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Education Concept Tracker

A prerequisite knowledge graph of 1590 learning concepts across 8subjects. Track what you've mastered and see exactly what you're ready to learn next — the topics whose prerequisites you've already met. Built on the Marble Open Skill Taxonomy.

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Knowledge-graph map

Learning to Learn
Mastered Ready to learn LockedHover a node for its description · click to open
Asking for HelpAsking for Help — frontier Ask for help when you've had a go yourself and are still stuck — knowing when to ask is a skill in itselfChecking Your Own WorkChecking Your Own Work — frontier After finishing a task, look back at what you did and ask yourself: does this seem right?Persisting When It's Ha…Persisting When It's Hard — frontier Keep trying when something feels hard — making mistakes and trying again is how learning happensFeeling of not understa…Feeling of not understanding — locked Notice the feeling of not understanding — recognise when something is confusing rather than reading or listening past itPlanning a TaskPlanning a Task — locked Make a simple plan before starting a task: what do I need to do, and what should I do first?Thinking Before StartingThinking Before Starting — locked Before starting something new, stop and think: what do I already know about this topic?Spotting PatternsSpotting Patterns — frontier Spot patterns and recurring structures — in numbers, words, nature, sounds, or events — and use them to make sense of new informationDescribing Rules & Patt…Describing Rules & Patterns — locked When you notice a pattern repeating, describe it as a rule that works every time — then test whether the rule holds in new casesLearning from MistakesLearning from Mistakes — locked When you get something wrong, investigate why — what did you misunderstand or overlook? Analysing errors is one of the most powerful ways to learnTransferring SkillsTransferring Skills — locked Recognise when a skill or strategy learned in one subject or situation can be applied in a completely different one
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Orbital Mechanics

Science · Space Exploration · conceptual

Apply Newton's laws to explain orbital motion: why orbit is continuously falling sideways rather than floating; how a gravity assist (slingshot manoeuvre) transfers momentum from a planet to a spacecraft; and why rockets need to reach a specific speed to enter orbit — with a conceptual (not algebraic) treatment of the Tsiolkovsky rocket equation

What mastery looks like

  • Explains that orbit is a state of continuous freefall — the spacecraft is falling towards Earth but moving so fast horizontally that it keeps missing
  • Describes how a gravity assist works: a spacecraft flying past a planet gains speed by 'borrowing' from the planet's orbital momentum
  • Explains the key insight of the rocket equation: the ratio of fuel to final spacecraft mass grows exponentially with required Δv, explaining why large rockets are mostly fuel

Check your understanding

If Orbital Mechanics was asked why astronauts in the ISS float even though they're still close to Earth and gravity hasn't disappeared, could they explain that they're actually in freefall and describe what 'being in orbit' really means physically?

Prerequisites

Required first

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Unlocks (0 directly)

None.