Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Secondary education

Thermal Energy and Matter

Work and Heat

Heat is the transfer of thermal energy from one object to another because of a temperature difference. Heat flows spontaneously from hot objects to cold objects. Temperature is a measure of how hot or cold an object is compared to a reference point. On the Kelvin scale, absolute zero is defined as a temperature of 0 kelvins. As an object heats up, its particles move faster, on average. The average kinetic energy of the particles increases. One way that heat flows is by the transfer of energy in collisions. On average, high-energy particles lose energy. Low-energy particles gain energy.

Thermal Energy

Thermal energy is the total potential and kinetic energy of all the particles in an object and depends on... Continue reading "Thermal Energy and Matter: Heat, Temperature, and Specific Heat" »

Energy Resources

Nonrenewable Energy

Nonrenewable energy is a source of energy that exists in limited quantities and, once used, cannot be replaced except over millions of years.

Examples:

• Coal (fossil fuel)
• Oil (fossil fuel)
• Natural gas (fossil fuel)
• Uranium (rock)

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is a source of energy that can be replaced in a relatively short period of time.

Examples:

• Hydroelectric
• Solar
• Geothermal
• Wind
• Biomass
• Nuclear fusion (potentially in the future)

Most renewable energy originates from the sun.

Fossil Fuels

Oil, natural gas, and coal are known as fossil fuels because they were formed underground from the remains of once-living organisms. Fossil fuels are relatively inexpensive and are usually readily available, but their use creates... Continue reading "Renewable & Non-Renewable Energy Resources: A Comprehensive Guide" »

Fundamental Economic Definitions

Budget

Es el cálculo, exposición, planificación y formulación anticipada de los gastos e ingresos de una actividad económica.

Budget Constraint

All possible consumption combinations of goods that someone can afford, given the prices of goods, when all income is spent. It defines the boundary of the opportunity set (limits to the amount of money that is available to spend).

Sunk Costs

Costs that were incurred in the past and cannot be recovered.

The Budget Formula and Calculation

General Budget Formula

The budget formula calculates total expenditure based on prices and quantities:

Budget = P₁ × Q₁ + P₂ × Q₂ + ... + Pₙ × Qₙ

Where P and Q are the price and respective quantity of any number, n, of items... Continue reading "Key Economic Concepts: Budgeting, Efficiency, and Rationality" »

Geopolitics: Space and State Organization

Geopolitics studies how society is organized in relation to geographic space. It focuses on how states exercise their sovereignty, their relations with other states, and their interactions with supranational organizations.

The State's Right to Power

The fundamental powers of the state include:

• Establishing and ensuring compliance with laws.
• Protecting the territory.
• Collecting taxes.
• Regulating public services and infrastructures.
• Running and regulating the economy.
• Establishing international relations with other states.

Types of State Governance

Democratic Systems

• Constitutional Monarchy: The highest authority is the King or Queen, usually hereditary. The monarch's power is limited by the constitution, and they

Importance of World Trade

International trade is important because of the unequal distribution of natural resources, the differences between the economies of different states, and the interests of large companies in capturing part of the world market.

Key Global Trading Regions

• USA: The world's main importer and the second largest exporter. Its production is higher than any other country.
• EU: The world's largest trading bloc. Member states are small but wealthy, and they import and export a great many products.
• Australia: Does a lot of trade in the Pacific and with East Asian countries.
• Africa: Contributes little to international trade because of its level of poverty.
• Middle Eastern Countries (Saudi Arabia): Primarily export oil.
• Southeast Asia: Do

Trade

Definition and Types

Trade is the buying and selling of products and services to satisfy the needs of the population. There are two main types of trade:

• Domestic trade
• International trade

Elements of Trade

• Sellers: Individuals or companies that have goods or services they want to sell.
• Buyers: Individuals or companies that buy products.
• Goods: Products that are bought and sold for money.
• Markets: Places where commercial transactions take place (e.g., physical markets, farmers' markets, online marketplaces).

Characteristics of Trade Today

• Large quantities of goods are in constant movement between different regions.
• There is a worldwide network of trading partners.
• Trade, along with transportation, provides jobs for people.
• It is dominated by an ever-

Background

Prior to the end of World War II in 1945, the Allied powers held a series of conferences to address the post-war situation of Germany and Eastern Europe.

Tehran Conference (November 1943)

The Tehran Conference agreed that the USSR would annex the Baltic States and eastern Poland.

Yalta Conference (February 1945)

The Yalta Conference, attended by Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin, agreed to rebuild Europe with democratic governments. They also redrew the boundaries of Poland, Germany, and Berlin, dividing the city into four military zones.

Potsdam Conference (July-August 1945)

The Potsdam Conference agreed to revert all German annexations in Europe, demilitarize and divide Germany, pay war reparations, and punish Nazi war criminals.

Peace

World War II: Development of the Global Conflict (1939-1945)

Characteristics of the War

The war had an enormous reach, with operations spanning the Pacific, Europe, and Africa. It involved sixty countries, affecting up to 90% of the human population. Lasting six years—two more than the previous war—its duration was primarily due to the numerous German victories at the start, which necessitated a long and extensive recovery of lost territory.

It was also noteworthy for being the quintessential total war, forcing the economies of warring countries to be organized entirely around the conflict. Over 100 million soldiers were mobilized, and powerful weapons (tanks, bombs, aviation, etc.) were extensively used. Furthermore, it was an extremely merciless... Continue reading "World War II: Global Conflict, Key Stages, and Impact (1939-1945)" »

Fascism in Italy

The causes of the birth of Fascism in Italy were largely due to:

• Dissatisfaction with the peace agreements established after the First World War.
• The post-war situation, plagued by an economic crisis, unemployment, inflation, and social unrest.
• Revolutionary movements that frightened the most conservative sectors of society.

Fascism was the creation of journalist Benito Mussolini, who founded the National Fascist Party in 1921. He used paramilitary groups—the Italian Combat Squads (or Blackshirts)—to quash the workers’ movement. Mussolini gained support from large landowners, the small bourgeoisie, the Church, and King Victor Emmanuel III.

In 1922, the successful intervention of the Italian Combat Squads against trade unions... Continue reading "Fascism in Italy and Nazism in Germany: Origins and Rise to Power" »