Chapter 1 Introduction to Science

Key Ideas-

·      How do scientists explore the world?

·      How are the many types of science organized?

·      What are scientific theories, and how are they different from scientific laws?

Key terms

·      Science

·      Technology

·      Law

·      Theory

1.  Section 1: The Nature of Science

a.   How science takes place-

                                                           i.      Scientist answer questions by investigating

                                                       ii.      Scientist plan experiment

                                                   iii.      Scientist observe

                                                    iv.      Scientist always confirm results

b.  The Branches of Science

                                                           i.      Science- when we observe, study and experiment to find the nature of things.

                                                       ii.      Natural Science is divided into three areas

1.  Biological

a.   Botany- study of plants

b.  Zoology- study of animals

c.   Ecology- study of animals and their effect on the environment

2.  Physical

a.   Physics- forces and energy

b.  Chemistry- matter and its changes

3.  Earth

a.   Geology- study of Earth

b.  Meteorology- study of weather

c.   Astronomy- study of outer space

                                                   iii.      The  branches of science work together through the use of technology

1.  technology- is the application of science for practical uses

2.  computers make science and life easier

c.   Scientific Laws and Theories

                                                           i.      Experimental results support laws and theories

1.  a Scientific law- describes a process in nature that can be tested by repeated experiments

a.   gravity

b.  motion

2.  a Scientific Theory – explains how it works

a.   theories are always being tested

b.  they can not be proven true or false

c.   theories must

                                                                                                                                   i.      explain observations

                                                                                                                               ii.      have experiments that are repeatable

                                                                                                                           iii.      alloy you to make predictions

3.  Math helps describe physical events

a.   Two types of numbers

                                                                                                                                   i.      Qualitative- based on a quality

1.  color

2.  size

                                                                                                                               ii.      Quantitative- based on a quantity

1.  numerical

2.  1-10

4.  Theories and Laws are tested with scientific models

a.   Models can be computer generated

b.  Models help us see what we can not see with out eyes

                                                                                                                                   i.      Molecules

                                                                                                                               ii.      Universe

Key Ideas

·      How can I think and act like a scientist?

·      How do scientists measure things?

Key terms

·      Critical thinking

·      Scientific methods

·      Variable

·      Length

·      Mass

·      Volume

·      Weight

 

2.  Section 2:  The Way Science Works

a.   Science Skills

                                                           i.      Critical thinking- using questions, making observations, and using logic

                                                       ii.      Scientist use the scientific method to solve problems

1.  A basic set of steps used to help answer a question

2.  6 Steps

a.   Formulate a question

b.  Research and collect data

c.   Form a hypothesis

d.  Test the hypothesis

e.   Observe

f.    Draw a conclusion

                                                   iii.      Scientist test hypothesis

1.  hypothesis- is an educated answer to the problem

2.  must use experiments to determine how true

3.  Parts of the experiment

a.   Control group- a group that does not receive any changes

b.  Constants- things that must stay the same to ensure the experiment is fair.

c.   Variables- parts of the experiment that could change

                                                                                                                                   i.      Independent variable- the part of the experiment that you change

                                                                                                                               ii.      Dependent variable- the part of the experiment that changes when you change something else

                                                    iv.      Scientist use special tools in experiments

1.  graduated cylinders

2.  telescopes

3.  meter sticks

4.  particle accelerators

b.  Units of Measurement

                                                           i.      SI units are used for consistency

                                                       ii.      There are 5 base units pg 18

Quantity	Unit	Abbreviation
Length
	Kilogram
		S
	Kelvin
Electric Current
	Mole
		cd

 

                                                   iii.      Prefixes are used for big measurements

Prefix	Symbol	Meaning	Multiple of base unit
Kilo-
Mega-
Giga-

 

                                                    iv.      Prefixes are used for small measurements

Prefix	Symbol	Meaning	Multiple of base unit
Deci-
Centi-
Milli-
Micro-
Nano-

 

                                                        v.      You can convert between smaller and larger numbers

1.  must use factor label method

2.  practice below

                                                    vi.      Measurements quantify your observations

1.  length- how far – meter stick

2.  mass- how much matter -  balance

3.  volume-how much space -  graduated cylinder

4.  weight- how much gravitational force – spring scale

Key ideas:

·      Why is organizing data important science skill?

·      How do scientists handle very large and very small numbers?

·      How can you tell the precision of a measurement?

Key terms:

·      Scientific Notation

·      Precision

·      Significant Figure

·      Accuracy

3.  Section 3 Organizing Data

a.   Presenting Scientific Data

                                                           i.      Tables- show values and number of trials

                                                       ii.      Graphs- a visual representation of the data

1.  Line graphs- show continuous change

a.   Direct relationship- both values move in the same direction

b.  Indirect relationship- both values move in opposite directions

2.  Bar graphs- compare the values of items

3.  Pie graphs- show the parts of a whole

b.  Writing number in scientific Notation

                                                           i.      M x 10 ^N

                                                       ii.      M must be between 1 and 9

                                                   iii.      N must be a whole number

c.   Using Significant Figures

                                                           i.      Precision- when numbers are close together

1.  1.1, 1.2, 1.1, 1.0 , 1.2

2.  Significant figures show the precision of a quantity

a.   All non zero numbers

b.  Zeros between significant numbers

c.   Zeros that end a number and has a decimal

                                                       ii.      Accuracy- a measurement of how close to the true answer one’s data is.