Class 10 Science – Half-Yearly Concise Notes
1. Chemical Reactions and Equations
• Chemical reaction: Change in which new substances with new properties are formed.
• Types: Combination, Decomposition (thermal, electrolytic, photolytic), Displacement, Double
displacement, Redox.
• Example: 2Mg + O■ → 2MgO (Combination), CaCO■ → CaO + CO■ (Decomposition,
thermal).
• Balancing equations: Follows Law of Conservation of Mass.
2. Acids, Bases and Salts
• Acids: Release H■ ions (HCl, H■SO■).
• Bases: Release OH■ ions (NaOH, KOH).
• Indicators: Litmus, Phenolphthalein, Methyl orange.
• Reactions: Acid + Base → Salt + Water; Acid + Metal → Salt + H■; Base + Non-metal oxide →
Salt + Water.
• Important salts: Baking soda (NaHCO■), Washing soda (Na■CO■·10H■O), Plaster of Paris
(CaSO■·½H■O).
3. Metals and Non-Metals
• Metals: Malleable, ductile, conductors, form basic oxides.
• Non-metals: Brittle, insulators, form acidic oxides.
• Reactivity series: K > Na > Ca > Mg > Al > Zn > Fe > Pb > Cu > Ag > Au.
• Extraction: High reactive → Electrolysis; Medium reactive → Roasting/Calcination + Reduction;
Low reactive → Heat alone.
• Corrosion: Rusting of iron (needs air + water).
4. Life Processes
• Nutrition: Autotrophic (photosynthesis), Heterotrophic (holozoic, saprophytic).
• Respiration: Aerobic (O■ used), Anaerobic (no O■).
• Transportation: Xylem (water), Phloem (food); Human system – Heart, arteries, veins.
• Excretion: Kidney → Nephron (filtration of urea, water, salts).
5. Control and Coordination
• Plants: Tropic movements (phototropism, geotropism, hydrotropism, thigmotropism).
• Plant hormones: Auxin (growth), Gibberellin (elongation), Cytokinin (cell division), ABA (inhibits
growth).
• Animals: Nervous system – CNS, PNS; Neuron is structural & functional unit.
• Endocrine glands: Pituitary, Thyroid, Pancreas (insulin), Adrenal.
6. Light – Reflection and Refraction
• Laws of reflection: i = r; Incident ray, reflected ray, normal all lie in same plane.
• Mirror formula: 1/f = 1/v – 1/u.
• Refraction: Bending of light when it enters different medium.
• Lens formula: 1/f = 1/v – 1/u.
• Uses: Concave mirror (dentist, torch), Convex mirror (rear-view mirror).
7. Human Eye and the Colourful World
• Human eye: Cornea, Iris, Pupil, Lens, Retina, Optic nerve.
• Power of accommodation: Lens changes shape to focus.
• Defects: Myopia (near-sighted), Hypermetropia (far-sighted), Presbyopia.
• Phenomena: Dispersion, Scattering (blue sky, red sunset), Tyndall effect, Rainbow formation.
8. Electricity
• Ohm’s law: V = IR.
• Resistance: R = ρl/A.
• Series combination: Rs = R■+R■+...
• Parallel combination: 1/Rp = 1/R■+1/R■+...
• Electric power: P = VI = I²R = V²/R.
9. Magnetic Effects of Electric Current
• Oersted experiment: Current-carrying conductor produces magnetic field.
• Right-hand thumb rule: Direction of field around conductor.
• Electromagnet vs Permanent magnet.
• Force on current-carrying conductor in magnetic field: F = BIL sinθ.
• Applications: Electric motor, Electromagnetic induction, Generator.
