Tools of Science (Chapter 1)

Student Learning Objectives Differentiate between science and non-science (pseudoscience) Apply the scientific method Develop some tools for interpreting data

What is science?  Science is not simply a collection of facts, but rather an objective process of quantifying what we observe.  The outcomes of science are laws and theories with repeatable results.  Tested  Verified

Practice What are some examples of science?

How is science done? Measurements Observations Experiments  Each scientist must be able to obtain the same results. Observation  Hypothesis/Prediction  Experiment  Theory  Law Example: Example: Setting Sun

Practice 1) What is the goal of science? 2) The scientific method is a circular process. Explain 3) What do you think happens if scientists cannot obtain the same results?

More Practice 4) Can the scientific method be used to answer all questions? 5) What is pseudoscience?

What is the measurement system used in science? Measurements are an objective tool.  Standard units in science utilize the metric system.  Each factor of ten difference results in a single move of the decimal.

(Multiply by 10’s) (Divide by 10’s)

UnitMultipleConversions kilometer1 km = 10 3 m1 km = 1000 m centimeter1 cm = 10 −2 m100 cm = 1 m millimeter1 mm = 10 −3 m1000 mm = 1 m micron1 mm = 10 −6 m1,000,000 mm = 1 m nanometer1 nm = 10 −9 m

Practice 1) How many centimeters are in 1 kilometer? 2)How many nanometers are in 2 centimeters? 3) A length of 5 millimeters would be what number of meters? 4) The average person is 75 kilograms. How many grams is this?

3 Dimensions  Three measurements are used to define an object's size in three dimensional space (x, y, z).

LengthAreaVolume Length: 1 measurement in one dimension Area: 2 measurements in two different dimensions Volume: 3 measurements in the three different dimensions mm3m3 m2m2

Example: Example: Size of a desk  Equations show how quantities are related. F = ma  Equations, and measurements, describe the universe objectively. (quantitatively) Why are equations and units important in science?

 Units are the description of what was measured. (60)  Conversion factors can be used to change common units to scientific units. Common Measurement Metric Conversion mile1 mile = 1609 meters inch1 inch = 2.54 centimeters pound pound = 1 Newton

Practice 1)A car on the freeway is traveling at 65 mph. a)How many km/hr is this? b)How many m/s is this? 2) A room measures 10 feet by 12 feet. How many square meters of carpet would be needed for this room?

What do graphs show?  Graphs show how data is related and indicate a mathematical formula, the equation. Linear y = x

Quadratic y = x 2 Inverse Square y = 1 x 2

Practice Use the data to construct and interpret a graph. What is the relationship of the graph? How would you interpret the graph (what does it show)?