General Science Module 2 Flashcards
Counter Example
An example that contradicts a conclusion.
Hypothesis
An educated guess that attempts to explain an observation or answer a question.
Theory
A hypothesis that has been tested with a significant amount of data.
Scientific Law
A theory that has been tested by and is consistent with generations of data
When someone tells you that “science has proven” something, what should you say?
Science is tentative; it can never prove anything.
Does a scientific theory have to make sense?
No it does not. The idea that heavier things fall faster than lighter things makes sense. Nevertheless it is wrong!
A feather and a penny are dropped from the top of a building. which will hit the ground first?
The penny will hit the ground first. The fact that all things fall at the same rate is only true when there is no air. Air resistance will slow the feather down more than the penny.
A feather and a penny are dropped down a long tube that has no air in it. Which will hit the bottom of the Tube first?
Neither Will hit the bottom of the tube first, because they will both fall at the same rate. Since there is no air in the tube, objects will fall at the same rate, regardless of their weight.
What does it take to destroy a scientific law?
To destroy a scientific law, you need only one counter example.
What was the observation Halley made to form his hypothesis?
The observation was that the objects similar to the one he was studying had been seen before by other scientists at regular intervals in history.
What was his hypothesis?
His hypothesis was that the object he was studying was the same thing that the other scientists had seen before.
What was the experiment that confirmed his hypothesis?
The experiment was to confirm the presence of the comet again in 1758.
Regular appearances of Halley’s comet have been found in history as far back as 2000 years ago. Is the existence of Halley’s comet a theory or a scientific law?
Scientific Law
List the steps of the Scientific Method in order.
- Make OBSERVATIONS
If a hypothesis does not agree with the experiment designed to confirm it, what two choices do you have?
You can either discard the hypothesis or modify it to become consistent with the data.
If a theory does not agree with the experiments designed to test it, what two choices do you have?
You can either discard the theory or modify it to become consistent with the data.
Name the observations that led to Lowell’s hypothesis regarding canal’s on Mars. What experiments were used to confirm it?
Lowell observed faint lines on the surface of Mars. The experiment used to confirm the hypothesis were Lowell’s detailed studies of Mars’ surface, which he thought showed more details about the lines, providing more evidence that the hypothesis was true.
Why was the discovery of high-temperature superconductors so startling to scientist?
The discover of high-temperature superconductors was startling because a generally-accepted scientific theory (BCS Theory) said it was impossible to have high-temperature superconductors.
What are the three limitations to science?
- It cannot prove anything.
Can science be used to study events that will never ever happen again?
Yes, it can. As long as the scientific method is followed, science can be used to study anything!
Can science be used to study religious ideas?
Yes, it can. As long as the scientific method is followed, science can be used to study anything!
When I applied the scientific method to Christianity, what were the observations I used to form a hypothesis about the Bible?
The observations were that many people draw strength, hope, and encouragement from the Bible.
What was my hypothesis (about the Bible)?
I hypothesized that the Bible is the Word of God.
What were the experiments I designed to confirm the hypothesis (about the Bible)?
I searched the Bible for knowledge of future events. This would indicate that the Creator of time had inspired the Book.
Did I prove my hypothesis (about the Bible)?
Of course not! Science cannot prove anything. I did confirm the hypothesis, however. Thus I provided evidence for its validity.
