1. Unit 1 Lesson 5 What Are Some Science Tools?
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 1

2. Unit 1 Lesson 5 What Are Some Science Tools?
Field Trips
Field scientists go “on location” to investigate the natural world.
Field scientists may use tools such as a collecting net, a hand lens, and a camera to complete and record investigations.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 2

3. Unit 1 Lesson 5 What Are Some Science Tools?
Into the Lab
In the lab, computers and other heavy or expensive instruments can be used to complete investigations.
Some instruments used by scientists in the lab include light microscopes, droppers, electron microscopes, and pipettes.
All scientists must be comfortable using numbers to complete investigations.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 3

4. Unit 1 Lesson 5 What Are Some Science Tools?
Light Microscopes
Microscopic things are too small to see with just your eyes.
Light microscopes magnify things, or make them look bigger.
The object is placed on a glass slide and light passes through the object and two lenses. The eyepiece helps to focus the image.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 4

5. Dropper A dropper is a tube with a rubber bulb on one end.
Unit 1 Lesson 5 What Are Some Science Tools?
Dropper
A dropper is a tube with a rubber bulb on one end.
Liquids can be sucked up the tube and dropped out of the tube by squeezing and releasing the bulb.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 5

6. Unit 1 Lesson 5 What Are Some Science Tools?
Electron Microscope
A scanning electron microscope (SEM) can magnify an object up to 1 million times.
The SEM shoots a beam of electrons at the object.
An image of the surface of the object appears on the computer screen.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 6

7. Unit 1 Lesson 5 What Are Some Science Tools?
Pipette
Pipettes are similar to droppers, but are more exact and can add or remove very small amounts of liquids.
Markings on a pipette can help a scientist measure the volume of a liquid.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 7

8. Unit 1 Lesson 5 What Are Some Science Tools?
Measuring Up
When you measure, you make an observation involving numbers and units.
Scientists use International System (SI) units, or the metric system, to make observations involving numbers.
Metric system units are based on multiples of 10.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 8

9. Measuring Length Length is the distance between two points.
Unit 1 Lesson 5 What Are Some Science Tools?
Measuring Length
Length is the distance between two points.
The base metric unit of length is the meter.
Rulers, metersticks, calipers, and tape measures are tools used to measure length.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 9

10. Measuring Time Time describes how long events take.
Unit 1 Lesson 5 What Are Some Science Tools?
Measuring Time
Time describes how long events take.
The base unit of time is the second.
Clocks, stopwatches, timers, and calendars are some of the tools used to measure time.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 10

11. Measuring Temperature
Unit 1 Lesson 5 What Are Some Science Tools?
Measuring Temperature
Temperature describes how hot or cold something is.
Scientists measure temperature in degrees Celsius. Another unit used to measure temperature is degrees Fahrenheit.
Thermometers are used to measure temperature.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 11

12. Unit 1 Lesson 5 What Are Some Science Tools?
Balances
A balance is a tool used to measure mass. A pan balance is a type of a balance.
Mass is the amount of matter in an object. The base unit of mass is the kilogram.
A triple-beam balance is more exact than a pan balance. An electronic balance calculates the mass of an object and displays the mass on a screen.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 12

13. How Strong? A spring scale measures force, or a push or a pull.
Unit 1 Lesson 5 What Are Some Science Tools?
How Strong?
A spring scale measures force, or a push or a pull.
The force of gravity, or an object’s weight, is measured when an object hangs from the scale.
The base unit of force is called a newton.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 13

14. More Measuring Units of Volume
Unit 1 Lesson 5 What Are Some Science Tools?
More Measuring
Units of Volume
Volume is the amount of space that a solid, liquid, or gas takes up.
The base metric units for measuring volume are the cubic meter and the liter.
The cubic meter is one meter long, one meter high, and one meter wide. The liter is the base unit often used to measure the volume of liquids.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 14

15. Unit 1 Lesson 5 What Are Some Science Tools?
Finding Volume
One cubic centimeter (cm3) is equal to one milliliter (mL).
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 15

16. Unit 1 Lesson 5 What Are Some Science Tools?
Finding Volume
Volume of a rectangular prism: Multiply the length times width times height of that object.
Volume of an irregular solid: Put water in a graduated cylinder and note the volume. Add the object and note the new volume.
The volume of the object is equal to the final liquid volume minus the starting liquid volume.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 16

17. Unit 1 Lesson 5 What Are Some Science Tools?
Finding Volume
Liquid volume can be measured using a measuring cup, beaker, or graduated cylinder.
Liquids form a meniscus, or curve, in a graduated cylinder.
Always measure volume from the center of the meniscus.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 17

18. Accurate Measurements
Unit 1 Lesson 5 What Are Some Science Tools?
Accurate Measurements
When a measurement is close to the true size, it is accurate.
To measure accurately, handle tools properly and use the tools the same way every time.
Also, make sure to measure to the smallest place value the tool allows, measure twice, and record measurements carefully.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 18