To complete the set of science glossaries, here is a list of terms that are likely to crop up in GCSE Chemistry. Although it’s the middle of the holiday and schoolwork is probably the last thing on your mind, it would be a good idea to print these glossaries off and pop them in a folder so that you have access to them when term starts in September.

ACID
A substance that produces hydrogen ions when it dissolves in water. Has a pH les than 7 and can neutralise alkalis to form salt and water.

ALKALI
Has a pH greater than 7 and the ability to neutralise acids.

ALKALI METALS
In the periodic table, the group 1 elements. The most reactive metals.

ALKALINE EARTH METALS
Group 2 elements.

ANODE
The positive terminal (electrode).

ATOMIC NUMBER
The number of protons in an atom.

BOILING POINT
The temperature at which a liquid changes into a gas/vapour.

CATALYST
A substance that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction.

CATHODE
The negative terminal (electrode).

COMBUSTION
A chemical reaction during which a substance burns in oxygen.

COMPOUND
A substance that is made of two or more different atoms that are chemically joined together.

CONDENSATION
When a gas or vapour changes into liquid.

COVALENT BONDING
When atoms share pairs of electron in order to forma molecule.

DIFFUSION
The random mixture and movement of different particles.

DISPLACEMENT
A reaction where a less reactive element is displaced from its solution or compound by a more reactive element.

DISTILLATION
When you separate a liquid from a solution by utilising different boiling points.

ELECTROLYSIS
A reaction where an ionic compound is split up by electricity.

ELECTROLYTE
The ionic compound that is divided up by electrolysis.

ENDOTHERMIC REACTION
A reaction that takes in heat.

ENZYME
A natural catalyst.

EVAPORATION
When a liquid changes into a gas/vapour.

EXOTHERMIC REACTON
A reaction that produces heat

FILTRATE
The fluid that has assed through a filter.

FILTRATION
The separation of an insoluble solid and a liquid.

GROUP
The columns in the Periodic Table.

HALOGENS
Group 7 elements. The most reactive non metals (they also get more reactive as the group descends)

IONIC BNDING
The transfer of electrons between elements in order to achieve a full outer shell of electrons.

ISOTOPE
Atoms of the same element which have the same atomic number but a different number of neutrons.

MASS NUMBER
The total number of protons and neutrons in an atom.

MELTING POING
The temperature at which a solid becomes a liquid.

MIXTURE
Two or more different components which are not chemically bound together.

MOLECULE
A particle formed from neutral covalent bonding.

NEUTRALISATION
A reaction when acids react to form salts and waters.

NOBLE GASSES
Group 0 elements. As they have a full outer shell of electrons they do not form compounds with other elements.

PERIOD
The rows in the periodic table

pH
A scale between 0 and 14 which identifies a solution as acidic, neutral or alkaline.

REVERSIBLE REACTION
A reaction where the products can be returned to their original form.

SOLUTE
The substance that dissolves into a solvent in order to form a solution.

SOLUTION
The mixture when a solute has dissolved into a solvent.

SOLVENT
The liquid into which the solute dissolves.

THERMAL DECOMPOSITION
When a compound is broken down into simpler substances with the use of heat.

TRANSITION METALS
The block of elements between groups two and three in the periodic table. They are heavy metals and tend to form compounds that are coloured.

You may have noticed that we’ve got a special series of glossaries on the blog at the moment. Today we’ve got a list of terminology that will be useful if you are studying Physics GCSE. If you’ve missed the last couple of glossaries, do not fear, they are still available on the blog. Click here for the link.

ABSOLUTE ZERO
Theoretically, the temperature at which atoms cease to vibrate.

AMMETER
A device used to measure current.

AMPERE
The unit of electrical current, which is usually abbreviated to ‘amp’.

ANION
An ion with a negative charge.

ATMOSPHERE
The layer of gasses tat surrounds a planetary body.

BATTERY
A group of electrical cells that are connected in series.

BILLION
A thousand million

CATION
An ion with a positive charge.

(CHEMICAL) ELEMENT
Something that cannot be split into any smaller parts.

CIRCUIT
A source of energy connected by conductors and electrical components.

CIRCUIT BREAKER
An electromagnetic switch that opens and stops the current if too much current is passing through a circuit.

COMA
The gas and dust particles that surround a comet.

CONDUCTOR
A substance through which an electric current will flow.

DENSITY
Mass per unit volume of a substance.

ELECTRONS
One of the fundamental particles that makes up an atom. Electrons are negatively charged.

FISSION
What happens when an atomic nucleus is split in a nuclear reactor.

FREQUENCY
How many times something takes place in a set period of time.

FRICTION
A resisting force between two surfaces that are rubbed against each other.

FUSION
When two or more atomic nuclei join together to form a larger nucleus.

GALAXY
An enormous (really enormous) cluster of stars.

ION
A charged atom or molecule.

IONISATION
An atom is ‘ionised’ when it gains or loses one or more electrons.

INSULATOR
A medium that will not permit an electrical current to flow through it.

LIGHT YEAR
The distance travelled in a year at the speed of light.

NEUTRON
One of the fundamental particles that makes up an atom. Neurons have the largest mass of the three fundamental particles (protons, electrons and neutrons) but have no electrical charge.

PARTICLE
A very small piece of a substance or material.

PROTON
Along with neutrons and electrons, a proton is one of the fundamental particles that makes up an atom. Positively charged.

RADIATION
Energy transported by waves.

REFRACTION
The change of direction of a light ray when it passes through two different transparent substances.

RESISTANCE
Resistance is the extent to which a conductor hinders an electrical current in a circuit.

SOLAR CELL
An electrical cell that produces a voltage when exposed to direct sunlight.

VELOCITY
Essentially a more technical term for ‘speed’.

WATT
The unit of power.

WAVELENGTH
The distance between two peaks of a wave.

WEIGHT
The force of gravity exerted on a mass. It is found using the equation mass x gravity = weight.

We’ve started a special new mini-series here on the Enjoy Education blog: subject-specific glossaries. The premier of the series featured some handy mathematical terms that you might want to keep up your sleeve. Today we’ve got vocab from the world of Biology. Even though it’s the summer holiday, and you are probably enjoying a well-deserved break from schoolwork, why not print off our glossaries and pop them in a folder so that you can refer to them when you need to?

AMOEBOID
A cell with no definite shape and able to change shape.

ANTHER
The part of the stamen (in a flower) that produces pollen.

APERTURE
Small opening.

BIPEDAL
Adjective describing an animal that travels on two feet.

CELL MEMBRANE
The outer membrane of a cell.

CELLULOSE
A carbohydrate that is found in the walls of cells

CLONE
An identical copy of a living organism.

COVERGENCE
Similarities that have arisen independently in two or more organisms, which are not closely related.

CYTOPLASM
All the contents of a cell apart from the nucleus.

DNA
Stands for ‘deoxyribonucleic acid and is the molecule in the form of a double helix which contains genetic information about a living organism.

ECOLOGY
The study of how organisms interact with each other and the environment that they are in.

ENZYME
A type of protein that is essential in most chemical reactions.

EPIDERMIS
The outermost layer of cells.

EVOLUTION
According to Darwin: ‘descent with modification’.

EXTINCTION
When all members of a particular species have died.

FAUNA
A term referring to all of the animals in a particular area.

FILAMENT
A long chain of proteins, such as those found in hair and muscles.

FILTRATION
The process of removing water and solutes from blood.

FLORA
The collective term for all of the plants on a particular area.

GENETICS
The study of genes.

GLUCOSE
A six-carbon single sugar and the most common source of energy.

HERBIVORES
Animals that eat plants.

HORMONES
Chemicals that are produced in the endocrine glands and travel in the blood.

INSULIN
A hormone that stimulates the absorption of glucose.

MELANIN
The pigment that gives skin its colour.

MOLECULES
Units of two or more atoms that are held together by chemical bonds.

NEUTRON
A subatomic particle in the nucleus of an atom. It is uncharged.

NUCLEUS
The core of an atom, which contains protons and neutrons.

OSMOSIS
The diffusion of water molecules across a membrane

PERENNIAL
A plant that continues to grow even after it has reproduced.

PHAGOCYTES
Cells that engulf other cells and organisms.

PHLOEM
The tissues of plants which carry nutrients.

PLASMA
The liquid portion of the blood.

PORE
An opening through or into a tissue.

SALIVARY AMYLASE
An enzyme, secreted by the salivary glands, which begins the breakdown of sugars and starches.

STASIS
A period of very little or no change.

TAXONOMY
The science of classifying and naming plants and animals.

TOXINS
Poisons inside a living being.

VERTEBRAE
The separate segments of the spinal column.

XYLEM
The tissue in a plant that carries water,

Science is a bit like Marmite; people tend to either love it or hate it. Although I wasn’t very good at science at school, I do still find it fascinating. So even if it’s not your favourite subject at school, take a look at our brief overview of some scientific advancements throughout history, as you might just find it tickles your intellectual taste buds. We’ll be posting more detailed blogs about science through the ages shortly, but for now, here’s a quick introduction…

The Egyptians were very good at astronomy, and knew a great deal about the stars and constellations. However, beyond that they tended to explain everything through connecting events to the gods. The Greeks, as you know, also had many different gods and goddesses, and they too used their complex mythology to explain how the world worked. Later Greek philosophers, such as Aristotle and Archimedes, began explaining things through the application of maths, which meant that they started to gain more accuracy. Although the Egyptians and Greeks may not have had all of the answers to scientific questions, they were very good at engineering and building things and constructed amazing temples, theatres and palaces.

For a long time people thought that the Earth was the centre of the universe and they thought that the sun travelled around the Earth, rather than the other way around. In 1514 Copernicus secretly published his idea that the Earth went around the sun. He published his thoughts secretly because he was scared that the Church might get angry. In the following century, Galileo decided that he agreed with Copernicus. The Church was outraged by Galileo’s declaration that the Earth was not the centre of the universe and they accused him of heresy and locked him up in prison.

In 1660 the Royal Society was established and this sped scientific advancements up a great deal. Lots of brilliant scientists joined and over the following years: Isaac Newton constructed his Theory of Gravity, Robert Boyle worked out the basic elements of modern chemistry and Charles Darwin published papers about evolution and natural selection.

In 1911 Ernest Rutherford composed the first ever drawing of an atom. Unfortunately, while science can be used to help people and improve lives, it can also be used as a destructive force, and a few decades after Rutherford’s drawing, scientists in Italy and Germany worked out how to split the atom and thus figured out how to make atomic bombs, which could kill thousands of people.

Although we now know an awful lot about how our world works, how the human body works, and how animals live, there are still many things that we don’t know. Today there are thousands of scientists working all over the world to try and make new discoveries. I wonder what we’ll learn in the next few years…

With the numerous Bank Holidays recently and the mass consumption of chocolate, roast dinners and BBQs, my stomach has been rather busy digesting lots of delicious things. Which means the enzymes in my body have been working exceptionally hard. Enzymes are a key part of the GCSE science syllabus. To help you revise, here are some things you need to remember…

Enzymes are biological catalysts, which means they speed up the rate of certain chemical reactions.

They are usually denatured above 45 degrees Celsius.

‘Denatured’ enzymes are ones that have changed shape and can no longer work properly.

Enzymes are also proteins.

Enzymes work faster in warmer temperatures, as long as the temperature doesn’t get too high.

Changes in pH will also affect the shape of an enzyme.

Intestinal enzymes have an optimum pH of 7.5

Enzymes in the stomach have an optimum pH of about 2

Enzymes in cells catalyse photosynthesis, protein synthesis and aerobic respiration

Amylase breaks starch down into sugars.

Amylase is produced in the salivary glands, pancreas and small intestine

Protease breaks proteins down into amino acids

Protease is produced in the stomach, pancreas and small intestine

Lipase breaks lipids down into fatty acids and glycerol

Lipase is produced in the pancreas and small intestine

The stomach also produces hydrochloric acid, which aids digestion and creates an optimum environment for the enzymes.

Why not get some revision cards and write these key facts down on them, then get a friend or family member to test you on your knowledge.

Good luck!

If you could have a test now to tell you what your risks of getting certain diseases later on in life were, would you?

I always enjoyed tests and quizzes. My favourite was at school when we all went into the lecture hall and answered hundreds of questions which were sent off and then a few weeks later a report came back suggesting good career paths for us. I don’t remember the exact results but I think they got my fields of interest pretty spot on. But there are some tests I’d be wary of.

Knowledge is constantly at our fingertips. If you don’t know something you can immediately look up the answer to when the Statue of Liberty was built or where meerkats live on the internet. We feel safe knowing that we can know the things we want to.

What about knowing about things that might happen to you? If you knew that there was a chance you’d develop a disease in 15 years would you live the next 15 years differently?

A medical journal has done some research into whether parents would like to have their kids genetically tested. Potentially this could have fascinating educational implications. Maybe the screening would reveal things about how a pupil retains information and what sort of subjects they’d be likely to thrive at. But we’re not quite there yet. You can be tested for the risk of developing certain diseases.

Genewatch UK says that children should never be tested for adult conditions. However in the US it is becoming increasingly popular. Many parents want to know the risks their children face in the event that they can help to prevent them from illnesses.

Many conditions do not show up in gene tests. Diabetes and cancer for instance can’t be predicted from a gene test.

There is also a concern about the validity of many gene tests. They are no longer restricted to specialist clinics and they can be directly purchased by the consumer.

Research into genetics is fascinating, but is it right to test children for the likelihood of diseases which they may never develop and could lead them living years of their lives in fear and anxiety?

Students’ brains are working especially hard at the moment, preparing for exams and finishing off bits of coursework. Even my brain is working a bit harder than usual as I have an essay of my own to write.

Brains have always fascinated me. When I was at university I had an MRI scan and was given a picture of my own brain. It looked very odd – all wrinkly like an enormous walnut.

I chanced across a great website with lots of information about the human brain and some games for you to test how well your brain is working.

Different parts of the brain have different jobs. The base of the brain is in charge of the heartbeat and maintaining body temperature. In the middle is the centre of your emotions and on the outside sensations, memories, calculations and ideas are processed.

We have a specific part of the brain that remembers faces. If this gets damaged then we find it much harder to recognise people. Amazingly, this part of the brain is totally independent from sight and from the bits of the brain which recognise objects.

Strokes and haemorrhages have a major impact on the brain, sometimes in surprising ways. For example, in 2001 a builder with a criminal record called Tommy McHugh had a brain haemorrhage. Amazingly it changed his life and unleashed creative talents within him which he had never previously been aware of or had access to. He now compulsively draws, paints, writes poetry and makes sculptures.

There are 100 billion nerve cells (‘neurons’) in the brain and neural signals send messages along pathways. There are 40 quadrillion possible ways for the neurons to connect.

Just like the rest of your body, you need to look after your brain. Do this by getting plenty of sleep each night, eating a balanced diet, drinking plenty of water and doing lots of exercise.

Size doesn’t matter…
It really doesn’t matter how big your brain is. Insects are highly intelligent but their brains are tiny! Whales have the biggest brains on the planet. On average they weigh 6kg, whereas humans’ brains tend to weigh about 1.4kg. Premature babies are born with smooth brains. The convolutions develop in the few months after birth.

Some great links…

Neuroscience for kids

Train your brain

More brain games

Info and games

50 years ago today Yuri Gagarin made history, as he was the first person to go into outer space. To celebrate, here is a blog all about leaving Earth….

Space Timeline

1957: First man-made object to orbit the Earth (USSR’s Sputnik 1) and the first dog (Laika) in space in Sputnik II
1961: The first human to enter outer space, Yuri Gagarin in Vostock 1
1963: First woman to enter space is Valentina Tereshkova
1965: The first spacewalk, by Aleksei Leonov
1969: The first Moon landing by the American Apollo 11 on July 20
1971: The launch of the first space station (Salyut 1)
1972: Pioneer launches
1977: Voyagers 1 and 2
1998: Start of International Space Station

Did you know….
-Gagarin became an international celebrity after his only spaceflight, Vostok 1
-Valentina Tereshkova was a textile-factory assembly worker and an amateur parachutist before becoming an astronautt
-When Neil Armstrong and Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin landed on the moon in 1969 they left a sign on the moon which said: “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon July 1969, A.D. We cam in peace for all mankind.”
-The Hubble Space Telescope was deployed from the Space shuttle discovery on April 25th 1990

The International Space Station (ISS)
-The largest artificial satellite that has ever orbited the earth
-It acts as a research lab and is operated by a crew of six space scientists at a time
-If you live on the ISS you will experience 16 sunrises and sunsets a day! You sleep in tethered sleeping bags and eat frozen, or canned food.

To make your own rocket, click here.

Here is the link to the NASA website

Double or triple science – who does and doesn’t have a choice?

Although I was too concerned with doing Drama and Art GCSEs to even consider doing triple science at school, I was lucky enough to have the choice between the ‘double’ and ‘triple’ option. There were also lots of girls in my year who had decided by 14 that they wanted to become medics and so for them, it was considered essential to do triple science. However, almost 50% of all secondary schools do not offer the triple option.

According to the National Audit Office, secondary schools in deprived areas are the least likely to offer the ‘triple science’ option (individual GCSEs in Physics, Chemistry and Biology). While the number of students studying chemistry at A Level has increased over the past few years, not as many are taking physics. A report by the public spending watchdog has said that pupils who take separate sciences at GCSE level are more likely to continue with the subjects later on, and are also more likely to attain higher marks.

With the rise of tuition fees and the insecurity of the jobs market, science subjects are being deemed increasingly more valuable than arts subjects, as it is in the former areas that there are likely to be greater opportunities.

In schools where there is a choice, many are taking the triple option and there was a staggering 150% rise in pupil take-up between 2004/05 and 2009/10. Yet, still around half of all secondary schools are only allowing pupils to do the combined double science GCSE.

More specialist teachers are needed if all schools are going to be in a position where they can offer triple science. The report by the watchdog predicts that there will be enough chemistry teachers, but not enough physics teachers. To meet the evident demand, the government must do wat it can to make sure that triple science is available in all schools, not just the more priveleged ones.

Thanks to Hoira Varlan for the photo

I have no idea where, when, or how this happened, but at some point someone decided that months beginning with J would be a good time to make students sit exams. Although June is the most famous, a fair few creep into the January diary as well.

Those of you in year 11 will no doubt have GCSE mocks to battle with. They can seem like a rather troublesome way to start the year, but remember: if you do plenty of work now, it will alleviate the stress later. Make sure you write lots of notes and keep them in a safe place so that you can use them when you come to revise for the real things.

Of course the other major one to think about is the 11+, which many pupils will be sitting very soon. For most students this will be their first proper formal exam. In order to set you in good stead for the many exams you will find yourself taking later on in your academic careers, it is a great idea to get into good habits early. Sensible revision and preparation strategies, followed by solid exam techniques can be learnt early and will really help later on too.

The main thing to bear in mind is not to worry too much. Keeping relaxed will make for more productive revision and better results in the end. Although a bit of nervous adrenaline can be positive, blind panic never helped anyone.

One of the best ways to prepare for the 11+ is to get hold of some practice materials and sample papers. These are widely available. Doing these under timed conditions will help you to get a sense of what the ‘real thing’ will be like. They will also highlight the key areas you need to work on. Found a question with fractions devilish? Now you know that you need to revise these. Can’t remember the nine times table? Go over it a few times before you do the next sample paper.

Something else to bear in mind is that you don’t want to lose marks for silly mistakes, which could have been avoided if you had been a bit more on the ball. Spelling and grammar can often let you down if you aren’t careful. Ensure that you know how to use apostrophes and whether it is ‘your’ or ‘you’re’, ‘their’ or ‘there’, for example. If there is time at the end of the exam, do go through and check your answers. Also remember that even if you don’t know what the answer is, they may give you marks for working, so leave these in your maths paper for the examiner to see.

For more tips, information and trial exercises visit www.elevenplusexams.co.uk. It is a fantastic website all about the 11+.

Finally, wishing everyone taking exams in the next few weeks lots of luck!