1. Review: What is Science?

2. What is Science? Science is a process! It is something that you DO! It is a way to investigate, understand, and explain the natural world by: – Collecting and organizing information – Proposing explanations that are testable It is an ongoing process that is always changing!

3. Skills of a Scientist It all begins with questions Making observations using senses Gathering data – Quantitative and qualitative

4. Measurement Science uses the metric system – decimal system scaled on multiples of 10 – International System of Units or SI units – Meter, gram, liter

5. Measurement Common UnitsTools LengthMeter, cm, kmRuler, meter stick MassGram, mg, kgBalance, scale VolumeLiter, mlGraduated cylinder TemperatureCelsiusThermometer

6. Metric Prefixes 10 9 GIGA1,000,000,000 10 6 MEGA1,000,000 10 3 KILO1,000 10 2 HECTO100 10 1 DEKA10 10 -1 DECI.1 10 -2 CENTI.01 10 -3 MILLI.001 10 -6 MICRO.000 001 10 -9 NANO.000 000 001 10 -12 PICO.000 000 000 001 Standard SI Units (m, g, L) Larger Smaller

7. Skills Cont’d Using data to make inferences – logical interpretations Forming hypotheses – proposed explanations – MUST BE TESTABLE!!! (either through controlled experiments or data collecting)

8. Controlled Experiments only one variable changed at a time – Independent (Manipulated) Variable – deliberately changed; what you are testing – Dependent (Responding) Variable – changes in response to independent variable Must have a control group – IV not applied; used for comparison

9. Skills Cont’d Recording and analyzing results – Notes – Drawings/diagrams – Tables and Graphs Drawing Conclusions – The hypothesis is either supported or refuted

10. Communicating Results Peer Review – scientists critique each others work Scientists publish in scientific journals Important so that experiments can be duplicated Allows for collaboration in the science community Science is SOCIAL!

11. Theories Theory - a well tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observations – Well supported with evidence – Generally accepted in the science community – May be supported further, revised, or replaced as new discoveries are made