1st Midterm

Question 1

What is science – a body of knowledge, a process, a way of thinking, or what?

Answer 1

“Is a process designed to be open ended; therefore, it always changes.”

Is an endeavor to study the natural world or the physical world.

Truth without certainty.

Question 2

What are hypotheses? Facts? Laws? Theories? How are these related? How do
they differ?
Strongest to weakest?

Answer 2

A hypothesis, may have a lot of data to support it, yet it is still always testable.
A fact, establishes a framework but doesn’t explain what it is (something to observe).
A law, is things backed up by math.
A theory is a powerful statement a scientist can make because we know what is occurring and how (theories are more explanatory).
From strongest to weakest: Theory (strongest), law, hypothesis, and fact (weakest).

Question 3

What is involved in “doing” science?

Answer 3

6 Stages in Science:

1. Observation
2. Insight/Recognition
3. Hypothesis
4. Test
5. Develop
6. Conclusion

Question 4

What is “empirical science”? What are “historical sciences”? How do these sciences differ from one another?

Answer 4

Empirical (hard): directly observe/ test things.
Historical (soft): studies evidences that has occurred in the past “Things left behind.”
Not exclusive and both can be used for science related research at the same time.

Question 5

What is the environment?

Answer 5

Circumstances or conditions that surround an organism or a group of organisms.

Question 6

What is environmental science?

Answer 6

Circumstances or conditions that surround an organism or a group of organisms.
Biotic: Living
Abiotic: Non-living

Question 7

What is the history of the environmental movement? Be ready to compare the various forms of conservation: utilitarian, biocentric, the environmental movement, etc.

Answer 7

• Utilitarian: for use.
Ex. Forest Service: for the greatest good, for the greatest number, for the longest time.
• Aestitetic: preserving resources.
• Biocentric: managing resources for use.
• Environmentalism (environmental movement): pollution and effects on human health.
Ex. Rachel Carson’s book “silent spring” 1962. It explains the effect of DDT on humans, which ended up outlawing the use of DDT in the environment due to its presence in humans. This led to the government determining that they could outlaw chemicals despite how the public feels, if it causes harmful effects in humans.

Question 8

What is ecology?

Answer 8

The study of interactions between organisms and their environments (biotic and abiotic).

Question 9

What are living organisms made of? How do matter and energy differ?

Answer 9

• 2 Basic components of the universe:
1. Matter: takes up space and has mass.
Ex. Liquid, gas, solid, plasma.
2. Atoms: protons, electrons, and neutrons.
• All living organisms are made of matter and energy.
-Energy holds matter together.
-Energy: is ability to do work or ability to move or cause change in matter. (Potential, electric, light, heat, kinetic, and nuclear energy.)

Question 10

What makes organic molecules different from other molecules? What is the key element involved? Why is this element so critical?

Answer 10

• Organic molecules are the backbones of life.
• Carbon is the key element in organic molecules
• Carbon is important because it is the major backbone structure for fats, proteins etc.
• Carbon is life, need it to live and form complex molecules.