Scientific Inquiry and Section 1.1 Flashcards
What is a data table?
A visual instrument made up of labelled rows and columns
What do data tables do?
Help organize information, which allow for easy analysis of the data
What are the rules of creating data tables?
- overall title that describes the type of info presented - appropriate titles for each column - separate variables for each column - units for each column beside the header
Why should we present data in graphs?
They communicate info pictorially, summarize a lot of info, illustrate how variables change relative to one another
What are scatterplots used to do?
To investigate the possible relationship between two variables
What are we interested in in scatterplots?
The general TREND of the plots
What is a trend line or a ‘line of best fit’?
A straight line that best represents the data on a scatterplot
What are the rules of a trend line?
- may pass through some points or none - should pass through as many points as possible - should be the same number of points above and below
What is a positive correlation?
A trend line that rises quickly from left to right
What is a negative correlation?
A trend line that falls down quickly from left to right
What do strong pos. and neg. correlations have?
Data points very close to the trend line
What to weak pos. and neg. correlations have?
Data points not clustered near or on the trend line
What is interpolation?
a method of constructing new data points within the known data points.
What is extrapolation?
estimating beyond the known data points
What is a sustainable ecosystem?
an ecosystem that is capable of withstanding pressure and giving support to a variety of organisms
What do scientists theorize happened of Easter Island?
The islanders cut down all the trees. This led to erosion, loss of plants for food, no materials for making boats. The island could no longer sustain the population.
What is an ecosystem?
all the interacting parts of a biological community and its environment
Biotic refers to…
the living parts of an ecosystem
Abiotic refers to…
the non-living parts of an ecosystem
What is the lithosphere?
the hard part of Earth’s surface
What is the hydrosphere?
all the water found on Earth, including lakes, oceans, and ground water
What is the atmosphere?
the layer of gases above Earth’s surface
What is the biosphere?
the regions of Earth where living organisms exist
What is eutrophication?
the process where by excessive nutrients in an aquatic ecosystem cause an overgrowth of primary producing organisms
What does the overgrowth of algae and plant material do?
Take out the oxygen out of the water, killing other aquatic organisms
What is the cause of eutriphication?
addition of artificial or natural substances
What happens during the water cycle?
radiation, evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitaion, groundwater, runoff
What happens during the carbon cycle?
What happens during the nitrogen cycle?
What is NH3?
Ammonia
What is NH4+
ammonium
What is a terrestrial ecosysystem?
a land-based ecosystem
What is an aquatic ecosystem?
a water-based ecosystem, either fresh water or salt water
What happens during the phosphorous cycle?
