Quiz 1 Flashcards
What is Science?
Science is the organized systematic enterprise that gathers data about the world and condenses the knowledge into testable laws and principles
The Scientific Method
an approach to solving problems
emphasizing gathering data
Statement of the problem
good questions make good science
- need somewhere to start
- determines what data you want
Gather Data
anything you can observe or measure
-needs to repeatable ..Shouldn’t matter who observes
Develop Hypotheses
Models that explain the data
-develop as many as possible -testable and repeatable
Deductive reasoning
If A=B, and B=C, then C=A
Inductive reasoning
generalization based on repetitive observation
Occam’s Razor
The simplest explanation that fits the data is most likely to be correct
Test the hypotheses
By trying to prove them wrong by making predictions .. then looking for new data ..If you can’t prove it wrong… present it to other scientists they try prove it wrong if they can’t - hypotheses is “promoted” to…scientific theory
Scientific Theory
a well-tested hypothesis Not just an idea, but an idea that has stood up to rigorous testing by many workers
Scientific Theory must be
- independently confirmed
- must predict outcomes consistently
- should have broad implications
Scientific Paradigm
a very well tested theory that has almost universal acceptance by scientific
What are the leading paradigms for geology?
- Geologic time
- plate tectonics
- Evolution
In the real world….
- no formal rules
- works by consensus
- you publish your data and ideas -and they are accepted and used….. or they are not!
- scientists are professional skeptics
How old is the Earth?
4.6 Billion years old Time Scale
What are the four geological eras from oldest to newest?
Precambrian, Paleozoic, mesozoic & Cenozoic
Precambrian
Nothing but shells, there was life
Paleozoic
The era began with the breakup of one supercontinent and the formation of another. Plants became widespread. And the first vertebrate animals colonized land.
Paleo means….
OLD
Mesozoic
Middle life, dinosaurs, mammals are small, age of dinosaurs
Cenozoic
Cenozoic Era Facts
The Cenozoic Era is the last major division in time, beginning 65.5 million years ago and continuing until today. (RECENT)
The Cenozoic Era is also referred to as the Age of Mammals as mammals began to rule the earth following the extinction of dinosaurs in the Mesozoic Era.
Origin of the earth
- Rotating interstellar cloud
- Suns forms in center
- Planets form by accretion
Origin of the Ocean
- Water locked in minerals
- Water from comets
The shape of the earth
Approximately a sphere but flattened so thicker at equator