Chapter 1 - What Is Science? Flashcards
Pose
To pose is to put forward a question or problem
Evidence
Facts, figures, or signs that help prove a statement are all pieces of evidence
Science
Science as a way of learning about the natural world.
Scientists use skills such as observing, inferring, predicting, classifying, evaluating and making models to study the world.
Inferring
When you explain or interpret the things you observe. Inferring is not guessing. Inferences on based on reasoning from what you already know.
Predicting
Making a statement or claim about what will happen in the future based on past experience or evidence
Classifying
Grouping together items that are alike in someway
Evaluating
Comparing observations and data to reach a conclusion about them
Making models
Creating representations of complex objects or processes. Some models can be touched such as a map. Others are in the form of mathematical equations or computer programs.
Variables
Factors that can change in an experiment
Independent variable
A factor that is changed to test a hypothesis
Dependent veritable
Changes in response to the Independent variable
What attitudes help you think scientifically?
Curiosity, honesty, creativity, open-mindedness, skepticism, good ethics, and awareness of bias.
Skepticism
Having an attitude of doubt
Ethics
The rules that enable people to know right from wrong
Personal bias
Persons likes or dislikes
Cultural bias
Stems from a culture in which a person grows up
Experimental bias
Mistake in the design of an experiment that makes a particular result more likely
Objective
Means that you make decisions and draw conclusions based on available evidence
Subjective
Means that personal feelings have entered into a decision or conclusion
Deductive reasoning
Explaining things by stating with a general idea and then applying the idea to a specific observation
Inductive reasoning
Specific observations to make generalizations
Metric system
Measurement system based on the number 10
International system of units
SI. Modern scientist use a version of the metric system called SI aka International system of units
Mass
Measure of the amount of matter in an object.
Basic unit for measuring mass is the kilogram
Weight
Measure of the force of gravity acting on an object
Volume
Amount of space and object or substance takes up. Basic unit of measurement volume is (cm3) cubic centimeters.
Meniscus
To measure the volume of a liquid read the level at the bottom of the meniscus, or the curve.
Density
Measure of how much mass is contained in a given volume.
Basic unit is kilograms per cubic meter
Length
Distance from one point to another.
Basic unit of measuring length is the meter
Temperature
The basic unit of measurement for temperature is Kalvin.
Celsius is also used, but not the official one.
Time
Basic unit to measure time is seconds
What math skills do scientist use?
Estimation, accuracy and precision, and significant figures
Estimate
Approximation of a number based on reasonable assumptions
Accuracy
How close a measurement is to the true or excepted value
Precision
How close a group of measurements are to each other
Significant figures
Measurement include all digits measured exactly, plus one estimated digit
What math tools do scientist use?
Calculating percent error’s, finding the mean, median, mode, and range, and checking the reasonableness of data
Mean
The numerical average of a set of data
Median
The middle number of a set of data
Mode
Number that appears most often in a list of numbers
Range
the difference between the greatest value in the least value in a data set
Percent error
Calculations are a way to determine how accurate and experimental value is
Anomalous data
Data that do not fit with the rest of the data set
Graph
A picture of your data
Process
A process is a series of actions or events
Line graph
Display data that shows how one variable changes in response to another variable.
Powerful tools in science because they allow you to identify trends, make predictions, and recognize anomalous data
Linear graph
Line graph in which data points yield straight line
Nonlinear graph
A line graph in which the data points do not fall along a straight line
What is scientific inquiry?
Refers to the diverse ways in which scientists study the natural world and propose explanations based on evidence they gather
Hypothesis
A possible answer to a scientific question
Experiment
Must follow sound scientific principles for its results to be valid
Controlled experiment
Experiment in which only one variable is manipulated at a time
Data
Facts, figures, and other evidence gathered through qualitative and quantitative observations
Repeated trials
Repetition of an experiment
Replication
Another scientist repeats your experiment
How do we gain scientific knowledge?
Observations in modeling are two other ways of gaining scientific knowledge
Observing
Using your senses together information
How do you measure volume of liquids?
With a graduated cylinder
How do you measure volume of a rectangle solid?
Length x width x height
How do you measure the volume of an regular solid?
With the graduated cylinder.
You see what the difference is when you drop the rock in the water.
How do you measure density?
Density equals mass over volume
D=m/v
Scientific theory
Well tested explanation for a wide range of observations or experimental results
Scientific law
A statement that describes what scientists expect to happen every time under a particular set of conditions.
Unlike theory a scientific law describes an observed patterns in nature without attempting to explain it.
Scientific explanation
Describe how something works or why something happens
Empirical evidence
Data and observations that have been collected through scientific process
Opinion
An idea that may be formed from evidence but has not been confirmed by evidence
Controversy
Scientist can change society by defending their work in the face of controversy. Discovery which conflicts with the beliefs of society or its leaders.
Scientific knowledge
Results of new evidence or near interpretation of existing evidence can change scientific knowledge.
Model
Any representation of an object or process
System
A group of parts that work together to perform a function or produce a result
Input
The material or energy that goes into a system
Process
What happens in the system
Output
Material or energy that comes out of the system
Feedback
Output that changes the system in someway