Introduction to Science

1. Introduction to Science Chapter One

2. Science has many branches.

3. Scientists describe the universe by performing logical experiments, comparing their experiments to others, and making predictions from the results.

4. Wilhelm Roentgen posed just such a study with the cathode ray tube in 1895.

5. Scientists who do experiments to learn for the sake of knowledge are studying pure science.

6. Engineers look for ways to put this knowledge to practical use. This is technology.

7. Scientists sometimes discover scientific laws which can be verified by repeated experiments and can be used to predict how systems will behave.

8. Laws tell what will happen. Scientific theories explain how processes happen. Scientific theories are constantly being examined and questioned.

9. Mathematics is often used to describe quanitative systems in science.

10. Sometimes theories are completely revised because of new discoveries. Such was the case of the caloric theory and the formation of the kinetic theory.

11. Scientists often use models to describe and study systems that are too big, too small, or too complex to be illustrated easily.Complicated models such as computer simulations can be very complex and replace experiments to make predictions.

12. The Way Science Works Section Two

13. One of the most important science skills is the ability to think logically. This is called critical thinking

15. Scientists use controlled experiments to test their hypothesis. They attempt to keep each varible in the experiment constant or under control. They then change one varible (the independent varible) and measure the change that it causes in another varible (the dependent varible.

16. Scientists constantly keep their main question in mind however they constantly adjust their experiments to prevent bias.Sometimes they offer their experiment for peer review to help accomplish this.

17. Scientists may use special tools such as: • Telescopes • Spectroscopes • Particle accelerators • Precise balances • Exact calipers

18. Scientists use the SI System of Measurement so that their results can be compared world wide regardless of language barriers.

20. Combinations of base units are called derived units. Such as meters per second.

21. Scientists must be able to convert one unit to another.

22. Organizing Data Section Three

23. To illustrate and study data, scientists often make graphs.

24. Scientists use line graphs to show data that is changing. The independent varible is plotted along the x axis and the dependent varible is plotted along the y axis.

25. A bar graph is used to compare several similar items or events.

26. A pie chart is used to display data that is parts of a whole.

27. Scientists sometimes express very large or very small numbers as scientific notation. This is a number between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of 10.2.35 x 106

28. Scientists use exact instruments to gain precision in their measurement. Precision is represented by significant figures.

29. The agreement of a scientist’s findings with known factors is called accuracy. This is reflected by the care taken in the control of the experiment.