Science, Matter, and Energy Chapter 2

Three Big Ideas Three scientific laws govern what we can and cannot do with matter and energy There is no “away.” You cannot get something for nothing. You cannot break even.

Section 2-1 WHAT DO SCIENTISTS DO?

Science is a search for order in nature An attempt to discover how nature works. Scientists use this knowledge to make predictions about future events in nature. Use observations, experiments, and models to answer questions about how nature works. Scientists are curious and skeptical, and demand lots of evidence. Need skepticism, reproducibility, and peer review.

The Scientific Process Scientists use observations, experiments, and models to answer questions about how nature works The Scientific Process Identify a problem. Find out what is known about the problem. Ask a question to investigate. Perform an experiment and collect and analyze data to answer the question. Propose an hypothesis to explain the . Use the thesis to make testable predictions. Test the predictions. Accept or revise hypothesis. Develop a scientific theory, if scientific hypothesis is well-tested and widely accepted.

The Scientific Process

Critical thinking and creativity are important in science Critical thinking involves four important steps. Be skeptical about everything you read or hear. Look at the evidence and evaluate it and any related information. Be open to many viewpoints and evaluate each one before coming to a conclusion. Identify and evaluate your personal assumptions, biases, and beliefs. Imagination, creativity and intuition are also important.

Scientific theories and laws are the most important and certain results of science The goal of scientists is to develop theories and laws based on facts and data that explain how the physical world works. A scientific theory has been tested widely, is supported by extensive evidence, and is accepted as being a useful explanation of some phenomenon by most scientists in a particular field or related fields of study.

Scientific theories and laws are the most important and certain results of science A scientific law is a well-tested and widely accepted description of events or actions of nature that we find happening repeatedly in the same way. Scientific laws cannot be broken except by discovering new data that lead to changes in the law.

The results of science can be tentative, reliable, or unreliable Results that have not been widely tested or are not widely accepted can be called tentative or frontier science. At this stage, disagreement among scientists is common and leads to advancement. Reliable science consists of data, hypotheses, models, theories, and laws that are widely accepted by all or most of the scientists who are considered experts in the field under study.

The results of science can be tentative, reliable, or unreliable Unreliable science includes results that have not been rigorously peer reviewed or that have been discarded as a result of peer review.

Questions to ask to determine if scientific findings are reliable or unreliable Was the experiment well designed? Did it involve a control group Have other scientists reproduced the results? Does the proposed hypothesis explain the data? Have scientists made and verified projections based on the hypothesis? Are there no other, more reasonable explanations of the data?

Questions to ask to determine if scientific findings are reliable or unreliable Are the investigators unbiased in their interpretations of the results? Were all the investigators’ funding sources unbiased? Have the data and conclusions been subjected to peer review? Are the conclusions of the research widely accepted by other experts in this field? If “yes” is the answer to each of these questions, then the results can be called reliable science. Otherwise, the results may represent tentative science that needs further testing and evaluation, or you can classify them as unreliable science.

Science has some limitations Scientists cannot prove or disprove anything absolutely because of inherent uncertainty in measurements, observations, and models. Scientists attempt to establish high probability or certainty of being useful for understanding some aspect of nature. Being human, scientists are not free of bias. The peer review process helps to reduce personal bias.

Science has some limitations Because the natural world is so complex, there are many variables that cannot be tested one at a time in controlled experiments. Scientists use mathematical models that can take into account the interaction of many variables.

WHAT IS MATTER AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE? Section 2-2 WHAT IS MATTER AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?

Matter consists of elements and compounds Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space, living or not. Matter exists in three physical states: solid, liquid, gas. Matter exists in two chemical forms, elements and compounds. An element is a fundamental substance that has a unique set of properties and cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means. Elements are represented by a one- or two-letter symbol. Compounds are combinations of two or more different elements bound in fixed proportions.

Chemical Elements

Chemical Elements Used in This Book

Atoms, ions, and molecules are the building blocks of matter An atom is the smallest unit of matter that exhibits the characteristics of an element. Each atom consists of subatomic particles: positively charged protons, uncharged neutrons, and negatively charged electrons. Each atom contains a small center called the nucleus that contains protons and neutrons. Each element has a unique atomic number that is equal to the number of protons in the nucleus of its atom. The mass number of an atom is the total number of neutrons and protons in its nucleus. Isotopes are forms of an element that have the same atomic number, but different mass numbers.

Atoms, ions, and molecules are the building blocks of matter A molecule is a combination of two or more atoms of the same or different elements held together by chemical bonds An ion is an atom or group of atoms with one or more net positive or negative charges. pH is a measure of acidity based on the amount of hydrogen ions (H+) and hydroxide ions (OH-) in a solution. A neutral solution has a pH of 7. A pH below 7 is an acidic solution, or acid. A pH above 7 is a basic solution, or base.

Atoms, ions, and molecules are the building blocks of matter Chemical formulas are a type of shorthand to show the type and number of atoms/ions in a compound or molecule. Each element in the compound is represented by a symbol (e.g., H = hydrogen, O = oxygen). Subscripts show the number of atoms/ions in the compound (e.g. H2O, or water, has two hydrogen atom and one oxygen atom). No subscript is used if there if only one atom of an element.

Chemical Ions Used in This Book

Loss of Nitrate Ions from a Deforested Watershed

Organic compounds are the chemicals of life Organic compounds contain at least two carbon atoms combined with various other atoms. Methane (CH4) is an exception; it is considered an organic compound although it has only one carbon atom. All other compounds are called inorganic compounds.

Organic compounds are the chemicals of life Types of organic compounds include: Hydrocarbons: compounds of carbon and hydrogen atoms. Chlorinated hydrocarbons: compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and chlorine atoms. Simple carbohydrates: specific types of compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. Macromolecules are large organic molecules. Many are polymers, large molecules made of smaller subunits called monomers joined together.

Organic compounds are the chemicals of life The major types of organic molecules are: Complex carbohydrates: two or more monomers of simple sugars such as glucose Proteins: formed by monomers called amino acids Nucleic acids: (DNA and RNA) formed by monomers called nucleotides Lipids, which include fats and waxes, and are not always made of monomers.

Compounds Used in This Book

Matter comes to life through genes, chromosomes, and cells All living organisms are made of cells. Cells are the smallest and most fundamental structural and functional units of life. DNA contains sequences of nucleotides that form genes that code for traits. Thousands of genes make up chromosomes, which are composed of DNA and proteins

The Relationship Among Cells, Nuclei, Chromosomes, DNA, and Genes

Some forms of matter are more useful than others High-quality matter is highly concentrated, is typically found near the earth’s surface, and has great potential for use as a resource. Low-quality matter is not highly concentrated, is often located deep underground or dispersed in the ocean or atmosphere, and usually has little potential for use as a resource.

Differences in Matter Quality

Matter undergoes physical, chemical, and nuclear changes Physical change is not chemical composition change but a change in states, such as ice melting or water freezing. Chemical change or chemical reaction is a change in the chemical composition.

Types of Nuclear Changes

Beta particle (electron) Radioactive decay Alpha particle Radioactive isotope Gamma rays Figure 2.7: There are three types of nuclear changes: natural radioactive decay (top), nuclear fission (middle), and nuclear fusion (bottom). Beta particle (electron) Radioactive decay occurs when nuclei of unstable isotopesspontaneously emit fast-moving chunks of matter (alpha particles orbeta particles), high-energy radiation (gamma rays), or both at afixed rate. A particular radioactive isotope may emit any one or acombination of the three items shown in the diagram. Fig. 2-7a, p. 34

Nuclear fission Uranium-235 Energy Fission fragment n n Neutron n n Figure 2.7: There are three types of nuclear changes: natural radioactive decay (top), nuclear fission (middle), and nuclear fusion (bottom). Nuclear fission occurs when the nuclei of certain isotopes with large mass numbers (such as uranium-235) are split apart into lighter nuclei when struck by a neutron and release energy plus two or three more neutrons. Each neutron can trigger an additional fission reaction and lead to a chain reaction, which releases an enormous amount of energy very quickly. Fig. 2-7b, p. 34

Stepped Art Energy Uranium-235 Neutron Energy n Energy Uranium-235 Fission fragment Energy n Stepped Art Fig. 2-7b, p. 34

Nuclear fusion occurs when two isotopes of light elements, such Reaction conditions Products Fuel Proton Neutron Helium-4 nucleus Hydrogen-2 (deuterium nucleus) 100 million °C Energy Figure 2.7: There are three types of nuclear changes: natural radioactive decay (top), nuclear fission (middle), and nuclear fusion (bottom). Hydrogen-3 (tritium nucleus) Neutron Nuclear fusion occurs when two isotopes of light elements, such as hydrogen, are forced together at extremely high temperatures until they fuse to form a heavier nucleus and release a tremendous amount of energy. Fig. 2-7c, p. 34

We cannot create or destroy atoms: the Law of Conservation of Matter Whenever matter undergoes a physical or chemical change, no atoms are created or destroyed.

WHAT IS ENERGY AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE? Section 2-3 WHAT IS ENERGY AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT UNDERGOES CHANGE?

Energy comes in many forms It is the capacity to do work or transfer heat. Kinetic energy is energy associated with motion. Wind and flowing water are examples of kinetic energy. Heat is a form of kinetic energy. When two objects at different temperatures contact one another heat flows from the warmer to the cooler object. Electromagnetic radiation is a form of kinetic energy and occurs when energy travels as waves as a result of changes in electrical and magnetic fields.

The Electromagnetic Spectrum Visible light Shorter wavelengths and higher energy Longer wavelengths and lower energy Gamma rays UV radiation Infrared radiation X rays Microwaves TV, Radio waves 0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 0.1 10 100 0.1 1 10 1 10 100 Wavelengths (not to scale) Figure 2.8: The electromagnetic spectrum consists of a range of electromagnetic waves, which differ in wavelength (the distance between successive peaks or troughs) and energy content. Nanometers Micrometers Centimeters Meters Fig. 2-8, p. 35

Energy comes in many forms Potential energy is stored energy. Examples include water stored behind a dam and the chemical bonds in gasoline. Potential energy can be changed to kinetic energy. Examples include releasing water from behind a dam and burning gasoline in a car

Energy comes in many forms Solar energy is major source of renewable energy. It provides about 99% of the energy that heats the earth and provides us with food (through photosynthesis by plants). Indirect forms of renewable solar energy include wind, hydropower and biomass. Non-renewable fossil fuels provide the other 1% of the energy we use.

Fossil Fuels

Some types of energy are more useful than others High-quality energy is concentrated and has a high capacity to do useful work. Low-quality energy is dispersed and has little capacity to do useful work.

Energy changes are governed by two scientific laws The first law of thermodynamics, or the law of conservation of energy, states that when energy is converted from one form to another in a physical or chemical change, no energy is created or destroyed. The second law of thermodynamics states that when energy is changed from one form to another, energy quality is depleted.