Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) General Science (GS) Flashcards

24 sample cards from the General Science (GS) deck

Sampled from the end of the deck, so these are different cards from the ones shown on the syllabus page.

1. List the eight planets of the solar system in order from the Sun.

   Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.

2. What is the difference between the terrestrial planets and the gas giants?

   Terrestrial (inner) planets—Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars—are small, rocky, and dense. Gas giants (outer) planets—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune—are large and made mostly of gases.

3. What causes Earth's seasons?

   The tilt of Earth's axis (about 23.5 degrees) as it orbits the Sun, which changes the angle and duration of sunlight different hemispheres receive.

4. What is the difference between rotation and revolution for a planet?

   Rotation is the spin on its own axis (Earth: ~24 hours, causing day and night); revolution is the orbit around the Sun (Earth: ~365 days, one year).

5. What are the three main subatomic particles, their charges, and locations?

   Protons (positive) and neutrons (neutral) are in the nucleus; electrons (negative) orbit the nucleus in shells/clouds.

6. What does an element's atomic number represent versus its mass number?

   Atomic number = number of protons (defines the element). Mass number = protons + neutrons.

7. What is an isotope?

   Atoms of the same element (same number of protons) that have different numbers of neutrons, giving them different mass numbers.

8. How is the periodic table organized into periods and groups?

   Periods are horizontal rows (same number of electron shells); groups are vertical columns (same number of valence electrons and similar chemical properties).

9. What are the three classic states of matter and how do their particles behave?

   Solid (particles tightly packed, fixed shape and volume), liquid (particles loosely packed, fixed volume but takes container shape), and gas (particles far apart, fills container).

10. What is the difference between a physical change and a chemical change?

    A physical change alters form or appearance but not chemical identity (e.g., melting ice); a chemical change produces a new substance (e.g., burning wood).

11. What is the difference between an element, a compound, and a mixture?

    An element is one type of atom; a compound is two or more elements chemically bonded in fixed ratios; a mixture is substances physically combined and separable, not chemically bonded.

12. How is density calculated, and what does it tell you?

    Density = mass / volume (e.g., g/cm3). It measures how much mass is packed into a given volume; objects less dense than a fluid float in it.

13. What is the difference between an ionic bond and a covalent bond?

    An ionic bond transfers electrons between a metal and nonmetal (forming charged ions); a covalent bond shares electrons between nonmetals.

14. What does the law of conservation of mass state?

    Matter is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction; the total mass of the reactants equals the total mass of the products.

15. On the pH scale, what values indicate acids, bases, and neutral substances?

    The pH scale runs 0-14: below 7 is acidic, exactly 7 is neutral (e.g., pure water), and above 7 is basic (alkaline).

16. State Newton's three laws of motion.

    1) An object stays at rest or in motion unless acted on by a net force (inertia). 2) Force = mass x acceleration (F=ma). 3) For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

17. What is the difference between speed, velocity, and acceleration?

    Speed is distance over time (scalar); velocity is speed with direction (vector); acceleration is the rate of change of velocity over time.

18. What is the formula for the force of gravity (weight) on an object near Earth's surface?

    Weight = mass x gravitational acceleration (W = mg), where g is about 9.8 m/s^2. Mass stays constant, but weight changes with gravity.

19. What is the formula for work, and what is its SI unit?

    Work = force x distance (W = F x d), measured in joules (J). Work is done only when a force moves an object in the direction of the force.

20. What is the difference between potential energy and kinetic energy?

    Potential energy is stored energy due to position or condition (e.g., a raised object); kinetic energy is the energy of motion. KE = 1/2 x m x v^2.

21. What is the relationship among the speed, frequency, and wavelength of a wave?

    Wave speed = frequency x wavelength (v = f x lambda). For a given speed, higher frequency means shorter wavelength.

22. How does sound travel, and in which medium does it move fastest?

    Sound travels as a longitudinal (compression) wave that needs a medium; it cannot travel in a vacuum. It moves fastest in solids, slower in liquids, and slowest in gases.

23. What is the difference between a conductor and an insulator in electricity?

    A conductor (e.g., copper, metals) allows electric current to flow easily; an insulator (e.g., rubber, glass) resists the flow of current.

24. State Ohm's law and identify each variable.

    V = I x R, where V is voltage (volts), I is current (amps), and R is resistance (ohms). Voltage equals current times resistance.

What this deck covers

General Science (GS) flashcards FAQ