Mnemonics by Acronyms, Acrostics and Association – Some Simple Examples to Memorize Concepts

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‘Mnemonics’ is a powerful technique which is used for remembering things. Mnemonics helps you associate with what you want to remember with ease. Create index cards on key terms or definitions and review and recite frequently. Acronyms, Acrostics and Association are three such memory techniques.

Acronyms

An acronym is made up of letters from a series of words, e. g. :

  • Basic needs of humans: WAS-F — Water, Air, Shelter, Food
  • SCREAM-N helps science students to remember the organ systems. Skeletal, Circulatory, Respiratory & Reproductive, Alimentary canal (Digestive) , Muscular, Nervous System.
  • TEENS stand for sense organs. Tongue, Eyes, Ears, Nose, Skin.
  • Characteristics of living things: RENGRIM — Respiration, Excretion, Nutrition, Growth, Reproduction, Irritability, Movement.
  • The seven colors of the spectrum: ‘VIBGYOR’ as: V-violet, I-indigo, B-blue, G-green, Y- yellow, O-orange, R-red.
  • Our planets in order of increasing size: ‘Men plan many VENUS jumps’ . The first letter of each word represents a planet except the word ‘VENUS’ for which each letter represents a planet. M-Mercury, P-Pluto, M-Mars, V-Venus, E-Earth, N-Neptune, U-Uranus, S-Saturn, J-Jupiter.
  • The Earth՚s atmosphere: Here is a phrase to help you remember the order of the earth՚s atmosphere: The Strong Man՚s Triceps Explode. This stands for: Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, Exosphere.
  • LICHEN are made up of ALGAE and FUNGI: She was all gal (ALGAL) and he was a fun guy (FUNGI) . They took a likin (LICHEN) to each other.
  • Properties of magnets: ‘Like poles repel and unlike poles attract.’ Two ‘N՚s repel. Two՚s՚s repel. But’ N ‘and՚s’ attract.
  • PANIC: Positive Anode, Negative Is Cathode.
  • Lose Electrons = Oxidation. Gain Electrons = Reduction. LEO the lion goes GER.
  • Fat-soluble vitamins ‘ADEK’ : A, D, E and K are fat-soluble.
  • Chordate Features: Do Not Pinch People Dorsal hollow nerve cord. Notochord. Pharyngeal slits. Postanal tail
  • For Diverging mirrors and lenses, the image is always Diminshed, Upright and Virtual, regardless of the distance of the object from the mirror or lens. ‘D DUV’ .
  • For remembering the order of energy and how it is used by living things. ՚some People Can Have Crazy Outrageous Dreams Sun ⇾ Producers ⇾ Consumers Herbivores, Carnivores, Omnivores ⇾ Decomposers.
  • Effects of heat on matter: Gaining heat expands matter. Gary Hates Eva .
  • Matter contracts when cooled. Loose Heat Contract. Let Her Cry .
  • The changing effects of acid and base on litmus paper. Acid: Blue to Red. A changes B to R and Base: Red to Blue. B changes R to B.
  • For remembering the bones of the upper limbs: Some Crooks Have Underestimated Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Scapula, Clavicle, Humerus, Ulna, Radius, Carpals, Metacarpals, Phalanges .
  • For remembering the bones of the lower limbs: Help Five Police To Find Ten Missing Prisoners. Hip, Femur, Patella, Tibia, Fibula, Tarsals, Metatarsals, Phalanges .
  • For remembering steps in a scientific investigation Problem - Research - Hypothesis - Experiment - Data - Analyse - Conclusion - Communicate - People Really Hate Eating Donuts And Cold Cider.
  • Characteristics of living things: MRS. GREN - The 7 features of all living things do⟋have: Movement, Reproduction, Sensitivity, Growth, Respiration, Excretion, Nutrition.

Acrostics

Acrostics is a memorizing technique wherein you create a meaningful sentence by using the first letter of each word.

Example: Water Cycle: Evaporation, Condensation, Rain, Snow. ‘Eleven Camels Raced on Sand’ .

Association

Association is yet another memory technique, in which key terms can be associated to our experiences, thus facilitating, under- standing and remembering.

  • Lungs can be associated with balloons because balloons expand when air is blown into them. Lungs also expand when we breathe in air.
  • Heart can be associated with water pump. Arteries and veins can be associated with pipelines. Heart pumps blood through blood vessels same as the water pump pumps water through pipelines to outlets all over the house.
  • Hinge joint can be associated with that of a ‘Door’ . Bending forearm towards the upper arm functions as a hinge of door.
  • Functions of brain can be associated with the working of a computer. It receives, stores and recalls information as and when necessary.
  • Functioning of esophagus and intestine can be associated with that of a toothpaste tube.