Name: _____________________________________________________ Date: __________________ Period: ______ Chapter 1: The Nature of Science 1.1 Earth Science Main Idea: Earth science encompasses five areas of study: astronomy, meteorology, geology, oceanography, and environmental science. “Earth science is a combination science that draws upon all other sciences to unlock Earth’s mysteries.” Five Areas of Study Astronomy Study of objects beyond Earth’s atmosphere Study of materials that make of Earth and the processes that form Geology and change these materials Oceanography Study of Earth’s Oceans Meteorology Study of weather-producing forces in the atmosphere Environmental Science Study of the interactions of Earth’s organisms and their surroundings Earth’s Four Systems All four of Earth’s systems are all organisms on Earth as well as the Biosphere environments in which they live unique and interdependent. Geosphere area from the surface of Earth down to its center Changes to one affect the other three. all the water on Earth, including the water in the Interaction between systems is Hydrosphere atmosphere and geosphere happening constantly in many Atmosphere the blanket of gases surrounding Earth different ways. Technology: the application of scientific discoveries used to make life easier, safer, or more efficient. 1.2 Methods of Scientists Main Idea: Scientists use scientific methods to structure their experiments and investigations. Scientific Method(s): Problem-solving procedure that scientists use to conduct experiments. 1) Form a Purpose/Question/Problem based on observations. 2) Research the problem by collecting information, making observations, asking questions, using prior knowledge, and reviewing related research. 3) Form a hypothesis, which is a testable explanation of a situation that can be supported or disproved by careful procedures. 4) Conduct an experiment to test the hypothesis (repeated multiple times). 5) Analyze the results after organizing them and identifying possible errors. 6) Draw a conclusion. Explain whether the hypothesis was supported or not and communicate the results. The Nature of Scientific Investigations Independent variable: in an experiment, this is the factor that is changed by the experimenter. Dependent variable: factor that is affected by changes in the independent variable. Constant: factors that do NOT change during an experiment Control: used to show that the results of an experiment are a result of the condition being tested. * An investigation involves observation and collecting data but does NOT include a control. Le Système International d’Unités (SI) is a modern version of the metric system based on a decimal system. Measurement Definition SI Unit Length distance from one end of something to the other end meter (m) Mass amount of matter in an object kilogram (kg) Weight gravitational force on an object newton (N) Area amount of surface included within a set of boundaries square meters (m2) Volume amount of space occupied by an object Cubic meters (m3) Density amount of matter that occupies a given space (Mass / Volume) g/cm3, g/mL, or Kg/m3 Time interval between two events second (s) Temperature average kinetic energy of the particles that make up a material kelvin (K) In scientific notation, a number is expressed as a value between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of 10. The number of grains of sand on Earth is approximately 4,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 and would be written as 4 1021. The mass of Earth at 5,974,200,000,000,000,000,000,000 kg would be written as 5.9742 1024 kg. 1.3 Communication in Science Main Idea: Precise communication is crucial for scientists to share results effectively with each other and society. Lab Report: a written account of a lab. In line graphs, the independent variable is plotted on the horizontal (x) axis, and the dependent variable is plotted on the vertical (y) axis. Circle graphs show a fixed quantity using slices representing parts of the whole. Bar graphs represent quantitative data using bars. Scientific model: idea picture, system, or mathematical expression that represents the concept being explained. Scientific theory: explanation based on many observations during repeated investigations. Scientific law: principle that describes the behavior of a natural phenomenon. .