ACT (Enhanced) flashcards

A rhetorical appeal to community values (often a form of pathos or ethos) attempts to persuade an audience by aligning an argument with their deeply held beliefs, moral principles, or sense of collective identity and civic duty.

• Connects argument to shared cultural or societal ideals.
• Evokes a sense of collective responsibility.
• Aims to inspire action based on common good.

Memory trick: Persuade with Logic, Emotion, and Credibility (LEG).

An independent group of experts that periodically reviews accumulated data from an ongoing clinical trial to ensure the safety of participants and the scientific integrity and validity of the trial. They make recommendations on whether to continue, modify, or stop the trial.

• Independent of the study investigators and sponsor.
• Reviews safety and efficacy data regularly.
• Makes recommendations regarding trial continuation, modification, or termination.
• Primarily upholds ethical principles of beneficence and non-maleficence.

Memory trick: Justice, Autonomy, Beneficence, Fidelity (JABF) Protect

Precision refers to the closeness of two or more measurements to each other, while accuracy refers to the closeness of a measurement to the true or accepted value.

• High precision means reproducible results.
• High accuracy means results are close to the true value.
• Measurements can be precise but not accurate, or vice versa, or both/neither.

Memory trick: Aim true for accuracy, hit same for precision.

The process of improving a scientific model by adjusting its parameters, adding new variables, or revising its underlying assumptions to better match observed data or theoretical principles. It is an iterative process.

• A key step in the scientific modeling cycle.
• Aims to reduce discrepancies between model predictions and reality.
• Can involve parameter adjustment, structural changes, or data integration.

Memory trick: Models Grow, Evolve, and Improve

Conciseness in writing refers to expressing ideas clearly and effectively using the fewest possible words. It improves readability and impact.

• Eliminate redundant words and phrases.
• Use strong verbs and avoid passive voice when appropriate.
• Replace wordy phrases with single words or shorter constructions.

Memory trick: Cut the fluff, hit the mark, make your words spark!

Supporting details are facts, examples, statistics, or explanations that elaborate on and prove the main idea of a paragraph, which is typically found in the topic sentence.

• Directly relate to the topic sentence.
• Provide evidence, examples, or elaboration.
• Help to clarify or prove the main point.
• Should not introduce new, unrelated ideas.

Memory trick: Build your paragraph strong; details make it long (and clear)!

Identifying patterns or directions in data over time or across different conditions.

• Looks for overall increase, decrease, or stability.
• Requires multiple data points.
• Can be affected by outliers or short-term fluctuations.

Memory trick: Look at the 'slope' of the story the numbers tell.

A rhetorical strategy where the author critically examines, evaluates, and often finds fault with a subject, argument, or proposal, highlighting its weaknesses, flaws, or negative implications.

• Focuses on identifying shortcomings.
• Often proposes alternatives or improvements.
• Involves detailed analysis of flaws.

Memory trick: What is the Speaker Trying to DO?

The use of objects, people, or ideas to represent something else, often a broader concept or emotion, beyond their literal meaning.

• Adds depth and layers of meaning.
• Can be overt or subtle.
• Requires interpretation to fully understand.

Memory trick: Symbol's core: house and more, emotions galore.

Precise diction for distinction involves using exact and carefully chosen words to highlight differences and nuances between related concepts, ensuring clarity and avoiding ambiguity in academic writing.

• Selects specific, unambiguous terms.
• Avoids vague or general language.
• Employs contrasting conjunctions or phrases effectively.
• Enhances clarity in complex explanations.

Memory trick: Clarify concepts like separating distinct chemicals in a lab.

The process of reviewing data and arriving at conclusions based on observed patterns and relationships.

• Involves identifying trends, correlations, and anomalies.
• Requires careful examination of numerical or observational data.
• Conclusions must be supported directly by the evidence.

Memory trick: Data speaks: listen to the numbers' story.

In an undisturbed sequence of sedimentary rock layers, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the youngest layers are at the top.

• Fundamental concept in stratigraphy and relative dating.
• Assumes no overturning or major deformation of layers.
• Allows for determining the relative age of fossils and geological events.

Memory trick: Superposition: 'Stacking' rocks, oldest on the bottom.

Parallel structure (or parallelism) is the repetition of a chosen grammatical form within a sentence or across sentences. By making sure all items in a list or series, or elements in a comparison, have the same grammatical structure, writers create balance, rhythm, and clarity.

• Applies to words, phrases, or clauses in a series.
• Ensures elements are grammatically similar (e.g., all nouns, all verbs, all infinitives).
• Enhances readability, clarity, and rhetorical effect.
• Commonly seen in lists, comparisons, and correlative conjunctions (e.g., 'either/or').

Memory trick: Grammar builds strong sentences; structure gives them form.

A phenomenon in which a patient's physical or mental health appears to improve after taking a placebo or 'sham' treatment. This improvement is not attributable to the placebo itself, but to the patient's belief in the treatment.

• Psychological or physiological response to an inert substance.
• Important to control for in clinical trials.
• Highlights the power of expectation and belief in treatment.

Memory trick: Controls Guard Against False Findings

The study of past climates using tree rings. Tree ring width, density, and chemical composition can provide information about environmental conditions during the tree's life.

• Wider rings typically indicate favorable growth (e.g., sufficient moisture, mild temperatures).
• Narrower rings typically indicate unfavorable growth (e.g., drought, extreme cold).
• Each ring represents one year of growth.

Memory trick: Rings Tell What the Year Brought

Introducing new information that undermines the validity or strength of an author's claim or conclusion.

• Directly challenges a premise or conclusion.
• Often introduces a counter-example or alternative cause.
• Must make the original argument less plausible.

Memory trick: Weakening's way: find the flaw, make it fray.

A fact is a verifiable observation or piece of information, while an explanation provides reasons or causes for that fact.

• Facts are objective and measurable.
• Explanations interpret or clarify facts.
• An explanation can be supported by evidence but may evolve.

Memory trick: Relation's rule: observe, then explain the tool.

The main argument, assertion, or point that an author is trying to convey or prove in a text.

• Often found in thesis statements.
• Supported by evidence and reasoning.
• Summarizes the author's overarching message.

Memory trick: Find the Main Idea, the Big Takeaway.

The way an author structures and arranges information in a text to convey meaning effectively, such as chronological, cause/effect, or problem/solution.

• Helps readers follow the author's logic.
• Signals the relationship between ideas.
• Common patterns include chronological, compare/contrast, cause/effect, problem/solution.

Memory trick: Structure's secret: problem met, solution set.

Active voice is a grammatical construction where the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed by the verb, making sentences more direct, clear, and forceful.

• Subject performs the action.
• Emphasizes the agent of the action.
• Generally preferred for clarity and conciseness.

Memory trick: Active voice: The subject ACTS. Passive voice: The subject is ACTED UPON.

An unstated belief or premise that an author takes for granted as true when constructing an argument or explanation.

• Not explicitly stated in the text.
• Necessary for the author's logic to hold.
• Often reveals underlying biases or beliefs.

Memory trick: Assumption's clue: what must be true for the view.

The main point, claim, or thesis that an author is trying to prove or convey throughout a text.

• Often stated explicitly or strongly implied early in the text.
• All other supporting details, examples, and explanations contribute to it.
• Represents the author's overarching message or conclusion.

Memory trick: The 'main idea' is the anchor, holding all other details in its banker.

Presenting data graphically to make it easier to understand, analyze, and communicate patterns, trends, and outliers.

• Choosing the right graph type is crucial for effective communication.
• Graphs highlight relationships and comparisons.
• Different graph types serve different purposes (e.g., bar, line, pie, scatter).

Memory trick: Graph it right, for insight and light!

An informal tone in dialogue uses casual language, contractions, slang, colloquialisms, and conversational tags to reflect natural speech and familiarity between speakers.

• Reflects natural, everyday conversation.
• Often uses simpler vocabulary and sentence structures.
• Employs contractions (e.g., 'don't,' 'it's').
• May include slang, colloquialisms, or conversational tags (e.g., 'you know?').

Memory trick: Tone is the author's attitude, felt through word choice and sentence dance.

The most significant or direct effect of an event, action, or innovation on a given subject.

• Focuses on the main consequence.
• Often directly stated or strongly implied in the text.
• Distinguish from secondary or minor effects.

Memory trick: Impact's Core: Find the main door.

Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character. Indirect characterization shows character traits through actions, speech, thoughts, and effects on others.

• Direct characterization states traits explicitly.
• Indirect characterization requires inference from evidence.
• Actions and dialogue are key indicators of indirect characterization.

Memory trick: Look at what they DO, what they SAY, and what OTHERS say.

The science of measuring the heat of chemical reactions or physical changes. In determining specific heat, it relies on the principle that heat lost by one substance equals heat gained by another in an isolated system.

• Q = mcΔT (Heat = mass * specific heat * change in temperature).
• Heat lost = -Heat gained (or Heat lost = Heat gained for magnitude).
• Specific heat capacity is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1°C.

Memory trick: MCAT for Heat, Lost Equals Gained

States that fossil organisms succeed one another in a definite and determinable order, and therefore any time period can be recognized by its fossil content. This principle is fundamental to biostratigraphy and the relative dating of rock layers.

• Fossils appear and disappear in a predictable sequence.
• Allows for relative dating of rock strata across different locations.
• Supports the concept of evolution and the progression of life forms over geological time.

Memory trick: Super Cross-Cut Original Fauna

A belief or premise that an author takes for granted as true or acceptable without explicitly stating it, forming the foundation of their argument or reasoning.

• Implicit, not explicit.
• Necessary for the argument to hold.
• Often reflects the author's worldview.

Memory trick: Look for the Ghost in the Argument's Machine.

Symbolism is the use of objects, people, or ideas to represent something else. A motif is a recurring symbolic element that helps develop a theme.

• Symbols have deeper, abstract meanings.
• Motifs are recurring elements.
• Both enrich meaning and theme.

Memory trick: Devices Dress Up the Words, Give Them Meaning.

Combining sentences to show cause-and-effect involves using conjunctions, adverbs, or relative clauses that explicitly link an action or event to its consequence.

• Uses specific conjunctions (e.g., because, since, as).
• Employs transitional adverbs (e.g., therefore, consequently, thus).
• Can use relative clauses (e.g., 'which in turn,' 'resulting in').
• Aims for clarity and conciseness in expressing the causal link.

Memory trick: Connect, Clarify, Condense: Make sentences work as one.

The main judgment, decision, or summary reached by an author after considering all the evidence, facts, and reasoning presented in a text.

• Often presented at the end of an argument.
• Synthesizes key findings.
• Should be directly supported by the text's evidence.

Memory trick: The Conclusion is the Finish Line of the Argument.

A technique used to estimate the population size of mobile animals. It involves capturing, marking, and releasing individuals, then later recapturing and counting the proportion of marked individuals.

• Used for estimating population size of mobile organisms.
• Assumes random mixing of marked and unmarked individuals.
• Assumes no significant births, deaths, immigration, or emigration between captures.

Memory trick: Marked Birds Return to Count

Drawing a conclusion about the cause-and-effect relationship between variables based on experimental results, where confounding variables are controlled.

• Requires a well-designed experiment.
• Involves comparing an experimental group to a control group.
• Aims to isolate the impact of the independent variable.

Memory trick: Isolated variables lead to clear conclusions.

The specific vocabulary an author uses to convey meaning, tone, and evoke particular emotions or ideas in the reader.

• Influences the reader's perception.
• Contributes to the overall tone and mood.
• Can reveal author's bias or purpose.

Memory trick: Purpose's path: words lead to heart's art.

A form of logical inference that starts with an observation or set of observations and then seeks to find the simplest and most likely explanation.

• Often used to generate hypotheses when evidence is incomplete.
• Provides a 'best guess' explanation, not a certainty.
• Common in diagnostic fields and scientific discovery.

Memory trick: Deduce, Induce, Abduce – wisdom's juice.

Conjunctive adverbs (e.g., however, therefore, moreover) connect two independent clauses, showing a relationship between them, and are typically preceded by a semicolon and followed by a comma.

• Connect independent clauses.
• Show transition or relationship (contrast, result, addition).
• Punctuation: semicolon before, comma after (when connecting clauses).

Memory trick: Independent clauses need a strong connection or a clear break.

Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or behaviors to inanimate objects, animals, or abstract ideas.

• Makes non-human entities seem alive and relatable.
• Adds vividness and imagery to descriptions.
• Differs from metaphor or simile by specifically giving human traits.

Memory trick: Devices refine text; choose the one that fits best.

To integrate short quotations (under 4 lines of prose or 3 lines of verse) into text, use a signal phrase, enclose the quote in quotation marks, and provide an in-text citation.

• Use a signal phrase (e.g., 'According to Smith,' 'As Jones argues').
• Place a comma after the signal phrase if it introduces a complete sentence.
• Enclose the quoted material in double quotation marks.
• Provide an in-text citation (author, year, page number) after the quote but before the final punctuation.

Memory trick: Quote Integration: Signal, Quote, Cite, Punctuate – a perfect fit for your text.

To examine a subject in detail, breaking it down into its components to understand its structure, function, or meaning, often explaining how specific elements contribute to the whole.

• Focuses on 'how' and 'why' something works.
• Involves detailed examination of parts.
• Aims to clarify understanding.

Memory trick: What's the Deep Reason for These Words?

A text structure that highlights the similarities and differences between two or more subjects, ideas, or entities.

• Uses signal words like 'similarly,' 'however,' 'in contrast,' 'both,' 'unlike.'
• Helps readers understand relationships and distinctions.
• Can be structured point-by-point or subject-by-subject.

Memory trick: Patterns Help Readers Follow the Flow.

An equation stating that two ratios are equal. Used to find an unknown quantity when a relationship between two quantities is known.

• Can be written as a/b = c/d.
• Cross-multiplication (ad = bc) is a common way to solve.
• Units must be consistent across the ratios.

Memory trick: Proportions balance, like scales in a market stall.

The measure of the two-dimensional space enclosed by a circle, calculated using the formula A = πr², where 'r' is the radius.

• Units are squared (e.g., ft²).
• Radius is half the diameter.
• Changes in radius have a squared effect on area.

Memory trick: Areas are like puzzle pieces, fitting together to make a whole.

A = P(1 + r/n)^(nt), where A is the future value of the investment/loan, P is the principal, r is the annual interest rate, n is the number of times interest is compounded per year, and t is the time in years.

• Interest is earned on both the principal and accumulated interest.
• Higher 'n' leads to faster growth for the same 'r'.
• Used for investments, loans, and population growth models.

Memory trick: Money grows like a tree, compounding branches over time.

The expected value of a discrete random variable is the sum of the products of each possible value of the variable and its probability. For a binomial experiment, it's n*p.

• Represents the average outcome if the experiment were repeated many times.
• Can be a non-integer even if outcomes are integers.
• Used in decision-making and risk assessment.

Memory trick: Probability is the 'chance' of things happening, like a roll of the dice.

The time required for a quantity to reduce to half of its initial value, often used in radioactive decay or drug elimination.

• Characteristic of exponential decay processes.
• The decay factor is typically 1/2 or 0.5.
• Represented as 'h' in M(t) = M0 * (1/2)^(t/h).

Memory trick: Decay is like a fading echo, halving over time.

The total distance around the outside of a rectangle, calculated by P = 2(length + width) or P = 2l + 2w.

• Length and width are the dimensions.
• Units are linear (e.g., feet, meters).
• Used in fencing, framing, or outlining areas.

Memory trick: Word problems are puzzles, turn words into math equations.

When a transversal intersects two parallel lines, specific relationships exist between the angles formed, such as corresponding, alternate interior, alternate exterior, and consecutive interior (same-side interior) angles.

• Corresponding angles are equal.
• Alternate interior angles are equal.
• Alternate exterior angles are equal.
• Consecutive interior angles are supplementary (sum to 180°).

Memory trick: Parallel lines are like railroad tracks, angles have special relationships.

For a quadratic function f(x) = ax² + bx + c, the vertex is the highest or lowest point on the parabola. Its x-coordinate is given by -b/(2a).

• If 'a' is positive, vertex is a minimum.
• If 'a' is negative, vertex is a maximum.
• The y-coordinate of the vertex gives the maximum/minimum value.

Memory trick: Quadratic peaks or valleys, like a rollercoaster's highest point.

The formula used to find the distance between two points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) in a coordinate plane: d = √((x2 - x1)² + (y2 - y1)²).

• Derived from the Pythagorean theorem.
• Always yields a non-negative value.
• Used for finding lengths of segments, perimeters, etc.

Memory trick: Coordinate geometry plots points like a map, and formulas measure the way.

A mathematical model describing growth where the rate of increase is proportional to the current quantity, often represented as P(t) = P0 * b^(t/k).

• P0 is the initial quantity.
• b is the growth factor (e.g., 2 for doubling).
• k is the time it takes for the quantity to grow by factor 'b'.

Memory trick: Grow exponentially, like bacteria in a flask, doubling fast!

To apply a percentage increase, multiply by (1 + percentage as decimal). To apply a percentage decrease, multiply by (1 - percentage as decimal).

• Increase by X% means multiply by (1 + X/100).
• Decrease by Y% means multiply by (1 - Y/100).
• Order of operations is important when combined with other calculations.

Memory trick: Percentages are like multipliers, changing numbers up or down.

A formula used to calculate the volume or concentration of a solution before or after dilution, assuming the amount of solute remains constant.

• M1 = initial concentration, V1 = initial volume.
• M2 = final concentration, V2 = final volume.
• Units of concentration and volume must be consistent on both sides.

Memory trick: M1V1 is M2V2, then subtract the start, what's new?

The value an exponential decay function approaches as its independent variable tends towards infinity, often representing a carrying capacity or saturation point.

• For functions like y = A - Be^(-kt), as t → ∞, e^(-kt) → 0.
• The limit is then A, representing a horizontal asymptote.
• This value is the maximum or minimum the function can reach.

Memory trick: Time to infinity, e to the negative becomes nought, the constant's the limit, a valuable thought!

A z-score measures how many standard deviations a data point is from the mean of a dataset. It standardizes data for comparison.

• Formula: z = (x - μ) / σ.
• Positive z-score means above the mean, negative means below.
• A z-score of 0 means the data point is equal to the mean.

Memory trick: Z-score: X minus Mu, all over Sigma.

Adjusting ingredient quantities or other values proportionally based on a change in output or scale.

• Involves setting up a ratio or finding a scaling factor.
• Used extensively in recipes, engineering, and design.
• Assumes a direct linear relationship.

Memory trick: Scale Up: Find the ratio, multiply by the original!

Two quantities are inversely proportional if their product is constant; as one quantity increases, the other decreases proportionally.

• Expressed as y = k/x or xy = k, where k is the constant of proportionality.
• Graphs as a hyperbola.
• Common in physics (e.g., Boyle's Law, Ohm's Law).

Memory trick: Direct is multiply, Inverse is divide to find the constant.

Evaluating different compounding frequencies (e.g., quarterly vs. continuously) to determine the best investment return.

• Quarterly: A = P(1 + r/n)^(nt)
• Continuously: A = Pe^(rt)
• Higher frequency generally leads to higher returns for the same nominal rate.

Memory trick: Quarterly's 'n', Continuous 'e', then subtract to see.

The volume of a cylinder is the amount of space it occupies, calculated by multiplying the area of its circular base by its height.

• Formula: V = πr²h, where r is the radius and h is the height.
• Units are cubic (e.g., m³, cm³).
• π (pi) is a mathematical constant, approximately 3.14159.

Memory trick: Volume is Pi-R-squared for the base, times H for height.

For an exponential function of the form y = ab^x or y = ae^(kx), the initial value (when x=0) is represented by 'a', because b^0 = 1 and e^0 = 1.

• The 'a' term is the y-intercept.
• Represents the starting quantity or amount.
• Any non-zero number to the power of zero is one.

Memory trick: A is for 'At start', B is for 'By how much it changes'.