1. General key concepts and misconceptions
Science & Technology
General key concepts and misconceptions

2. What is Science and What do Scientists do?
1. Science emphasizes logic over creativity, imagination, and intuition?
2. Science establishes absolute truth or proof about nature?
3. Science has a method — a how to scheme — for learning about nature?

3. What is Science and What do Scientists do?
Science is?
an assumption that there is discoverable order in nature.
Then use that knowledge to make predictions about what will happen in nature.

4. What are some of the misconceptions and terms?
What is a hypothesis?
It’s a tentative explanation, often based on an educated guess or past experience, for the observed event or relation.
Well ok, but then what’s the difference between a hypothesis and a prediction then?

5. What are some of the misconceptions and terms?
A hypothesis just states that a relationship exists, a prediction further describes the nature of the relationship and how it will go.
Examples…
Concerning the mysterious question in life of why bread always seems to land jelly side down and what factors play a role in that one could come up with the following hypothesis and prediction.

6. What are some of the misconceptions and terms?
The mass of the jelly on a given piece of toast will effect the way in which it will land, either jelly side up or jelly side down.
Compare that to…..
As the mass of jelly increases on a given piece of toast the frequency of jelly side down occurrences will increase.
Which is a hypothesis and which is a prediction and why?

7. What are some of the misconceptions and terms?
A theory
is an idea, principle, or model that usually ties together and explains many facts that previously appeared to be unrelated and is supported by a great deal of evidence.
Ex. Evolution.
Archaeopteryx

8. What are some of the misconceptions and terms?
A law
is a description of what we find happening in nature over and over again with little know exceptions.
Ex. 2 law of thermodynamics or entropy

9. What are some of the misconceptions and terms?
What is the difference between accuracy and Precision?
Accuracy is correct measurements.
Precision is reproducibility

10. How Do Scientists Learn about Nature?
The cookbook method or scientific method?
observe, hypothesis, experiment, analyze, conclude.
However there is no real method instead real science tries to answer these ?’s
What is the question?
What are the relevant facts and data already known?

11. How Do Scientists Learn about Nature?
What new data should be collected and how should this be done?
How can a hypothesis be invented that explains the data and predicts new facts? Is this the simplest and only reasonable hypothesis?
What new experiments can be done to test the hypothesis, so to become a possible theory.

12. Parts of a good experiment!
What are variables or factors?
Something that my influence your experiment.
Independent and dependent variables?
In= what you change, dep = what you measure.
Ex. In my experiment concerning why Jellied bread falls JSD give me examples of what would be your indep and dep variables would be.

13. Parts of a good experiment!
A Controlled experiment contains at least two groups to test the effects of a particular factor.
The groups are the experimental group in which the variable is changed in a known way and a controlled group in which the variable does not change.
What are double blind experiments and placebos.

14. The Nature of Scientific Investigations
Methods of Scientists
The Nature of Scientific Investigations
Test
1. Select a Sample.
2. Determine how the variables will be controlled & measured.
3. Conduct the experiment & observe.
4. Record the results.
Question
Decide what you want to know.
Do Research.
Design a test; Identify & define the variables.
State a hypothesis & make a prediction.
Analyze
Organize the data using graphs, tables and charts.
Look for trends in the data.
Compare the data with the hypothesis & the prediction.
Conclude
Look at the data and form conclusions.
Re-evaluate the hypothesis
Formulate new questions

15. Safety in the Science Classroom
Methods of Scientists
Safety in the Science Classroom
Important Safety Rules 1. 6. 2. 7. 3. 8. 4. 9. 5.
10.
Check safety symbols
Don’t inhale or taste
Safety goggles & aprons
Know fire safety rules
Slant test tubes away
Report spill, accident or injury
Fix hair & loose clothing
Dispose of materials as directed
No eating & drinking
Wash hands with soap

16. Communicating Results
Communicating in Science
Communicating Results
One important goal of science is to make results available to others.
Communicating scientific data and results allows:
others to learn of new discoveries
to possibly verify or argue what has been reported
to conduct new experiments using the information.

17. Communicating Results
Communicating in Science
Communicating Results
Graphs
A line graph is a visual display that shows how two variables are related.
y axis
The independent variable is plotted on the horizontal (x) axis.
The dependent variable is plotted on the vertical (y) axis.
x axis

18. Communicating in Science
Models
A scientific model is an idea, a system, or a mathematical expression that is similar to the idea being explained.

19. Science Ethics and Technology
Can Scientists prove anything?
No, but probability
Are Scientists always objective?
No, they are people too and have motivations.
What is technology?
Involves developing devices, processes, and products designed to control the natural world.

20. The Scope of Earth Science
4 Major Areas of Earth Science:
Astronomy
Meteorology
Geology
Oceanography

21. 1. Astronomy Study of objects beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
Earth Science
1. Astronomy
Study of objects beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
Astronomers study the universe and everything in it.

22. The Scope of Earth Science
2. Meteorology
Studies the atmosphere that surrounds Earth.
Meteorologists study forces and processes that change the atmosphere.
Predict weather and how it might affect Earth’s climate.

23. The Scope of Earth Science
3. Geology
Study of the materials that make up Earth
Studies processes that form and change these materials.
Some things Geologists do…
identify rocks
study glacial movements
interpret clues to Earth’s 4.6 billion-year history
determine how forces change our planet

24. The Scope of Earth Science
4. Oceanography
Study of Earth’s oceans
Earth is nearly 3/4 covered by water
Oceanographers study…
creatures that inhabit salty water
measure different physical and chemical properties of the oceans
study processes in these bodies of water.

25. The Scope of Earth Science
Table 1-1 Some Subspecialties of Earth Science
Subspecialty Subjects Studied
Patterns of weather over a long period of time; effects of human activities on weather and climate
Climatology
Paleontology
Remains of organisms that once lived on Earth; ancient environments
Hydrology
Water flow on and below Earth’s surface; sources of and solutions to water pollution

26. The Scope of Earth Science
Table 1-1 Some Subspecialties of Earth Science
Subspecialty Subjects Studied
Ecology
Habitats of organisms and how organisms interact with each other and their environments
Geochemistry
Earth’s composition and the processes that change it
Tectonics
Effects of internal processes on Earth’s surface, including earthquakes and mountain building