Observation and Measurement of the Environment (Topic I)

I. Observation: interaction of our senses with our environment. A. Five Senses: sight hearing 3. touch 4. smell 5. taste

II. Inference: a conclusion drawn based on your observations.

Write 3 observations and 3 inferences about this picture.

III. Measurement: an extension of the senses to express an observation with greater accuracy. A. Linear measurement: Base unit is the meter. B. Area: amount of surface space. (A= l x w) units are square units (cm2) C. Volume: amount of space an object occupies. * liquid units in liters (L) *regular solid in cubic units (cm3) (V= L x W x H)

D. Mass: the amount of matter in an object measured in grams (g). Triple Beam Balance

A. Density Formula: Density = mass/volume (page 1 of Ref. tables) IV. Density: concentration of matter in an object; the ratio of mass to volume. A. Density Formula: Density = mass/volume (page 1 of Ref. tables) Increasing density

Solve the following density problem: the object has a mass of 100 grams. 2 cm 3 cm 6 cm

B. Density Relationships: 1. Size: has no effect on density. As long as you’re dealing with the same substance. density size

2. Temperature: as temperature increases, density decreases.

3. Pressure: As pressure increases, density increases.

4. State of matter: solids are more dense than liquids and gases 4. State of matter: solids are more dense than liquids and gases. (except water, most dense at 4 deg. Cel. as a liquid)

V. Exponential/Scientific Notation: a shorter method of expressing very large or small numbers. A. Steps of Scientific Notation: 1. Move the decimal so there is only one number to its left. 2. Count the number of spaces you moved the decimal and that is your power of 10. * If the decimal is moved from the left your power of 10 is negative.

A. Steps of percent deviation: VI. Percent Deviation/Error: a way of comparing a measurement error to the (actual/accepted) value for that measurement. (page 1 of the Ref. Tables) A. Steps of percent deviation: 1. Find the diff. between the measured value and the accepted. 2. Divide that answer by the accepted value and multiple by 100.

VI. Classification Systems: Group objects based on shared characteristics.