1. Observation and Measurement
of the Environment
(Topic I)

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

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

5. Write 3 observations and 3 inferences about this picture.

6. 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)

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

8. 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

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

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

11. 2. Temperature: as temperature increases, density decreases.

12. 3. Pressure: As pressure increases, density increases.

13. 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)

14. 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.

15. 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.

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