Chapter 2 Flashcards
Data
information needed to answer their questions
Scientific Hypothesis
a possible explanation of what scientists observe in nature or in the results of their experiments
Model
an approximate representation or simulation of a system, in this case a deforested valley, being studied
Scientific Theory
A well-tested and widely accepted scientific hypothesis or a group of related hypotheses
Peer Review
Science is a community effort, and an important
part of the scientific process
Scientific Law or Law of Nature
a well-tested and widely accepted description of what we find happening repeatedly in nature in the same way
Tentative Science or Frontier Science
They are not yet considered reliable
Reliable Science
consists of data, hypotheses, models, theories, and laws that are widely accepted by all or most of the scientists who are considered experts in the field under study
Unreliable Science
Scientific hypotheses and results that are presented
as reliable without having undergone the rigors of
widespread peer review, or that have been discarded as a result of peer review
Matter
anything that has mass and takes up space
Element
a fundamental type of matter that has a unique set of properties and cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means
Compounds
combinations of two or more different
elements held together in fixed proportions
Atom
the smallest unit of matter into which an element can be divided and still have its characteristic
chemical properties
Atomic Theory
The idea that all elements are made up of atoms
Neutrons
No electrical charge
Protons
Positive electrical charge
Electrons
Negative electrical charge
Nucleus
Each atom consists of an extremely small center
Atomic Number
equal to the number of protons in the nucleus of its atom
Mass Number
the total number of neutrons and protons in its nucleus
Isotopes
The forms of an element having the same atomic number but different mass numbers
Molecule
A second building block of matter
Ion
A third building block of some types of matter ; an atom or a group of atoms with one or more net
positive or negative electrical charges
Acidity
a chemical characteristic that helps determine how a substance dissolved in water will interact with and affect its environment