kinds” of an element is the different isotopes. An isotope is a version of the atom,
but with a different number of neutrons. For example, hydrogen generally does not have any
neutrons. However, rarely a type of hydrogen called tritium is found. Tritium has 3 neutrons, so
its mass will be different than “normal” hydrogen, something more like 4 daltons. Because of
these rare isotopes, hydrogen’s mass is about 1.008 daltons.

The periodic table has periods and groups. The periods are horizontal, while the groups are
vertical. Earlier it was mentioned that it is possible to tell how many valence electrons an atom
has by glancing at the periodic table. We’ll look at the Groups 1, 2, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18

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first. (Groups 3 – 11 have weird valence electron arrangements) The cool thing about these
groups is that if you look at the units/ones digit of the group then it tells you how many valence
electrons members of the group have.

Thus carbon (C), in group 14, has 4 valence electrons, while potassium (K), in group 1, has 1
valence electron.

Another important thing the periodic table does is to group elements with similar properties
together. (Remember that properties are determined by valence electrons, so this is no
coincidence)
1. Alkali Metals: located in Group 1, although Hydrogen is not an alkali metal. (Note that it
is alkali without an “n” at the end) They have properties similar to other metals. Because
these atoms have just 1 valence electron and they are so close to getting their full set of 8,
they react very easily. They are also less dense than other metals.
2. Alkaline Earth Metals: located in Group 2, also have properties similar to other metals.
They readily lose their two electrons.
3. Transition Metals: located in Groups 3-11, these elements are very hard and have high
melting and boiling states. They are also highly malleable (able to bend) and conductive
(able to let electricity pass through it), with silver being the most conductive element.
4. Lanthanides and Actinides: located in the two “extra” periods at the bottom of the table,
their names come from elements 57 and 89, respectively. Sometimes called the Rare
Earth Metals, they can be quite reactive and radioactive, although lanthanides have many
commercial uses.
5. Metals: located in the triangle type area underneath the black line on the periodic table
above, they are also called “Other Metals”. This black line is called the “Stair Step Line”,
and divides the metals and nonmetals. Metals in general have a shiny, metallic
appearance. They are also ductile (able to bend easily) and are good conductors.
6. Metalloids: are all the elements on the stair step line (except for Aluminum, which is a
metal). They are really “intermediate” metals; their conductivity is inefficient (but they
are not an insulator), they have a slightly metallic appearance, and their behavior during
reactions depends on what they are reacting with. Because of these traits they make good
semiconductors, so are often used in computers.
7. Nonmetals: consist of the triangle above the stair step line plus hydrogen. Nonmetals are
some of the most important elements for life – carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen
are the four most common elements in the human body. Although they display a wide
range of properties, they are generally poor conductors and are brittle in their solid form.
8. Halogens: located in Group 17, these elements (commonly found in halogen lights) are
quite reactive, especially with alkali metals. They exist in a variety of states; iodine can
be solid, bromine can be liquid, while chlorine can be gaseous.

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9. Noble Gases: located in Group 18, these gases are all very inert. (The name “noble”
comes from their “snobby” refusal to bond with any other elements, much like nobles of
old) Their inability to react results from them having a full valence shell of electrons.
Those were the nine groups of elements.

Periodicity

I am going to skip over periodicity for now, and if I see it occur on any tests I will add some
information on it.

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Physics

Physics is essentially an analysis of nature and how it behaves – it investigates matter, motion,
time, electricity, magnetism, forces, and much more. Ernest Rutherford, a great physicist, once
said: “All science is either physics or stamp collecting.”

First we need to define a few terms about motion that will be pertinent:
1. Energy: this quantity is hard to define objectively, because of its “elusive” nature.
However, we do know that it is the ability to do work. The total energy in the universe
will always remain the same (in all its various forms). Thus energy cannot be created, or
destroyed. This is known as the Law of Conservation of Energy.
2. Force: this is any influence that causes a system to undergo certain changes, measured in
newtons. This change could be in terms of speed or direction.
3. Mass: anything that takes up space. Mass is generally a better measurement than weight,
as weight changes with wherever you are at. (The amount of space an object takes up will
always remain constant)
4. Speed: the distance an object travels in a certain amount of time. Remember that S =
D/T.
5. Velocity: this is the speed in a certain direction.
6. Friction: a force acting against relative motion of two surfaces. Includes surface
resistance and air resistance.
7. Acceleration: this is the rate at which the velocity of an object changes. So it would be
represented mathematically as the velocity at the second time minus the velocity at the
first time, divided by the time elapsed. An important fact to know is that the acceleration
due to gravity is about 9.8 m/s2, although for simplicity this can be rounded to 10. This
means that if we let something free fall it will accelerate at 9.8 m/s 2.

Newton’s Laws

Newton’s Laws are quite an interesting set of principles, and can be kind of tricky to completely
understand. I’ll go through each law, and then set out some examples of what this law might
pertain to.

1) Newton’s First Law:

An object in motion will stay in motion until acted upon by some outside force. An object at rest
will stay at rest until acted upon by some outside force. (The Law of Inertia)

There is a caveat to this law: it applies in frictionless environments. So imagine that we are in
deep space. Essentially we would be in a vacuum – a space without any matter. Thus there would
be absolutely no forces other than the ones that we can exert. So from our little yellow submarine

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we shoot a rocket. As long as the rocket continues in deep space it will continue on infinitely. It
will maintain a constant speed too, without any acceleration.

Similarly, if we were to place something in a stationary position then, as long as we did not act
on it, it would stay in place forever.

2) Newton’s Second Law:

The force, mass, and acceleration of an object are related by the formula F = ma.

The equation F = ma has application in a wide variety of problems. One might even say it is the
most powerful of Newton’s laws, as it allows us to quantify and calculate.

From this equation we can deduce a few interesting and important facts. However, first we need
to explain a few terms – direct variation and inverse variation. Another term is direct proportion
and inverse proportion.

When two variables have direct variation, then as one variable increases the other variable also
increases. Another way to say this is that the quotient of the two variables is constant. As an
example, let us set the two variables ‘a’ and ‘b’ to be related directly. Thus a/b = C, where C is
some random constant. By definition C will remain the same for all values of ‘a’ and ‘b’, so if
we double ‘a’ then we must double ‘b’. Mathematically, (2a) / (2b) = a/b = C.

When two variables have inverse variation then as one variable increases the other variable
decreases. Another way to say this is that the product of the two variables is constant. Notice that
this is the case between the variables ‘m’ and ‘a’ in Newton’s Second Law, as those two values
multiply to ‘F’. The facts that follow from ‘F = ma’ are explained below.
1. Say you have a small truck and a large truck. They are moving at the same speed towards
a wall. Which one can produce the largest impact? Intuitively we would say the large
truck, and this fact is verified by F = ma. The force will be larger if the mass is larger.
2. Using the same truck analogy as above, if we had two trucks of the same mass, traveling
at different speeds, the faster truck intuitively has more force. Again this is verified by
Newton’s Second Law. Note that these first two facts are because the pairs of variables
“F and a” and the variables “F and m” are directly proportional. The force will be larger
if the acceleration is higher.
3. The last important fact is fairly obvious if you look at the relationship between the
variables in Newton’s Second Law. Note that the variables mass and acceleration will
always multiply to force. Thus these two variables are inversely proportional. Mass
increases if acceleration decreases, and vice versa.

Interestingly enough Newton’s Second Law can be extended to the equation for momentum.
Momentum is often referred to by the variable “p”. The equation for momentum is p = mv,
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where m is mass and v is velocity. Although momentum and force are different, intuitively we
can extend force to momentum. (Note how mass in the 2nd law lines up with mass in the
momentum equation, while acceleration lines up with velocity.)

3) Newton’s Third Law

For every action (force) there is an equal and opposite reaction (force).

This can sometimes be the hardest law to understand. This law essentially says that there are
never any isolated forces; for all forces acting on objects, there is an equal force in the opposite
direction which acts back on the object which exerted the force to begin with. Let’s pose a few
examples.

Suppose we have a weight sitting on the ground. Obviously there is a gravitational force pulling
down on the weight (we can also call it a mass). What is less obvious is that there is also a force
from the ground pushing up on the mass, preventing the mass from falling straight through the
earth. The fact that these forces are equal and opposite is what prevents any motion from the
mass. (We know from experience the mass will sit motionless)

Suppose we have a rocket shooting off. Obviously the rocket is firing and pushing on the ground
(along with the gravitational force). The only reason the rocket takes off is that the ground
pushes up on the rocket.

Finally, suppose for whatever reason we want to take a large mass and push it along the ground.
As we push it we exert force on the object. By definition, the object will exert force back on us.
From experience we know that we can feel this as a pressure on our hands or shoulders.

Something that perplexed me for a while about Newton’s Third Law was, if all forces come in
equal and opposite pairs, why do the forces not all just cancel out? Well, if we look carefully at
the definition, the forces are not both on the same object. In fact, the first force is on the object.
The second force is on the object that exerted the first force. In the example in which the rocket
takes off, the rocket starts exerting a force on the ground. By Newton’s Third Law, the ground
will then exert a force on the rocket.

Energy, Work, and Simple Machines

Energy, work, and simple machines are intricately connected. Let’s start with a few equations
that can help clarify them.

Energy is, as explained in the section “Newton’s Laws”, is often defined as the ability to do
work. A force performs work on a body if there is a displacement of the body.

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The equation for work is W = F * d, or work equals the product of force and distance. Work is
measured in Joules, after the English physicist James Joule. Remember that force is measured in
newtons and distance is measured in meters – thus one joule is the amount of work needed to
apply a force of one newton over the distance of one meter.

The equation to calculate power is: P = W/t. Power is measured in watts. One watt would be a
work of one joule in one second. Now that we understand what power is, we can also describe
joules in terms of power. One joule is equivalent to the amount of work required to produce one
watt in one second.

There are six different simple machines:

1. Lever
2. Inclined Plane
3. Screw
4. Wheel and axle
5. Wedge
6. Pulley
The purpose of a simple machine is to change the direction, size, or length of the force. Although
size is mentioned here, note that because of the Law of Conservation of Energy the total energy
exerted will remain the same. This may be a bit confusing, so we will go through this concept
with an example involving arguably the simplest machine – the inclined plane.

Let’s start off with the inclined plane, as it is the most intuitive. (In my opinion) Let’s set a
scenario: We are in a trucker employed for the company “The Humble Sea Bass”. Our task is to
load a crate of sea bass onto our truck. However, the crates are heavy (50 kg) and they must also

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be lifted a distance of 12 m to get onto the truck. (We at the humble sea bass drive crazy trucks)
There are two ways we could do this.

We could test our strength and try to lift the mass. The work we would have to perform would be
calculated by finding the force required and the distance. Because F = ma, and m = 50 kg and a =
9.8, our force is 490 N. W = Fd, so plugging in F = 490 N and d = 12 m, the total work we have
to do is 5880 J, or 490 J per meter lifted. That is a pretty big number!

Now we bring in an inclined plane that is 16 meters lengthwise and 12 meters tall. This will
allow the top of the inclined plane to correspond with the opening of the truck. The entire ramp
will be 20 meters long. This has two advantages – first of all, you will be able to spread the force
out over a longer distance. (20 meters as opposed to 12 meters) Additionally, as we all know
from experience, pushing is generally easier than lifting. Now, the math needed to calculate the
work of this is quite a bit more complicated (involving trigonometry and breaking the force
vectors into their various component vectors) so I’ll skip the details here, but the work needed is
about 6000 J total, or 300 J per meter. Although the total work needed is more (due to friction), it
is much easier to push something with a work of 300 J per meter than lift something for 490 J per
meter.

It is in this way that simple machines simplify our everyday tasks.

Basic Optics

I am going to skip over optics for now, and if I see it occur on any tests I will add some
information on it.

Ideal Gases

Before approaching this topic, it is useful to understand the concept of a mole. A mole is really
just a number. This number is 6.023 * 1023, or Avogadro’s Number. This concept is definitely a
bit confusing, and I would encourage you to look it up on Khan Academy. However, for our
purposes all you need to know is that a mole is a unit used to measure the number of atoms. So a
given quantity can be said to contain “3 moles of oxygen” or there are “2 moles of sulfur
dissolved in this water”.

Ideal gases are hypothetical gases that have behave in an ideal way – they have zero mass, do not
interact at all with each other, and bounce completely randomly. In the real world obviously even
tiny hydrogen atoms have mass, but envisioning gases in this way is useful, and real world gases
are not too far off.

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nRT
The ideal gas law is P = . P is pressure, n is the number of molecules/atoms in moles, R is
V
the universal gas constant (explained more below), T is the temperature in Kelvin, and V is
volume.

First recall the concepts of direct and inverse variation/proportion. From looking at the equation
we deduce that pressure and the number of molecules is directly proportional, meaning if we add
more molecules without changing the temperature or volume, the pressure will increase. Really
this is very intuitive. Imagine there is a tube that only contains one type of molecule, we can add
more molecules, heat or cool down the tube, and change the available volume by sliding the
stopper up or down. We also are able to measure these variables precisely. Thus if we throw in
more molecules the number of molecules colliding with the sides of the tube will obviously
increase. Remember that pressure is force over an area; the molecules hitting the sides will
increase and thus increase the force against the tube, increasing the total pressure of the tube.

Pressure and the temperature are also directly proportional. Think back to the magic ideal gas
tube, and think of what happens when we increase the temperature inside the tube. The
molecules will move faster, bumping into the sides of the tube more frequently and increasing
pressure. Kelvin is a temperature scale that has its zero point located at absolute zero. Absolute is
the hypothetical “lowest temperature”, at which there is absolutely no movement in molecules.
Kelvin scales in the same manner as Celsius does, so 0 Kelvin = 273 Celsius. Thus to get from
Celsius to Kelvin we just have to add 273.

The two previous variables are directly proportional, so if one increases the other also increases.
However, pressure and volume are inversely proportional. Imagine if we press down the stopper
of the tube, reducing the volume. Now the molecules have fewer places to bounce – thus they
will bounce more frequently against the walls of the tube. Again, more bounces = more force =
more pressure.

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The title of the illustration is Boyle’s law – this is really just a “component” of the ideal gas law.
(Note that this part relates pressure and volume) Boyle’s Law, Charles’s Law, and Gay-Lussac’s
Law (which relate the individual components of the ideal gas law) combined create the ideal gas
law.

Now, we’ve gone over P, V, T, and n, what is the mysterious R? Often in physics it writing out
all the units can help us figure out our errors or more deeply understand a problem. Pressure is
measured in atmospheres. Volume is measured in liters. Temperature is measured in Kelvin. The
number of molecules is measured in moles. Thus we have:
P (atm) = n (moles) * R * T (Kelvin) / V (L)
However, atm ≠ moles * Kelvin/liters. So R essentially acts as the “conversion factor” that
changes the units of both sides to match up. For this example R would be .0821. You will see the
insertion of constants into equations in science often. Just think of these constants as unit
converters.

Waves

Electromagnetic radiation is energy emitted by charged particles, generally in the form of

photons. Electromagnetic radiation can take the form of visible light, radio waves, gamma rays,
and many more. EMR travels at the speed of light when it is in a vacuum. (A vacuum is a space
devoid of any particles) However, what we will be covering in this section is the tendency of
electromagnetic radiation to move in waves.

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What is a wave? A wave is a disturbance or oscillation that transmits energy from one place to
another. Generally when one imagines a light wave you would imagine the classic sine wave.
One can think of the sine wave as depicting the motion of particles along a wave.

There are quite a few vital components of a wave. The dotted line crossing the middle of the
diagram represents location of the molecules while they are at rest, and this is generally called
the normal. The red curve (the wave) represents the molecules moving up and down. The crests
and the troughs are the highest points and lowest points of the wave, respectively. Notice that the
distance from the resting position to the crest/trough is called the amplitude. Thus the distance
away from the normal for the crest and trough is equivalent to the amplitude. Next the
wavelength – this is the distance from one crest to the next crest, or one trough to the next
trough. Finally the frequency – although this is not really a component of the wave, it is an
important property. It is defined as how many waves are created in a specific amount of time.
Frequency is measured in Hertz – 1 hertz is the equivalent of one wave cycle in one second. Note
that if the frequency increases the wavelength must decrease – this is because the speed that the
wave is traveling will remain the same, at least for electromagnetic waves, and this speed will be
the speed of light.

There are essentially two types of waves – mechanical waves and the aforementioned
electromagnetic waves.

A mechanical wave moves (propagates) through a medium (some sort of substance). An example
of a mechanical wave is a sound wave. This type of wave requires the presence of a medium,
because the energy is transmitted through the individual molecules. Imagine a pebble dropped
into a still pond. The pebble causes a disturbance in the medium, which in this case is the water
of the pond. The individual molecules at the location of the disturbance will start oscillating.

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These oscillating molecules collide with nearby molecules, transmitting their energy. However,
each molecule will return to its original position eventually, meaning that, although energy is
transferred, no matter is transferred.

An electromagnetic wave also transmits energy; however, it requires no medium. Because of this
electromagnetic waves can travel through the vacuum of space. An electromagnetic wave can be
very different, depending on the frequency of the wave. At a high frequency the wave has high
energy, and can be a gamma ray. At a low frequency the wave has low energy, and can be a
radio wave. Right near the middle lays visible light, the type of electromagnetic wave that allows
you to read this.

There are three ways that waves can travel – transverse waves, longitudinal waves, and surface
waves.
Transverse waves are the classic sine waves – the medium moves at a right angle to the direction
of the wave. (Think about this for a moment) Electromagnetic waves are typical transverse
waves.

Longitudinal waves travel in compressions. As the wave moves it compresses the medium in
front of it. The areas where the wave just passed through are wide apart. This creates a cycle of
compressions and rarefactions. (See diagram) A sound wave is considered a longitudinal wave.
Think of a speaker - it pushes the air in front of it, creating a compression, which reaches our
ears as sound.

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Surface waves are a bit more complicated in the way they propagate, however basically they are
just waves traveling on the intersection between two media. An example of this is a wave
traveling in water – it is moving between the air and the water. Another example are the various
types of seismic waves.

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Earth Sciences

Earth Science is a very expansive field covering the Earth and its features and processes. More
specifically, this might include studying the Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, surface features,
weather patterns, and so much more. TMSCA seems to enjoy covering Earth Sciences a lot, so
I’ll do my best to encompass in this chapter a lot about our beautiful planet!

The Earth

Let’s start with some of the basics, and look at the entire Earth. If we took a giant knife and
sliced the Earth in half, we would see a few layers.

Oftentimes what confuses people (it confused me at least) is that there seem to be different
names for the various layers. For example, the crust seems to be also called the lithosphere. The
mantle seems to be sometimes referred to as the asthenosphere.

In reality the lithosphere comprises of all the rigid parts on the surface of the Earth – this
includes the crust, which is the solid shell around the Earth. (Note the difference – rigid vs. solid)
Thus the lithosphere also contains parts of the mantle – these parts are still considered liquid,
even though they only behave so over periods of many, many years. Additionally, the tectonic
plates are composed of “chunks” of lithosphere.
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The asthenosphere is the

upper part of the mantle. The
mantle is essentially just the
layer of the Earth in between
the crust and the core that
can be differentiated from
the two by density. It is
highly resistant to flow
(meaning it is very viscous),
and also is the layer
involved in plate tectonic
movements.

The outer core is made of a

liquid combination of iron
and nickel. It is here that Earth’s magnetic field arises from the movements of liquid metals. The
inner core is a solid combination of iron and nickel.

The boundaries between various layers of the Earth can sometimes show up too.
This diagram shows the layers of the Earth along with some important boundaries. Boundary A
is the Moho, short for Mohorovicic discontinuity. It separates the crust and the mantle.

Boundary B is the Gutenberg

discontinuity, or the core mantle
boundary.

Boundary C is the boundary of the inner

core. (No cool name…)

An important aspect to realize is the fact

that these boundaries were mostly
discovered using seismic wave data.
(They didn’t actually drill a deep hole
and look!) We’ll cover seismic waves in
our section on earthquakes.

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Geographic Features

Natural Disasters

Weather and Atmosphere

Rocks and Minerals

Erosion and Weathering

The Ocean

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Space Sciences

The Planets

The Moon

The Sun

Stellar Evolution

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Science History/Miscellaneous

Contributions by various notable scientists

Units

Fields of Science

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Vocabulary

1. Capsule: jelly like outer coating of many prokaryotes

2. Cell Wall: commonly found in plants cells – protection & support
3. Cell Wall: rigid structure outside the plasma membrane
4. Centrioles: organize the spindle fibers during cell division
5. Chloroplasts: store chlorophyll – photosynthesis light reaction
6. Cilia: sweep materials across the cell surface
7. Cytoplasm: between plasma membrane and nucleus – many organelles
8. Cytoskeleton: cell shape, internal organization, cell movement & locomotion
9. DNA: encoding of heredity information
10. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER): the passageway for transport of materials within the cell

11. Eukaryotic Cells: these cells contain a membrane bound nucleus and specialized,
membrane bound organelles. These include plant and animal cells.
12. Flagella: locomotion organelles of some bacteria
13. Flagellum: enables a cell to propel and move in different directions
14. Golgi apparatus: Final modification of proteins & lipids. Also, packing of materials for
secretion of the cell occurs here
15. Lysosomes: contain enzymes to digest ingested material or damaged tissue
16. Mitochondria: the site of aerobic cell respiration-ATP production
17. Nuclear membrane: membrane around nucleus – controls movement in an out
18. Nucleoid: region where the cell’s DNA is located, but is not enclosed by a membrane
19. Nucleolus: assembly of subunits of ribosomes.
20. Pili: attachment structures on the surface of some prokaryotes
21. Plasma Membrane: control of substances coming in and out
22. Plasma Membrane: membrane enclosing the cytoplasm
23. Prokaryotic Cells: these cells have their genetic material concentrated in a region but not
bound in a membrane dividing it from the rest of the cell. In general this contains
Bacteria and Archaea, but evidence suggests that Archaea are actually their own type.
24. Ribosome: organelles that synthesize proteins
25. Ribosomes: the site of protein synthesis
26. RNA: transcription and translation of DNA coding into proteins
27. Vacuoles: storage – increase cell surface area

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Further Reading

Biology; Campbell and Reece

Biology for Dummies; Donna Siegfried

Wikipedia; Even though teachers say it’s bad, it’s a great resource

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