Physical Science First Semester Study Guide
Name _______________________________________
1. Know lab safety rules. Example: What should you do with chemicals that you are finished working
with? _______________________________________________________________________________
2. List and define the parts of the scientific method. Be able to apply these terms to situations.
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3. Define and identify the following:
Observation-_________________________________________________________________________
Bias-________________________________________________________________________________
Control-_____________________________________________________________________________
Dependent variable-___________________________________________________________________
Independent variable-__________________________________________________________________
Model-______________________________________________________________________________
4. Describe a scientific theory. Be able to answer questions regarding this term.
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5. Describe a scientific law. _______________________________________________________________
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6. Know which unit of measurement is used for different quantities. Example: mass is measured in _____
7. Know which tools are used to measure certain quantities. Example: What tool is used to measure
mass? ________________________________________ volume? _____________________________
temperature? ______________________
8. Know how to convert metric prefixes. Examples: 321 cm = _________ m and 2631 g = ___________ kg.
9. Define density. ___________________________________________________________________
10. Calculate density. Example: A substance has a mass of 300 g and a volume of 5 cm 3. What is its
density? ___________________
11. Be able to interpret data tables.
12. What are the three types of graphs and when are they most useful? Be able to interpret graphs.
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13. Describe and give examples of physical and chemical properties and explain how they are useful.
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14. Define and give examples of physical changes. ______________________________________________
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15. Define and give examples of chemical changes. _____________________________________________
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16. Describe types of evidence of a chemical reaction. ___________________________________________
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17. Contrast properties of a solid, liquid, and gas.
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18. Define and identify the following terms. Give an example of each.
Atom-_______________________________________________________________________________
Substance-___________________________________________________________________________
Element-____________________________________________________________________________
Compound-__________________________________________________________________________
Homogeneous mixture-________________________________________________________________
Heterogeneous mixture-_______________________________________________________________
Solution-____________________________________________________________________________
Colloid-______________________________________________________________________________
Suspension-__________________________________________________________________________
19. Describe how you would separate a mixture of salt and sand. _________________________________
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20. Describe how and why distillation can be used to separate solutions of miscible liquids.
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21. Describe Dalton’s atomic theory. _________________________________________________________
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22. Describe how the model of the atom has changed over time. Put the following scientists’ models in
sequential order and describe each model. Bohr, Dalton, Rutherford, Schrodinger, Thomson
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23. Define atomic number. _________________________________________________________________
24. Define mass number. __________________________________________________________________
25. Describe average atomic mass. __________________________________________________________
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26. Describe how electrons are arranged in atoms, specifically metals and nonmetals.
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27. Put the following in order from smallest to largest: atom, molecule, proton, quark.
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28. Compare and contrast the subatomic particles.
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29. Describe an atom’s nucleus. _____________________________________________________________
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30. What is the charge of an atom and why? __________________________________________________
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31. Who is credited with the development of the periodic table? __________________________________
32. The order of elements in the periodic table is based on _______________________________________
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33. Describe the location of metals, nonmetals, and metalloids on the periodic table.
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34. List and define the properties of metals. ___________________________________________________
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35. Describe the alkali metals. ______________________________________________________________
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36. Describe the alkaline earth metals. _______________________________________________________
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37. Describe the halogens. _________________________________________________________________
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38. Describe the noble gases. _______________________________________________________________
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39. Atoms in the same group have the same number of _________________________________________.
40. What determines whether an atom will form a positive or negative ion? _________________________
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41. Describe what happens to sodium and chlorine atoms when they combine to form sodium chloride.
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42. Define ionization energy. _______________________________________________________________
43. What are the general trends for ionization energy across a period and down a group?
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44. Be able to write formulas for compounds whose names include prefixes. Example: dinitrogen tetroxide
has the formula ____________________.
45. Be able to write formulas for compounds when given the ions that combine. Example: Ca2+ and Cl1-.
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46. Be able to balance equations. A chemical equation is balanced by changing or adding ______________.
47. Apply the law of conservation of mass to chemical reactions.
48. Define and identify reactants and products. ________________________________________________
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49. Describe and identify a synthesis, decomposition, single replacement, and double replacement
reaction. ____________________________________________________________________________
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50. Describe a neutralization reaction. What is a salt? ___________________________________________
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