AQA GCSE Combined Science: Synergy key terms

Iron that is easily magnetised and quickly loses most of its magnetism when the magnetising field is removed. ‘Soft’ describes its magnetic behaviour.

A device that uses light to generate electricity, also called a photovoltaic cell.

A long coil of wire that produces a magnetic field when a current flows through it.

A state of matter with a fixed shape and volume; its particles are close together and vibrate about fixed positions.

A substance that is dissolved in a solvent.

A mixture formed when a solute dissolves in a solvent.

A substance, usually a liquid, that dissolves a solute.

The furthest position reached by the solvent along the chromatography paper.

A cell adapted to carry out a particular function.

The formation of new species through evolutionary change.

A group of organisms that can interbreed to produce fertile offspring.

The places where a species occurs.

The energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1°C, measured in J/(kg °C).

The energy required to change the state of one kilogram of a substance without changing its temperature, measured in J/kg.

The energy required to change one kilogram of a substance from solid to liquid without changing its temperature.

The energy required to change one kilogram of a substance from liquid to vapour without changing its temperature.

An ion that remains unchanged during a reaction.

The distance an object travels per unit time, measured in metres per second (m/s). Speed has magnitude but no direction.

A chemical that kills or disables sperm.

A thin wooden stick used in gas tests, either burning with a flame or glowing without a flame.

A rotating electrical contact made of two insulated metal halves that reverses the current through a motor’s coil every half turn.

A reproductive structure produced by a fungus that can spread and develop into new fungal growth in suitable conditions.

The force needed per metre of extension of a spring within its proportional range, measured in newtons per metre (N/m). A larger spring constant means a stiffer spring.

A community in which species and environmental factors are in balance, so population sizes remain fairly constant.

A way of writing a number as $a \times 10^k$, where $1 \leq a < 10$ and $k$ is an integer.

An insoluble carbohydrate made from glucose and used by plants for storage.

A symbol following a formula that identifies a substance as solid (s), liquid (l), gas (g) or dissolved in water (aq).