Introduction

Question 1

What is science good for?

Answer 1

Science is good for understanding the natural world and solving problems.

Question 2

What are “mind maps”, and how may they help you to learn new material?

Answer 2

Mind maps are a type of learning that allow you to condense an amount of information into specifics and pictures. They help by trimming all the non useful material out.

Question 3

What is “critical thinking”?

Answer 3

Thinking critically means being aware of one’s thinking processes, and employing thinking skills in a systematic fashion.

Critical thinking is what you do as you learn.

Question 4

What is the meaning of discription? Give an example.

Answer 4

Description is to represent or give an acount of in words.

Words that describe a picture.

Question 5

What is the meaning of explanation? Give an example.

Answer 5

The meaning of explanation is to give the reason for or cause of.

A car moves because the engine produces power.

Question 6

What is the meaning of prediction? Give an example.

Answer 6

The meaning of prediction is to declare or indicate in advance; especially on the basis of observation, experience, or scientific reason

Next winter will be slightly colder than last winter.

Question 7

What is the meaning of retrodiction? Give an example.

Answer 7

Retrodiction is a “backwards” prediction about something that happened in the past.

Scientists believe that earth’s temperature was 5°C cooler during the last Ice Age.

Question 8

What are three descriptive properties of our scientific universe?

Answer 8

M.O.C.

Material>matter and energy

Orderly>hierarchical

Comprehensible>understandable and testable

Question 9

What does “hierarchical” mean? Give an example of a hierarchical relationship.

Answer 9

A series of ordered groupings within a system.

Birmingham>Alabama>United States

Question 10

What is a supernova?

Answer 10

A star that suddenly increases greatly in brightness because of a catastrophic explosion that ejects most of its mass.

Question 11

What is a solar nebula?

Answer 11

Cloud of dust and gas out of which the solar system was believed to have been formed.

Question 12

By what major steps did the planets form?

Answer 12

1. Solar nubula cools into gas clouds
2. Cooling gas turns to gas, dust, and grains
3. Gravity attracts solids
4. Solids aggregate to planets

Question 13

What are the stages in the formation of the Earth?

Answer 13

Supernova > Gas cloud > Solar Nebula > Planetismals and planets > Earth

Question 14

At what stage, early or late, was the inside of the Earth more like a “pudding” than an onion? Explain.

Answer 14

The early stage.

Question 15

What two properties does a dynamic system exhibit? Describe each.

Answer 15

Coordinated movement of matter and energy.

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Characterized by continual change.

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Question 16

Explain how a bank account can be like part of a dynamic system.

Question 17

Determine how a bank account can be like part of a dynamic system.

Question 18

Describe the reservoirs and transfers of the hydrologic system.

Answer 18

A reservoir is a place where matter and energy reside.

A transfer is movement of matter and energy from one reservoir to another.

Question 19

How is UAB like a dynamic system? What would be a “reservoir” at UAB? What would be a “transfer” at UAB? Explain.

Question 20

What is Lovelock’s name for the earth system, and the theory of the earth as a system?

Answer 20

Gaia

Question 21

What relationship does Lovelock see between living things and inanimate matter on Earth?