Life Science
40%of exam
Cell BiologyGeneticsEvolutionEcologyHuman Body
Physical Science
40%of exam
Earth and Space Science
20%of exam
Plate TectonicsRock CycleWeather & ClimateSolar System
Science Practices
Not publishedof exam
Reading DataGraphs & ChartsExperimental DesignMath Skills
Quick Facts
- Exam
- GED Science
- Body
- GED Testing Service
- Questions
- 34-40
- Time
- 90 min
- Pass Score
- 145/200
- Format
- MC + tech-enhanced
- Calculator
- TI-30XS onscreen
- Level
- HS equivalency
Cell Organelle Functions
Mito makes energy; nucleus holds DNA; ribosome builds protein
Mito: powerhouseNucleus: control centerRibosome: protein factoryChloroplast: food maker
Mitosis vs Meiosis
Mitosis
- Body cells only
- 2 identical daughter cells
- Growth and repair
Meiosis
- Sex cells only
- 4 unique daughter cells
- Sexual reproduction
Body cells vs sex cells
Life Science Topic Picker
- Energy production in cell→Mitochondria
- Photosynthesis occurs here→Chloroplast
- Trait masks the other→Dominant allele
- Needs two copies to show→Recessive allele
- Best-adapted trait survives→Natural selection
- Both species benefit→Mutualism
- One harmed, one benefits→Parasitism
- Pumps blood, oxygen→Circulatory system
Cell Structures
- Nucleus
- Stores DNA, directs cell
- Mitochondria
- Produces ATP energy
- Ribosome
- Builds proteins
- Chloroplast
- Site of photosynthesis
- Cell membrane
- Controls what enters/exits
- Cell wall
- Rigid plant support
- Vacuole
- Stores water, waste
Levels of Biological Organization
Cell, tissue, organ, system, organism
Cell: basic unitTissue: similar cells togetherOrgan: tissues working togetherSystem: organs working together
Dominant vs Recessive Allele
Dominant
- Masks other allele
- Capital letter symbol
- Shows with one copy
Recessive
- Hidden by dominant
- Lowercase letter symbol
- Needs two copies
One copy vs two copies
Genetics and Heredity
- Dominant allele
- Masks recessive trait
- Recessive allele
- Hidden unless paired
- Genotype
- Genetic makeup (letters)
- Phenotype
- Observable physical trait
- Homozygous
- Two identical alleles
- Heterozygous
- Two different alleles
- Punnett square
- Predicts offspring ratios
Evolution and Natural Selection
- Natural selection
- Best-adapted traits survive
- Adaptation
- Trait aiding survival
- Mutation
- Random DNA change
- Speciation
- New species forms
- Fossil record
- Evidence of past life
- Common ancestor
- Shared evolutionary origin
Ecology and Ecosystems
- Producer
- Makes own food
- Consumer
- Eats other organisms
- Decomposer
- Breaks down dead matter
- Food web
- Connected feeding relationships
- Predator-prey
- Hunter and hunted cycle
- Symbiosis
- Species living together
- Biome
- Large regional ecosystem type
Human Body Systems
- Circulatory system
- Pumps blood, oxygen
- Respiratory system
- Exchanges oxygen, CO2
- Digestive system
- Breaks down food
- Nervous system
- Sends electrical signals
- Endocrine system
- Releases hormones
- Excretory system
- Removes waste products
- Immune system
- Fights disease, infection
- Skeletal system
- Supports, protects body
Newton's Three Laws
Inertia stays, F equals ma, action-reaction pairs
1st: resists change2nd: force = mass x accel3rd: equal, opposite reaction
Exothermic vs Endothermic
Exothermic
- Releases heat energy
- Feels warm to touch
- Products lower energy
Endothermic
- Absorbs heat energy
- Feels cool to touch
- Products higher energy
Releases heat vs absorbs
Physical Science Reaction Picker
- Releases heat outward→Exothermic reaction
- Absorbs heat inward→Endothermic reaction
- Mass reactants equals mass products→Conservation of mass
- Object at rest stays still→Newton's 1st law
- Force = mass x acceleration→Newton's 2nd law
- Every action has a reaction→Newton's 3rd law
- Energy of moving object→Kinetic energy
- Stored energy from position→Potential energy
Atoms and Periodic Table
- Atom
- Smallest unit of element
- Proton
- Positive charge, nucleus
- Neutron
- No charge, nucleus
- Electron
- Negative charge, orbits
- Element
- Pure substance, one type
- Compound
- Two+ elements bonded
- Isotope
- Same element, different neutrons
Chemical Reactions
- Reactant
- Starting substance
- Product
- Substance formed
- Conservation of mass
- Mass in equals mass out
- Exothermic
- Releases heat
- Endothermic
- Absorbs heat
- Catalyst
- Speeds reaction, unchanged
- Reaction rate
- Speed of reaction
States of Matter
- Solid
- Fixed shape, volume
- Liquid
- Fixed volume, flows
- Gas
- No fixed shape/volume
- Plasma
- Ionized, superheated gas
- Melting point
- Solid turns liquid
Acids and Bases
- pH scale
- 0-14 acidity measure
- Acid
- pH below 7
- Base
- pH above 7
- Neutralization
- Acid plus base, water
Forces and Motion
- Newton's 1st law
- Object resists change
- Newton's 2nd law
- Force = mass x accel
- Newton's 3rd law
- Equal, opposite reaction
- Net force
- Sum of all forces
- Acceleration
- Change in velocity
- Friction
- Resists surface motion
- Gravity
- Attracts masses together
Energy and Electricity
- Kinetic energy
- Energy of motion
- Potential energy
- Stored energy, position
- Conservation of energy
- Energy not created/destroyed
- Circuit
- Closed electrical path
- Conductor
- Lets electricity flow
- Insulator
- Blocks electricity flow
- Voltage
- Electrical potential difference
Plate Boundary Types
Convergent collides, divergent separates, transform slides
Convergent: plates collideDivergent: plates separateTransform: plates slide past
Weathering vs Erosion
Weathering
- Breaks rock in place
- No movement of pieces
- Wind, water, ice cause
Erosion
- Moves broken rock
- Transport occurs after breaking
- Water, wind, gravity cause
Breaking rock vs moving it
Earth Event Picker
- Plates collide, crumple upward→Convergent boundary(Mountains form)
- Plates pull apart→Divergent boundary(Rift, ridge)
- Plates slide past each other→Transform boundary(Earthquakes occur)
- Rock from cooled magma→Igneous rock
- Rock from compressed layers→Sedimentary rock
- Rock changed by heat/pressure→Metamorphic rock
Earth Structure and Tectonics
- Crust
- Outer rocky layer
- Mantle
- Thick middle layer
- Core
- Iron-nickel center
- Convergent boundary
- Plates collide, mountains form
- Divergent boundary
- Plates pull apart
- Transform boundary
- Plates slide past
- Earthquake
- Sudden crust movement
Rock Cycle Order
Igneous cools, sediment compresses, metamorphic transforms, cycle repeats
Igneous: cooled magmaSedimentary: compressed layersMetamorphic: heat and pressure
Weather vs Climate
Weather
- Short-term conditions
- Changes daily
- Hours to days
Climate
- Long-term average pattern
- Regional trend
- Decades of data
Today vs long-term average
Rock Cycle and Geologic Time
- Igneous rock
- Cooled, hardened magma
- Sedimentary rock
- Compressed rock layers
- Metamorphic rock
- Heat, pressure changed
- Superposition
- Oldest layers on bottom
- Radiometric dating
- Measures isotope decay
Weather, Climate, and Space
- Atmosphere
- Gas layer around Earth
- Weather
- Short-term daily conditions
- Climate
- Long-term average pattern
- Greenhouse effect
- Traps heat, atmosphere
- Ocean current
- Moves heat, water
- Planet order
- Mercury to Neptune
- Nuclear fusion
- Powers stars, sun
Independent vs Dependent Variable
Independent
- Variable you change
- Plotted on x-axis
- The cause
Dependent
- Variable you measure
- Plotted on y-axis
- The effect
Cause vs measured effect
Data Skill Picker
- Middle value in ordered list→Median
- Sum divided by count→Mean
- Most frequent value→Mode
- Variable you change→Independent variable
- Variable you measure→Dependent variable
- Unchanged comparison group→Control group
Data and Graph Skills
- Mean
- Sum divided by count
- Median
- Middle value, ordered list
- Mode
- Most frequent value
- Independent variable
- Variable you change
- Dependent variable
- Variable you measure
- Control group
- Unchanged comparison group
- Trend line
- Shows data pattern
Common Traps
Weight vs mass
Weight: force from gravity ≠ Mass: amount of matter
Speed vs velocity
Speed: rate only ≠ Velocity: rate plus direction
Genotype vs phenotype
Genotype: genetic makeup ≠ Phenotype: observable trait
Rotation vs revolution
Rotation: spin on axis ≠ Revolution: orbit around sun
Producer vs consumer
Producer: makes own food ≠ Consumer: eats other organisms
Physical vs chemical change
Physical: same substance, new form ≠ Chemical: new substance forms
Last Minute
- 1.Life 40%, Physical 40%, Earth 20%
- 2.Passing score is 145 points
- 3.90 minutes, no break given
- 4.34 to 40 questions total
- 5.No short-answer items since 2018
- 6.TI-30XS calculator provided onscreen
- 7.Mitochondria makes ATP energy
- 8.Tt x Tt gives 3:1
- 9.Newton's laws: inertia, force, reaction
- 10.Convergent collides, divergent separates, transform slides
- 11.Independent variable is what you change
- 12.Weathering breaks; erosion moves rock
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