General Science Flashcards
(22 cards)
counter-example
An example that contradicts a conclusion
Hypothesis
An educated guess that attempts to explain an observation or answer a puestion
scientific theory
An explanation of the natural world that has been thoroughly tested and is supported by a significant amount of evidence
scientific law
A description of the a natural phenomenon or principle that is supported by a significant amount of evidence and often includes mathematical terms
experimental variable
An aspect of an experiment that changes during the course of the experiment
control
The variable of part of an experiment to which all others will be compared.
Blind experiments
Experiments in which information about the test is kept from the participants to reduce bias
double-blind experiments
Experiments in which neither the experimenters nor the participants know the objects’ identities in the setup
What are the steps of the scientific method?
- observation and question
- background research
- construct hypothesis
- Test hypothesis with experiment
- analyze results/Draw conclusion
What determines the rate at which objects fall?
air resistance, shape and size
If you dropped any two objects in a place with no air would they fall at the same rate?
In the absence of air, ALL object, regardless of weight or shape, fall at the same rate.
A scientist performs an experiment and comes to a conclusion. Later, someone else performs more experiments and comes up with a counter-example. What does this demonstrate about scientific conclusions?
scientific conclusions are not 100% settle
God gave instructions to the priests in the old testament about cleansing after touching a dead body. Given what semmelweis and other scientist after him discovered about germs, why would God give his people those instructions?
so that gems wont spred
Summarizing the account of Lowell and his hypothesized Martian canals: Although the conclusions of science are not always ______, science is a very worthwhile endeavor!
settle
What is the difference between operational science and historical science? Give at least 2 examples of tasks a scientist might perform for each?
Operational science uses observable, repeatable and experiments to try to discover the truth. Historical science relies on relics from the and historical records to try discover the truth.
EX: Observe what happens to an egg when put salt in it.
Observe what happens when put water on dry and soppy penny.
EX: Read the bible.
Dig up artifacts.
Explain this statement in your own words: The confusion caused by different data is not science vs. religion, but worldview vs. worldview.
People come to different conclusions about data based on how they view the world. If you’re a Christian, you believe God is the creator of the world and how it works. If you believe that there is not a creator, then everything happened by chance and there is not a reason that things happen.
Forensic science is when scientific practices are applied to solving a criminal investigations. In some cases, a police will show a set of photos of witnesses and ask him to identify a person he saw committing a crime. The police is not from the city where the crime was committed and has no previous knowledge of the crime. Is this a blind or double-blind procedure? Why do you think so?
This is a double-blind procedure. I think I is a double-blind experiment because the witness does not now who is was and the officer has know idea.
What does soap do to the surface of water?
Soap has an effect on the surface tension of water, breaking the individual water molecules apart.
A scientist is testing if plants can grow well under fluorescent lights. He put a sun flower plant is a room with no window and puts a row of fluorescent light over it. He puts another tray in full sun. He turns of the lights in the evening. The plants were given the same amount of water and at the end of 4 weeks measured the height.
A. which variable in the experiment is being tested.
B. what variables did the scientist try to reduce or eliminate.
A. Type of light.
B. Duration of light, type of seeding, amount of water.
Think back to our experiment with the candle– what is the reaction that happens Why does the candle burn longer a large jar.
The heat of the flame melts the wax neat the wick. Then the liquid wax is vaporized by the flame, turning it into a hot gas. The flame also needs oxygen in order to continue burning. Oxygen is one if the gases in air, along with other gases like nitrogen and carbon dioxide. When about a 1/3 of oxygen is used up, the oxygen concentration is the glass wasn’t high enough and the candle burned out.
What are 3 important things that should be in a data table to make your results easy to read.
- Title
- Measurements
- Label for columes and rows
County Farms is a family business that began growing tomatoes in 2008. Each year, they kept a record of how many tomatoes they produced from their 5-acre of land.
A. What are the units of measure on the graph.
B. Which year was the tomato crop less then the year before.
C.Which year did the farm produce the same amount of tomatoes as the year before.
D. Based on the entire graph and assuming conditions were the same in 2017 as the earlier year, which of these numbers might be a good prediction for the number of bushels produced in 2017?
A. Bushels
B. 2010
C. 2014
D. 11,000
