The Nature of Science

1
Chapter 1

• The Nature of Science

2
1.1 What is Earth Science

• Science
• Means having knowledge
• Definition a process of observing and studying
  things in our world
• Many cant be explained easily
• Answers the questions
• How, why, what, when, and which

3
1.1 Continued

• Collecting scientific knowledge
• Began with humans studying their surroundings
• Used their senses to make observations

4
1.1 Continued

• Today we use technology
• Microscopes magnify small objects
• Satellites take photographs and transmit images
• Telescopes used to see objects in the far
  distance

5
1.1 Continued

• Computers store and analyze gathered
  information
• The Major Sciences
• Sciences commonly studied in earth science
• Chemistry study of matter
• Life science study how living things affect
  their environment and their surroundings

6
1.1 Continued

• Physics study of movement
• Earth Science
• Definition the study of Earth and space
• Topics studied
• Transfer of energy in the Earths atmosphere

7
1.1 Continued

• The evolution of landforms
• Patterns of change that cause weather
• The scale and structure of stars
• The interactions that occur among the water,
  atmosphere, and land

8
1.1Continued

• Four areas of Earth Science
• Geology
• Study of Earth, its matter, and the processes
  that form and change Earth

9
1.1 Continued

• Volcanoes, earthquakes, maps, fossils, mountains,
  rock types, glaciers, and land use
• Geologist person that studies geology

10
1.1 Continued

• Meteorology
• Study of weather and the forces and processes
  that causes it
• Storm patterns, climates, factors that causes
  daily weather
• Meteorologist person that studies meteorology

11
1.1 Continued

• Astronomy
• The study of objects in space, including stars,
  planets, and comets
• Early only described the positions of stars and
  planets

12
1.1 Continued

• Today technology allows us to find answers to
  the beginnings of the universe
• Astronomer person that studies astronomy

13
1.1 Continued

• Oceanography
• Study of Earths oceans
• Research the physical and chemical properties of
  ocean water
• Study the processes that occur within oceans and
  the effects humans have on these processes

14
1.2 Applying Science

• Technology and You
• Technology is the use of scientific discoveries
• Produced robots, synthetic fibers, calculators,
  radar, sonar and computers

15
1.2 Continued

• Technology is transferable
• Transferable -technology can be applied to new
  situations
• The discoveries are used later to develop new
  things that we use everyday

16
1.2 Continued

• The Effects of Technology
• Humans use technology to change our surroundings
  on a large scale to meet our needs

17
1.2 Continued

• Technology Can Cause Problems
• Can create water, air, and soil pollution
• Causes soil erosion and changes in weather
  patterns
• Loss of jobs available

18
1.3 Solving Problems

• Problem-solving Strategies
• One Approach
• Must have a strategy
• Two steps required
• Identify the problem
• Collect information about the problem

19
1.3 Continued

• Other strategies
• Might eliminate possibilities
• Use trial and error
• Look for patterns by organizing data or
  information
• Make a model, graph, or drawing to help you
  visualize the problem

20
1.3 Continued

• Critical Thinking
• Critical thinking skills
• Process used to solve problems
• Identify the problem
• Gather the information
• Separate the important information from the
  unimportant information

21
1.3 Continued

• Improving your critical thinking skills
• Use the flex your brain model
• On page 15 in your textbook

22
1.3 Continued

• Flex your brain model
• What is the topic?
• What do I already know?
• Ask a question
• Guess an answer

23
1.3 Continued

• How sure are you?
• How can I find out?
• Explore do research
• Do I think differently than before?
• What do I know now?
• Share your information

24
1.3 Continued

• Using Scientific Methods
• Steps in a scientific method
• Identify the problem
• Gather information
• Make a hypothesis
• An ifthen statement with a prediction

25
1.3 Continued

• Experiment
• Gather and analyze data
• Draw a conclusion
• Publish your results

26
1.3 Continued

• Variables and Control
• Experiments should test only one variable at a
  time
• Variable a changeable factor in an experiment

27
1.3 Continued

• Experiments must have a control
• Control a standard used for comparison
• Use the same steps, but you eliminate the
  variable

28
1.3 Continued

• Example
• Problem soil erosion
• Gather data about soil erosion
• If soil erosion is related to the type of
  vegetation present, then grass will allow the
  least amount of soil erosion.

29
1.3 Continued

• Experiment
• Variable type of vegetation present
• Controls amount of rainfall, slope, soil type
• Gather and analyze the data from the experiment

30
1.3 Continued

• Determine the best type of vegetation to prevent
  soil erosion
• Publish your findings

31
1.3 Continued

• Theories and Laws
• Both are developed from tested hypotheses
• Theory an explanation backed by results
  obtained from repeated tests or experiments
• A hypothesis that has been supported every time

32
1.3 Continued

• Law well-tested description of the behavior of
  something in nature
• Predict or describe what will happen in a given
  situation but doesnt explain why something
  happens in a given situation

33
1.4 Measurement and Safety

• Measurement
• In science there was a need for standard units of
  measurement
• The International System of Units (SI system) was
  developed

34
1.4 Continued

• These measurements are known and recognized
  worldwide
• They are in metric units
• Based on a decimal system that uses 10 as the
  base unit

35
1.4 Continued

• Pneumonic device
• King kilo- (thousand)
• Henry hecta- (hundred)
• Drank deca- (ten)
• Unbelievably base unit
• Delicious deci- (tenth)
• Chocolate centi- (one hundredth)
• Milk milli- (one thousandth)

36
1.4 Continued

• Mass the amount of matter in an object
• Weight the gravitational force on mass

37
1.4 Continued

• Gravity attractive forces that exists between
  all objects
• On earth 9.8m/s
• On moon 1/6th of earths gravity
• First described by Sir Isaac Newton

38
1.4 Continued

• Area length x width
• Volume length x width x height
• Standard unit for solids cm3
• Standard unit for liquids mL
• Density mass / volume
• Standard unit (g/cm3) or (g/mL)

39
1.4 Continued

• Temperature
• Measure of how hot or cold something is
• Standard unit is the Kelvin
• Absolute zero is the coldest
• Symbol is K

40
1.4 Continued

• Scientists use the Celsius scale
• 0 degrees freezing
• 100 degrees boiling point of water
• 37 degrees body temperature

41
1.4 Continued

• Conversions
• Degrees Celsius to degrees Kelvin
• degrees Celsius 273.16 Kelvin
• Degrees Kelvin to degrees Celsius
• Degrees Kelvin 273.16 Celsius

42
1.4 Continued

• Degrees Celsius to degrees Fahrenheit
• Degrees Celsius x 1.8 32 Fahrenheit
• Degrees Fahrenheit to degrees Celsius
• (Degrees Fahrenheit 32) / 1.8 Celsius