1. Theories, Models, and Laws – Oh, my!

2. What is a scientific theory? a well-supported explanation about the natural world.

3. What does it really mean? A scientific theory EXPLAINS WHY or HOW something happens.

4. Example 1: The Big Bang Theory – more than just a TV show. – it is the idea that the universe started as a very dense ball of matter and exploded outward and formed the universe as we know it. Edwin Hubble and others proved the universe is still expanding today!

5. Example 2: Darwin’s Theory of Evolution: the theory that all life came from a common ancestor, with specific traits becoming different species. – Natural selection – only the organisms with the best characteristics for survival will survive.

6. Example 3 Plate Tectonics The theory that the Earth’s outer layer is divided into plates which move and carry the continents with them.

7. What is a scientific law? - describes a basic principle of nature that always occurs under certain conditions.

8. What does it really mean? - DESCRIBES WHAT you can expect to happen.

9. Example 1 Law of superposition (geology) – states that each layer of rock is younger than the layer underneath it. Kind of like your laundry hamper

10. Example 2 Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion – – 1. All planets orbit the sun in elliptical orbits.

11. Example 3 Newton’s Laws of Motion: – 1 st Law – an object in motion stays in motion until another force acts on it.

12. Models Not the skinny kind! Illustrate something too big or too small for humans to study easily.

13. Models – what it really means SHOWS how something looks or behaves

14. Example 1

15. Example 2

16. Example 3

17. EXIT TICKET! Using sign language, you’re going to show me you know what we just covered!

18. A.A. an untested idea B.B. an educated guess C.C. an accepted description D.D. a well-supported explanation 2.Which phrase defines a scientific theory?

19. A.Hurricanes get bigger over warm water. B.The eye is the calmest part of the storm. C.Hurricanes have wind speeds greater than 119 km/h. D.Rotating thunderstorms gain energy over warm tropical waters. 3.Which statement belongs in a scientific theory about how hurricanes form?

20. A.In theory, the experiment will work as planned. B. She has a theory about why the storm arrived later than predicted. C. The atomic theory explains that material objects are made up of atoms. D.The doctor’s prescription for curing a cold is based on his best theory or guess. 4.In which statement does the word theory mean scientific theory?

21. A.A. a hypothesis B.B. an observation C.C. a scientific law D.D. a scientific theory 5.The fact that atoms and molecules are always in motion helps scientists explain how solids turn into liquids. What is this explanation an example of?

22. A.A. data model B.B. visual model C.C. conceptual model D.D. mathematical model 6.The following map shows how likely it is for a storm to develop winds that are fast enough to become a tropical storm. The map was made with a computer program that uses weather data and mathematical equations to make predictions about the storm. What type of model is shown in the diagram?

23. A.A. a model B.B. an observation C.C. a scientific law D.D. a scientific theory 17.Scientists need to know how gravity acts on a space shuttle so they can put the space shuttle into orbit. They use an equation that describes how gravity relates to the mass of two objects and the distance between the two objects. Which term describes this equation?

24. A.A. The sun rises in the east. B.B. Why does the sun rise in the east? C.C. The sun appears in the east because of Earth’s rotation pattern. D.D. If the sun appears in the east, then I am in the Western Hemisphere. 18.Bryce observes that the sun always seems to rise in the east. He talks with others and finds that everyone has the same observation. Which statement is a scientific law?