Chapter 1 science skills

Lesson Objectives:
Understand the relationship between science and
technology
Describe the main ideas o f physical science
Understand the steps of the scientific method
Demonstrate how to convert and solve using scientific
notation
Understand the SI units of Measurements
Demonstrate how scientific data is properly graphed and
organized.

Science From Curiosity
 Science is a system of knowledge and the methods you use
to find that knowledge
 Science begins with curiosity and questions and often ends
with discovery
 Curiosity can provide many questions however rarely is
able to provide scientific results
 In order to receive scientific results, methods such as
observing and measuring are needed to answer scientific
questions
 Observations = qualitative /descriptive or
quantitative/numerical

Branches of Science
 Natural science has 3 branches: Physical science, Earth
and Space science, and Life science
 Physical science has two main areas: Chemistry –
study of the composition, structure, properties, and
reactions of matter, and Physics – study of matter and
energy and the interactions between the two through
forces and motion
 Earth and Space Science has two main areas : Geology-the
study of the origin, history, and structure of Earth
and Astronomy-the study of the universe beyond
Earth, including the sun, moon, planets, and stars.

Pseudoscience vs Science
 Pseudoscience is a claim,
belief, or practice which
is presented as scientific
but lacks the valid
scientific methodology
or supporting evidence
 Science is an enterprise
that builds and organizes
knowledge in the form of
testable explanations
and predictions about
the world

Pseudoscience
 A pseudoscience is a belief or process which
masquerades as science in an attempt to claim a
legitimacy which it would not otherwise be able to
achieve on its own terms
 The most important of its defects is usually the lack of
the carefully controlled and thoughtfully interpreted
experiments which provide the foundation of the
natural sciences and which contribute to their
advancement.

Astrology a science or
pseudoscience?
 Astrology is the study of the influence that distant
cosmic objects, usually stars and planets, have on
human lives.
 Does astrology show scientific evidence through
results and replication?
 Lets do an experiment of our own to decide...

Observation
 An observation is
gathering information
using your 5 senses:
 Sight
Sound
Hearing
Taste
Touch
 Two types of
observation:
 Qualitative - DESCRIBE
what we observe
Quantitative -MEASURE
what we observe
Ms. Pruitt has green eyes is
an example of…
Ms. Pruitt has two eyes is
an example of…

While completing an experiment of combining
two chemicals into one beaker, what are possible
observations that could be made?
Which type is better for scientific inquiry?

Observation vs Inference
 Inference is an explanation of an observation
 They are based on past experience and prior
knowledge
 Inferences are often changed when new information is
obtained
 Observations we gain through our 5 senses, inferences
help explain those observations

Some examples…
 Observation: The grass on the schools front lawn is
wet
 Possible Inferences:
Its rained
Sprinklers were on
Dew on the grass from the morning
A dog peed on it
 All of these inferences are possible explanations. The
inferences came from past knowledge and experiences

What are the possible inferences
for these observations?
 Observation: The school fire alarm in going off
 Possible inference: ?
 Observation: A student is sitting in t he main office
 Possible inference: ?

Science and Technology
 Technology is the use of knowledge to solve practical
problems
 Science is a process of exploration that is used to gain
knowledge of the world. When that knowledge is used
to solve a human need or problem, it is called
technology
 Technology is continuously changing
 Science and technology are interdependent, advances
in one leads to advances in another

Science and Technology:
Telephones are both
Why was the telephone invented?
What changes have been made
during the last 50 years?
What is the difference between
cordless phones and cellular phones?
How has cell phone increased the
area of service available?

Empirical Evidence is…
 Information that is acquired by observation or
experimentation. Data is then recorded and analyzed
and becomes a central process as part of the scientific
method
 Empirical data on performance used to compare,
evaluate, and monitor progress
 Reading a thermometer or measuring the growth of a
plant are examples of empirical evidence
 Can you think of any other examples of empirical
evidence?

Matter is anything made of atoms and molecules.
Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space.
Matter takes the form of a solid, liquid, or gas.
All forms of matter are made up of building blocks called atoms.
Atoms are made up of smaller building blocks known as protons,
neutrons, and electrons.

Force and Motion
 A Force is simply a push or a pull
 All forces have both SIZE and direction
 NET FORCE is when two or more forces are
combined
 Balanced force is when there is no change of
motion and net force is 0
 Unbalanced force is when the force produces a
change In motion and the net force is not zero.
 Motion is when an object changes position over
time.

Forces cause change in Motion
FORCES AND MOTION
You and some friends are at the park . You find some
rope and decide you’d like to play a game of tug-of-war.
Unfortunately, there are 5 people so you can’t have an
equal amount of people on each side. One of your
friends suggests that the two biggest people should be
on one side, while the three smaller people should be
on the other side. Do you think this is a fair way to
split up teams? Why or why not?
http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/forces-and-motion-
basics

Energy is the ability to do Work
 Energy can be found in many different
forms including chemical, electrical, heat
(thermal), light (radiant), mechanical, and
nuclear.
Two types of energy: Potential and Kinetic
 Potential energy is energy stored
 Kinetic energy is moving energy
 Energy can be transferred from one form to
another

What other examples are there of
kinetic and potential energy?

Scientific Models
 A street map is a type of model or representation of an
object or of an actual event.
 The model is the most basic element of the scientific
method. Everything done in science is done with models. A
model is any simplification, substitute or stand-in for what
you are actually studying or trying to predict. Models are
used because they are convenient substitutes.
 The ingredients list on a bottle of ketchup is a model of its
contents, and margarine is a model of butter. A box score
from a baseball game is a model of the actual event. A trial
over an automobile accident is a model of the actual
accident. A history exam is a model designed to test your
knowledge of history.

Science Model Examples…
 The USDA food pyramid,
which recommends the
proportions of different kinds
of foods in a healthy diet, is a
model of the thousands of
scientific studies that have
been undertaken on the
relation among cancer, heart
disease and diet. The figure
summarizes these studies in a
picture that recommends
healthy diets. Thus, this
figure is a substitute for the
many scientific studies on
diet, and it is also a substitute
for an actual diet.
 When scientists use rats to
determine whether a food
additive causes cancer, the
rats become a model of
humans. Rats are convenient
because they are relatively
easy to raise in the lab (at
least compared to humans),
and one can perform
experiments on them
relatively quickly (in a matter
of months rather than years).
Moreover, most people find it
more ethical to experiment
on rats rather than humans.

The Scientific Method
An organized plan for gathering, organizing
and communicating information.
 It involves a series of steps used to
investigate a natural occurrence
 The goal of the scientific method is to solve
a problem or to better understand an
observed event
 6 main steps in completing the scientific
method

Steps of the Scientific Method

Ask a Question
 Make an observation
 Develop a question or
problem that can be
solved through
scientific experiment
 Example: Why is the
air temperature
warmer inside the
house than outside the
house

Observation and Research
Make observations
Research your topic of
interest
 Example: The air temperature outside the house is 80
degrees, the temperature inside the house is 84
degrees. The thermostat is set at 76 degrees. The air
conditioner is turning on an blowing out air.

Formulate a Hypothesis
A hypothesis is a proposed answer
to a question
Predict a possible answer to the
problem or question
 Example: The air conditioner is blowing out
air that is warmer than the temperature
outside because Freon is needed in the unit

Testing the Hypothesis
 Develop and follow a procedure
 Include a detailed materials list
 The outcome must be measurable (quantifiable)

Collect and Analyze Results
Modify procedure if needed
Confirm results by re-testing
Include tables, graphs, and
photographs.

Conclusion
Include a statement that accepts
or rejects your hypothesis
Make recommendations for
further studies and possible
improvements to the procedure

Independent vs Dependent
Variables
 The independent, or
manipulated variable, is
a factor that’s
intentionally varied by
the experimenter. (on x-axis)
 “the cause”
 The one thing that is
changed in an
experiment
 The dependent, or
responding variable, is
the factor that may
change as a result of
changes made in the
independent variable.
(on Y-axis)
 “the effect”
 The result of the
experiment/ what is
measured

Control Group
In a scientific experiment, the control is the group
that serves as the standard of comparison.
The control group may be a “no treatment" or an
“experimenter selected” group.
The control group is exposed to the same conditions
as the experimental group, except for the variable
being tested.
All experiments should have a control group.

Scientific Theory
 After a hypothesis has been proven a theory
can begin to be developed
A scientific Theory is a well tested
explanation for a set of observations or
experimental results
 Theories are never proven but they become
stronger the more facts support them

Scientific Laws
 A scientific law is a statement that summarizes a
pattern found in nature
 It is arrived after repeated observations or experiments
 A scientific law describes an observed pattern in
nature without attempting to explain it. The
explanation of such a pattern is provided by a scientific
theory

Repetition vs. Replication
 Repetition is repeated trials
within an experiment
 Example: Julie goes to Silver
River each week for 4 weeks and
collects 5 samples of water to
test the pH.
 Mike has taught his pet rat to
run a maze. He thinks that the
rat will go faster if he puts its
favorite treat at the end. He has
the rat run the maze ten times
with the favorite treat and ten
times with a regular food pellet.
He uses a stopwatch to measure
how long it takes for the rat to
get to the reward.
 Replication is when an
investigation is duplicated by
others (around the world) and
leads to validation
 Accurate record keeping is
important in a scientific
investigation to ensure
replication
 Example: An environmental
group contacts Julie to get her
procedures so that they can
check her results.
 Mary baked chocolate chip
cookies that wound up looking
like muffins. She asked Jane to
use the same directions and see
if her cookies also look like
muffins.

Scientific Notation
 Scientific notation makes very large or very small numbers
easier to work with
 It is a way of expressing a value as the product of a number
between 1 and 10 and a power of 10.
 Positive exponent means move right, negative exponent
means move left.
Example:
.0000000000000036333 seconds
= 3.6333 x 10-15 seconds
9876500000000 minutes
= 9.8765 x 1012 minutes

The 3 parts of scientific notation
5.67 x 105
This is the scientific notation for the standard number,
567 000. Now look at the number again, with the three parts
labeled.
5.67 x 105
coefficient base exponent
 1. The coefficient must be greater than or equal to 1 and
less than 10.
2. The base must be 10.
3. The exponent must show the number of decimal places
that the decimal needs to be moved to change the number
to standard notation. A negative exponent means that the
decimal is moved to the left when changing to standard
notation.

Practice
(1) .000565g  5.65 x 10-4 g
(2) 565000 s  5.65 x 105 s
(3) 43454 min  4.3454 x 104 min
(4) .0010 L  1.0 x 10-3 L

Multiplying numbers in
scientific notation
 Rule for Multiplication - When you multiply numbers
with scientific notation, multiply the coefficients together
and add the exponents. The base will remain 10.
Ex 1 - Multiply (3.45 x 107) x (6.25 x 105)
First rewrite the problem as: (3.45 x 6.25) x (107 x 105)
Then multiply the coefficients and add the
exponents: 21.5625 x 1012
Then change to correct scientific notation and round to
correct significant digits:
2.16 x 1013
NOTE - we add one to the exponent because we moved
the decimal one place to the left.

 Ex. 2 - Multiply (2.33 x 10-6) x (8.19 x 103)
rewrite the problem as: (2.33 x 8.19) x (10-6 x 103)
Then multiply the coefficients and add the
exponents: 19.0827 x 10-3
Then change to correct scientific notation and
round to correct significant digits 1.91 x 10-2
 Remember that -3 + 1 = -2

Dividing numbers in
scientific notation
 Rule for Division - When dividing with scientific
notation, divide the coefficients and subtract the
exponents. The base will remain 10.
Ex. 1 - Divide 3.5 x 108 by 6.6 x 104
Rewrite the problem as: 3.5 x 108
---------
6.6 x 104
Divide the coefficients and subtract the exponents to
get: 0.530303 x 104
Change to correct scientific notation and round to
correct significant digits to get: 5.3 x 103
 Note -We subtract one from the exponent because we moved
the decimal one place to the right.

Significant figures
 All the digits known in a measurement, plus the last
digit that is estimated
 The more sig figs the more precise the measurement is
 Example: 5 hours has 1 sig fig where 5.25 hours has 3
sig figs to make the measurement more precise
 Precision is a gauge of how exact a measurement is.
 The precision of a calculated answer is limited by the
least precise measurement used in the calculation
 Example: adding the mass of two weights at 2.7564kg +
3.45 kg = 6.2064kg however the least sig fig given was
3 so the answer can not have more than 3 sig figs
changing it to 6.21kg

Accuracy vs Precision
 Accuracy refers to the closeness of a measured value to a
standard or known value.
 Precision refers to the closeness of two or more
measurements to each other.
 A good analogy for understanding accuracy and precision
is to imagine a basketball player shooting baskets. If the
player shoots with accuracy, his aim will always take the
ball close to or into the basket. If the player shoots with
precision, his aim will always take the ball to the same
location which may or may not be close to the basket. A
good player will be both accurate and precise by shooting
the ball the same way each time and each time making it in
the basket.

APPLYING SIG FIGS to
What is the density of a sample with a mass
of 24.47 g and a volume of 13.2 mL?
A. 1.9 g/mL
B. 1.8537 g/mL
C. 1.854 g/mL
D. 1.85 g/mL
MEASUREMENT:
HINT: Your FINAL answer cannot be
more accurate than the least accurate
measurement.

APPLYING SIG FIGS to
What is the density of a sample with a mass
of 24.47 g and a volume of 13.2 mL?
A. 1.9 g/mL
B. 1.8537 g/mL
C. 1.854 g/mL
D. 1.85 g/mL
MEASUREMENT:
Because 13.2 mL is accurate to only
one decimal place, the answer can be
no more accurate than one decimal
place.

Easy Rules To Sig Figs
• ALL trailing zeros in a non-decimal are NOT
significant (they act as placeholders only)
• ALL leading zeros in a decimal are NOT
significant (they act as placeholders only)
• Sandwhiched zeros count (i.e. 101, 0.101)
• In a decimal, if the zero in question has a
number 1 thru 9 before it anywhere in the
number, it is significant! (i.e. 0.000000100000)

Determine the
Significant
Figures
• 1.0 blah
• 100000000.0 blah
• 100 blah
• 100. blah
• 0.10 blah
• 0.01 blah
• 0.010 blah
• 101 blah

SI Units of Measurements
 In order for a measurement to be accurate and correct its needs
both a number and a unit.
 Example: I finished my project “in five”
 The set of measuring units that are used by scientist are known
as SI or the international System of Units
 SI is a revised version of the metric system
 Metric system: standard system of measurement used by all
scientists.
 Scientists use metric units to measure:
length
volume
mass
weight
density
temperature

Measurement Unit Tool
length meter, cm, km, light
year
Ruler, meter stick, yard
stick
volume Liter, mL, cubic
centimeter
Graduated cylinder,
beaker
mass Gram, kilogram,
milligram
Triple-beam balance
weight Newton Weighing scale
density D=M/V
temperature Celsius thermometer

Length
 The basic unit of length is the meter.
 Meter (m)- your height would be measured in meters.
 Centimeter (cm): one-hundredth of a meter (to measure
your textbook).
 Millimeter (mm): one-thousandth of a meter (to
measure the diameter of the pupil of your eye).
 Micrometer: 1,000,000= 1 meter
 Kilometer (km): one thousand meters (to measure
length of a long river).
 Light year: distance that light travels

Volume
 Volume is the amount of space an object takes up.
 V = Length x Width x Height
 When measuring liquid volumes, the graduated
scale must be read from the lowest point of the
curved surface of the liquid – the liquid meniscus.
 Liter (L): basic unit of volume
 Milliliter (mL): = to 1/1000 of a liter (to measure liquid in
a cup).
 Cubic centimeter (cc): = to 1 milliliter (used to measure
solids…..length X width X height).

Mass
 Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an
object.
 Kilogram (kg): the basic unit of mass (to measure large
objects/animals).
 Gram (g): 1/1000 of kilogram (to measure mass of a coin).
 Milligram (mg): one-thousandth of a gram.

Weight
 Weight is a measure of the attraction between two
objects due to gravity.
 Newton (N): the basic unit of weight (your weight in
outer space).

Density
 The relationship between mass & volume.
D=M/V
Suppose a substance has a mass of 10 grams and a
volume of 10 milliliters. What is the density of the
substance?

Temperature
 Temperature is measured on the Celsius scale
only.
To convert Celsius (C°) to Fahrenheit (F°):
 Multiply by 9
 Divide by 5
 Add 32
To convert Fahrenheit (F°) to Celsius (C°):
 Subtract 32
 Multiply by 5
 Divide by 9

Data Tables
 Scientist can organize
their data by using data
and graphs
 Data tables is the easiest
way to present a table
 Will have two variables:
a manipulated variable
and a responding
variable

Line Graphs
 A line graph shows changes that occur in related
variables.
 The manipulated variable is plotted on the horizontal
axis or x axis
 The responding variable is plotted on the vertical axis
or y axis
 These two data points yield a straight line
 The steepness of the line, the slope, is the ratio of a
vertical change to the horizontal change
 Slope = Rise/Run
 Rise: y-variable Run: x-variable

Direct Proportion Inverse Proportion
 Relationship where the
ratio of the two
variables are constant
 Example: 3 cubic
centimeter of water has
a mass of 3 grams.
Doubling the volume to
6 results in doubling the
mass to 6
 Relationship where the
product of two variables is
constant
 Example: Flow rate of 0.5
gallon of water per minute
will fill the pot in 2 mins. If
you double the flow rate to
1.0 gallons per minute you
reduce the time it takes to
fill the pot to 1 mins

Bar Graph Circle Graph
Used to compare a set of
measurements, amounts,
or changes
Divided circle that shows how
a part or share of something
relates to a whole

Chapter 1 science skills

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