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Unit 0: Prologue The Nature of Science Note Packet #1

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Name:____________________________ Period:_____ Date:_________ 1. An observation is: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ When you observe, you use your ____________ to take in everything that is happening around you, paying close attention to detail.

Examples: i. The rock is smooth and round. ii. Our Classroom has only one blackboard. iii. Make an observation: ____________________________________________ 2. An inference is ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ In other words, when you infer, you form a conclusion based on something you ____________________. Examples: i. The round and smooth rocks must have been carried here by running water. ii. Since the dog is wagging his tail, he must be happy. iii. Make an inference: ______________________________________________ 3. A prediction is: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Examples: i. An angular rock will eventually become rounded if it stays in the stream. ii. Ms. Gill will wear something stylish tomorrow. 4. Classification: _________________________________________________ We can organize or classify objects according to some pattern or trend or common characteristics.


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5. Measurements: The purpose of this guide is to guide you through converting units in the metric system!

a. What are some measurable properties? __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ b. How do we make measurements? •Our senses are limited by how sensitive or by how accurate they are. To get more detailed information, we use instruments, such as rulers, thermometers, x-rays and telescopes c. The Metric System & Unit Conversion: The fundamental units of the metric system are: For Mass ______________________ For Length ______________________ For Liquid Volume __________________ By changing the prefix used with each unit you can change the size of the unit. We will

use the following prefixes. (There are others for both larger and smaller units.)

_________ _________ _________ basic unit ________ ________ _________

You can remember this by the following sentence.

__________ ________ _________ _______ ________ ________ _________

To convert from any unit to any other unit count how many spaces are between them and move the decimal point that far in the same direction.

Let’s look at the meter stick! How many meters (m) are in a meter (m) stick?___

How many centimeters (cm) are in a meter (m)? ___________

How many millimeters (mm) are in a centimeter (cm) ?__________ Now if there are

100 cm in a meter and 10 mm in a cm how many mm are in a m? __________


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Decimals are used because they are easier to convert than fractions! In the metric system we use abbreviations! Let’s fill them in below!

Length Mass Liquid Volume meter__________ gram__________ liter__________ millimeter_______ milligram______ milliliter______ centimeter______ -------------- -------------kilometer_______ kilogram_______ kiloliter________

Let’s practice some unit conversions now! Convert the following!

1. 10 mm = ________________ cm 2. 1 km = ________________ m 3. 1000 ml = ________________ L 4. 12 g = ________________ kg

5. 3.9 kg = _________________ mg 6. 89.3 cm = _______________ mm

6. Rounding: The first step in rounding is figuring out what place to round to and where that place is located. You must remember these place values:

2 , 6 4 3 , 9 7 5 , 8 6 4 . 9 3 1

Rounding Procedure: Step 1: Find the location of place that you are asked to round to. Lets call it: Sparky. Step 2: Look at the number to the right of this place lets call it the Boss. Step 4: If the boss is a 4 or lower, leave Sparky alone. If the Boss is 5 or higher, round the Sparky up one value.

Here is a rhyme to help you remember: “Four and below, let it go. Five and above give it a shove”

For Example: Round 7.289 to the nearest tenth: Answer: 7.3

Practice: Round to the nearest tenth:

1) 29.45: _______ 2) 711.319: ________ 3) 9.999: _________

Round to the nearest hundredth:

4) 0.745: ________ 5) 1.67234: _______ 6) 10.4637: _______

Round to the nearest ones:

7) 30.19: __________ 8) 8,799.99: ________ 9) 2.94: __________


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7. Mass : __________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________ •It is how much “stuff” the object is made of, the number of atoms in it. a. How do we measure mass? Can we count the atoms one by one? Nope!!! Instead we use a triple beam balance that gives us a value usually in grams.

b. Is Weight the same as Mass? Weight is NOT the same as mass, but weight is used to measure the mass of an object on the Earth. Think about what would happen if you weighed your self on the moon. You would weight less because there is less gravity pulling you down onto the scale, even though your mass did not change. To play with an interactive virtual triple beam balance like we did in class go to: http://www.touchspin.com/chem/DisplayTBB.html To find out your weight on other planets and moons visit this site: http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/weight/

8. Inertia: __________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________ We will learn more about this concept when we learn about Sir Isaac Newton and his three laws!


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9. Temperature: __________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

There are 3 different systems to measure temperature: 1) English Units: Fahrenheit Degrees (F°) 2) Metric Units: Celsius Degrees (°C) 3) Kelvin Units (K) Fahrenheit Celsius Kelvin Water Freezes Water Boils Absolute zero

Typically the faster the molecules vibrate with in a sample of matter the hotter it is. Let’s model this with our hands!

10. States of matter What variable determines the 3 states of Matter? ________________________

The three phases of Matter are:

___________________ ___________________ ___________________


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11. Area: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Formula for Area= L x W L: Length, the longer dimension of an 2 D object usually measured in meters, centimeters or millimeters. W: Width, the shorter dimension of a 2D object. Note that the units will always end up squared! Example: 4mm x 2mm = 8mm2

Lets practice finding the area! Always follow these Steps: Step 1: Write the formula Example: Area = L x W Step 2: List all the variables including the unknown, WITH UNITS. Example: L = 4mm W= 2mm A= ?

Step 3: Plug in the numbers, WITH UNITS. Example: A=4mm x 2mm Step 4: Calculate WITH UNITS. Example: A= 8mm2

Step 1:__________________ Step 2: _________________ Step 3: _________________ Step 4:__________________

Step 1:__________________ Step 2: _________________ Step 3: _________________ Step 4:__________________

7 cm

7 cm

4 m

9 m


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12. Volume:

-The amount of _______ a 3D object takes up! -For solid cubes and boxes Volume is equal to: ____________________. -Note that, depending on the size of the object the units may be either cm3 or m3 either way the its expressed in cubic units. -But for liquids, volume is measured in _________ using a beaker or graduated cylinder.

There are rules to reading beaker or graduated cylinder:

Fluid Displacement •It is easier to measure irregular shaped objects using fluid displacement.

In order to measure this irregularly shaped rock you would drop it in a beaker filled with water and measure the change in volume or how much water the object displaces.

1. Read it at eye level

2. You must read the meniscus to obtain an accurate result. Due to cohesion (sticky) properties of fluids, the edges of the fluid touching the glass will slightly rise.

Meniscus: 73 mL

Factors that affect Volume: 1) Temperature Heating a material will cause it to expand and take up more space because the molecules need more room to move around. Therefore increasing temperature will increase volume. _________________ Cooling a material will result in the opposite. So decreasing temperature will decrease volume. ____________________ Think about how your rings fit in the winter… they seem to be bigger! 2) Pressure: Increasing pressure will force molecules closer together there by decreasing volume. ______________________ Decreasing pressure will allow molecules to spread out and take up more space thereby increasing volume. _________________ Let’s model this with a sponge.


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13. Density: __________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

• It tells us how tightly packed the molecules are, or how close to each other they are. If they are packed tightly, the density is high.

So how do you solve a math problem in science class using a formula?

Step 1: Write the formula Example: Density = Mass/Volume or D=M/V

Step 2: List all the variables including the unknown, WITH UNITS.

Example: D=? M = 38.0g

V = 12.0cm3

Step 3: Plug in the numbers, WITH UNITS. Example: D=38.0g/12.0cm3

Step 4: Calculate WITH UNITS.

Example: D=3.2g/cm3

Example: If an object has a mass of 13.4 grams and a volume 5.7 cm3 what is the density? Write out each step next to the corresponding number

1. 3.

2. 4.

•The unit for measuring density is grams per cubic centimeter, or g/cm³ •Density = Mass Volume


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14. More on Density:

•Each pure substance has its own particular density and it can be used to help identify that material at room temperature.

•For example, liquid water has a density of 1g/cm³ because 1cm³ of water weighs 1 gram. One cm³ of water also occupies 1ml.

•solid quartz has a density of 2.7 g/cm³ Mixtures do not have a precise density. -Fluids tend to layer based on their density, with less dense fluid on top of more dense

fluid. Can you think of any examples? ____________________________

Let’s check out this video: •http://www.eram.k12.ny.us/education/components/docmgr/default.php?sectiondetailid=

17500&fileitem=4738&catfilter=445

Why does density matter? If a warm gust of wind meets cold air, will the warm air go above or below the cold air? •Since hot air is less dense it will rise! •And Cold air sinks because it is denser than warm air •A similar process happens when you boil water

This rising and sinking of fluids due to density and temperature differences is called _________________________. We will touch upon this concept many times through out the year.

13.Factors that affect Density A. Temperature: •Cooling a material causes its molecules to move closer together, making its volume decrease and causing its density to increase. ___________________ •Heating a material causes its molecules to move apart making its volume increase and causing the density to decrease. ___________________ •Note that Mass is staying the same!!! B. Pressure: •Increasing the pressure (squeeze) on a material causes its molecules to get pushed closer together, decreasing the volume, making the density increase. __________________ •Decreasing the pressure causes the opposite effect, since molecules move further apart, it becomes less dense. •Again, note mass remains the same! ______________________________________________


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15. Density at Different Phases

•As a material is heated, it changes from solid to liquid.

• More heat changes the liquid to gas. The molecules move farther apart, so the volume increases, causing the density to decrease.

General Rule of Thumb: Solids are most dense, gases are least dense

The ONLY exception to this rule is water!!! •As water cools, its volume decreases until it reaches 4° C. • As it cools from 4° C to 0° C, its volume actually increases, so it becomes less dense again. •Water is most dense at 4°C, but is still a liquid. •This is due to my buddy Mr. Hydrogen Bond, you will meet him in Chemistry •Water at 0°C is solid ice, but is less dense than water, so ice floats!! •Water is the only material whose solid form will float in its liquid form. •This is why the top of a puddle, or a lake freezes first.

16. Does size affect density of an object? •You can NEVER change the density of a material by cutting it into pieces. •Since change both volume and mass, the ratio will remain the same, therefore each small piece will have the same density as the original large one.


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17. Let review some crucial relationships!!! •Temp. Volume Density l •Pressure Volume Density l l •Temp. Volume Density l •Pressure Volume Density

You must understand and know these by heart!!!

•Direct Relationship: both variables “move in the same direction” They both increase or both decrease.

•Inverse Relationship: Variables “move in opposite directions”. One variable goes up and the other goes down.

•Constant Variable: One variable changes, but the other remains the same.

•Parabola: As one variable increases, the other increases and then decreases.

18. Graphing:


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19. More on charts and Graphs:


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20. Change: •When something observed is different from when it was last observed

Frames of reference to study change: •What has caused the change? •Time and Space. •An example is: The Earth’s moon changes because we observe it in different locations in the sky and in different phases at different times during a month.

Cyclic Change •Changes that repeat over and over in a known period of time. •Examples are: seasons, sun motions, moon and tides •Most changes are cyclic and they are very good to use when we are trying to make predictions Cyclic: repeats at known intervals

Rate of Change: •How fast did the change happen? How much a measurable aspect of the environment, called a field, is altered over a given amount of time – years, hours, or seconds.

Non-cyclic Changes:

•Changes that do not repeat at all or do not repeat in a known period of time. •Some examples are: Earthquakes and Hurricanes.


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21. Scientific Method: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Steps: Examples:

1. State the Problem. -always in the form of a question

2. Gather information. -observations, research, brainstorming

3. Develop a Hypothesis. -based on observations and research -Statement, NOT a question! -can be tested

Write you hypothesis here: __________________________________________________________________________________________ Class hypothesis: __________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Are both plants the both plants the same species 2. ________________________________________________________ 3. ________________________________________________________

I observe two plants growing in my house. One is taller than the other. __________________________________________________________________________________________


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________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Analyze & Interpret Results -Use graphs or charts to see trends in data.

5. Observe & Record Data Use tables and note to record observations and measurements.

4. Test your Hypothesis -design an experiment -make sure your experiment test your hypothesis.

7. Conclusion -based on observations and results.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________


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22: Experimental Design:

When designing an experiment, a scientist must test only one factor at a time.

Variable: one _____________________________________________ being tested.

Control Group Experimental Group _____________________ conditions Identical to ________________ group

EXCEPT for one __________________ being tested

Used for ___________________ Used to generate results. Independent Variable: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Dependent Variable: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


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23. How to make a graph It's probably better to do a graph in pencil first, then in pen.

1. Collect your data. After you have it all in one place, you should have one independent variable (like time) and one dependent variable (like something you measure as a function of time). Here are some points we will use as an example; we've measured position of a ball as a function of time:

time (s) position (cm) 1 3.0 2 3.4 3 4.8 4 5.0 5 5.3

2. Determine the range of your data. In order to determine how big a graph to make, we need to determine how much the numbers vary. In this case, time varies from 1 to 5 seconds, and position varies from 3.0 to 5.3 cm. We have to make sure that there is enough space on the graph to fit all the data. 3. The independent variable (time, in this case) will go on the x-axis (the one parallel to the bottom of the page), and the dependent variable (position, in this case) will go on the y-axis (parallel to the left hand side of the page). So, draw axes that are big enough for all the data. 4. Give your graph a Title. Titles of graphs are usually "Y versus X"; so in this case, our title is "Position versus Time." (NOT position divided by time, or position minus time.) 5. Label your graph and your axes. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! When presented with your graph, other people should be able to figure out what is plotted without asking you. 6. Labels on the axes must have units! So, in this case, the label on the x axis (the one on the bottom) should be "Time (seconds)" and the label on the y axis (the one on the left) should be "Position (centimeters)." 7.Remember to write the numbers on the graph, too. The numbers should be evenly and logically spaced - what I mean by this is the following: for our position data here, the y-axis should be marked off in increments like (1,2,3,4,5,6) or (2,4,6,8), NOT (1.3, 2.6, 4.8,...) or anything else weird.

8. Plot your data. Now, go ahead and place your data points on the graph. Make them big enough to be seen, but not big enough to look like you were eating pizza while making your graph.


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9. Draw a "line of best fit." THIS DOES NOT MEAN CONNECT THE DOTS! Only rarely will a graph need to have the data points connected by a jagged line. Usually, it is best to guess at a (straight) line that goes as near as possible to as many points as possible. (See example.) THE ORIGIN IS NOT ALWAYS INCLUDED AS A POINT! And, sometimes there will be a LOT of scatter and it might not be clear where a line should go. Now you're done with your graph, but you're not finished yet.

10. Think about what your graph means. What type of relationship do the variables have?

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