1.1 what is science? pre-reading activity - frederick … · 2010-08-20 · 1.1 what is science?...

1.1 What Is Science?

Pre-reading Activity• Many words in

science consist of roots to which prefixes and/or suffixes are added. The root is the key to the words meaning.

• Identify the roots in the vocabulary words on page 2.

• Name other words with the same root.

• Skim the section to find out what the main branches of natural science are.


Copy the concept map and fill it in as you read.


In July 1997, the six-wheeled Sojourner rover became the first robot to explore planet Mars. Sojourner was built to answer questions about the nature of Mars.

Science involves asking questions about nature and then finding ways to answer them.


Predicting

• What will happen if the jar is covered?

• Explain your prediction.

• What invisible substance did you assume in your explanation?


How does the process of science start and end?

Science From Curiosity


Have you ever checked what was living at the bottom of a pond? Taken off the cover of a baseball to see what was inside? Tried putting more chocolate or less in your milk to find out how much would give the best flavor? These are all examples of curiosity, and curiosity is the basis of science.



Science begins with curiosity and often ends with discovery.



• In some experiments, observations are qualitative, or descriptive.

• In other experiments, observations are quantitative, or numerical.

• Some questions—for example, how the universe began—cannot be answered by direct observations and measurements but only by other kinds of evidence.

Curiosity provides questions, but scientific results rely on finding answers.



What is science?

• Science is a system of knowledge and the methods you use to find that knowledge.


What is the relationship between science and technology?

Science and Technology

Science and technology are interdependent. Advances in one lead to advances in the other.


Science is a system of knowledge and the methods you use to find that knowledge. The goal of science is to expand knowledge.

Technology is the use of knowledge to solve practical problems. The goal of technology is to apply knowledge.

Science and Technology


The telephone was invented in 1876. By 1927, it was possible to make a phone call from New York to London. The first mobile telephones, invented during World War II, paved the way for modern cellular phones. At each step, new science was applied to improve the technology of the telephone.


Figure 2• Do you regularly use a

phone with a rotary dial or push buttons?

• How do you think phones have changed between 1955 and 2003?

• What is the difference between cellular and cordless phones?

• How have cellular phones increased the area in which phone service is available?

• How is a telephone an example of both science and technology?

• It is an application of knowledge to solve the problem of long-distance communication. It can be used to demonstrate various areas of study, including the physics of sound and electricity, and the properties of materials.


What are the branches of natural science?

Branches of Science


Natural science is generally divided into three branches: physical science, Earth and space science, and life science.

Branches of Science


• Chemistry is the study of the composition, structure, properties, and reactions of matter.

• Physics is the study of matter and energy and the interactions between the two through forces and motion.

Physical science focuses on nonliving things.


• Geology is the study of the origin, history, structure, and systems of Earth.

• Astronomy is the study of the universe beyond Earth.

The application of physics and chemistry to the study of Earth is called Earth science.


• Biology includes the physics and chemistry of living things, as well as their origin and behavior.

• Biologists study the different ways that organisms grow, survive, and reproduce.

The study of living things is known as biology, or life science.


• Much of biology involves changes that are part of chemistry, while much of chemistry is defined by interactions that are part of physics

• Biophysics is a growing area of physics that applies physics to biology.

• Extra Credit Assignment: Choose an area of biophysics and make a poster that shows how physics and biology contribute to understanding in that specialty.

There is overlap between different areas of science.


The Big Ideas of Physical Science

Space and TimeThe universe is both very old and very big.

Matter and ChangeA very small amount of the universe is matter. All matter that you are familiar with is made up of building blocks called atoms.


The Big Ideas of Physical Science • Make an outline of this section

– Skeleton outline

– Copy the skeleton outline– Fill in details under each main heading

– Use diagrams and flowcharts for sections with details of cycles or processes

– Review after reading to make sure all vocabulary definitions and key concepts are included as main ideas or details under appropriate levels of the outline


Forces and MotionForces cause changes in motion. The laws of physics allow these changes to be calculated exactly.

EnergyEnergy exists in many forms. Energy can be transferred from one form or object to another, but it can never be destroyed.

The Big Ideas of Physical Science


Science and Your Perspective

Science is both a process and a body of knowledge. As more knowledge is added, the models that science uses to describe the universe change.

Be skeptical. Ask questions. Be aware that the scientific facts of today might be changed as knowledge grows. However, believe in the scientific process that has discovered them.


Science and Your Perspective

Myth: al the major discoveries in science have been made, and that current scientific work is only filling in details.

Fact: science still has many unknowns, including how to cure the common cold and predict the weather with certainty.


Assessment questions follow


Assessment Questions

1. An example of technology that is related to the science of physics isa. a radio telescope.b. the law of conservation of energy.c. nuclear fusion in the core of a star.d. the speed of light.



1. An example of technology that is related to the science of physics isa. a radio telescope.b. the law of conservation of energy.c. nuclear fusion in the core of a star.d. the speed of light.

ANS: A



2. Which of the following would not be included among the main ideas of physical science?a. space and timeb. matter and changec. forces, motion, and energyd. living systems and organisms



2. Which of the following would not be included among the main ideas of physical science?a. space and timeb. matter and changec. forces, motion, and energyd. living systems and organisms

ANS: D



1. Natural science is divided into three overlapping branches: physical science, earth and space science, and life science.

TrueFalse



1. Natural science is divided into three overlapping branches: physical science, earth and space science, and life science.

TrueFalse

ANS: T

1.1 what is science? pre-reading activity - frederick … · 2010-08-20 · 1.1 what is science?...

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