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Science Skills. Chapter 1. The word science comes from the Latin word scire meaning “to know”. What is science?. Branches of science. CHEMISTRY The study of the makeup, structure, characteristics, and reactions of matter . PHYSICS
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Science Skills Chapter 1
The word science comes from the Latin word scire meaning “to know” What is science?
CHEMISTRY The study of the makeup, structure, characteristics, and reactions of matter. PHYSICS The study of matter and energy, and how they interact with each other. Branches of Physical Science
The Scientific Method • An organized plan for gathering, organizing, and communicating information • Scientific knowledge leads to new technology and vice-versa
1. Making Observations Information obtained through one’s senses. Ex. West Nile Virus in South Dakota
2. Forming a Hypothesis • A proposed or possible answer to a question or problem.
3. Testing the Hypothesis • Experimentation • A controlled experiment always has two parts: • Control group • Experimental group
MANIPULATED The variable that causes a change in another variable Also known as the independent variable RESPONDING The variable that changes in response to the manipulated variable. Also known as the dependent variable. 2 types of variables
Theories and Laws • After experimentation, data needs to be interpreted and a conclusion is drawn. • Theory : A well-tested explanation for a set of observations or experimental results • Law : A statement accepted as true that describes phenomena in the natural world.
Scientific Notation • A shorthand method for writing very large or very small numbers. • Examples: • 300,000,000 ? • 3.0 x 108 • 0.000821 ? • 8.1 x 10-4 • Example problems on page 15
The Metric System • The present version of the metric system is known as the SI system. • Why is the SI system easier to use in science than the old English system? • It is based on the number 10. • See seven metric units on page 16 Fig 13
Base units 7 basic units used to identify quantities. See page 16 Derived units A combination of two or more base units Examples: Density g/cm3 Base units vs Derived units
Metric Prefixes • kilo (k) = 103 • deci (d) = 10-1 • centi (c) = 10-2 • milli (m) = 10-3
Conversion Factor • A ratio of equivalent measurements that is used to convert a quantity of one unit to another. Example: • On board convert 83,470 mm into km.