Nature of Science
A student says, “The liquid is blue and has a strong smell.” Is this an observation or an inference?
Observation
Rain falls onto a mountain and flows into a river. Which two spheres are interacting?
Atmosphere and hydrosphere
Which layer would you reach first if you traveled downward from Earth’s surface?
Crust
Energy from the Sun travels through space and warms Earth. What type of heat transfer is this?
Radiation
A black shirt and a white shirt are placed in sunlight. The black shirt becomes warmer. What best explains this?
Dark colors absorb more radiant energy.
A student says, “The liquid is probably poisonous because it smells strong.” What is this?
Inference
Plant roots grow through cracks in rocks and break them apart. Which two spheres are interacting?
Biosphere and geosphere
Which layer is liquid and helps create Earth’s magnetic field?
Outer core
A pan heats the handle after sitting on a hot stove. What type of heat transfer is occurring?
Conduction
A student notices that a plant is wilted and concludes that it needs water. Identify the observation and the inference.
Observation: the plant is wilted. Inference: it needs water.
A student changes the amount of sunlight a plant receives and measures its height. Identify the independent and dependent variables.
Independent: amount of sunlight; dependent: plant height
A volcano releases ash and gases into the air. Which two spheres are interacting?
Geosphere and atmosphere
Why can’t scientists simply dig to Earth’s inner core to study it?
It is extremely deep, hot, and under intense pressure.
Warm air rises while cool air sinks. Why does this happen?
Warm air is less dense, while cool air is more dense.
A scientist measures temperature every five minutes. Is this qualitative or quantitative data? Explain.
Quantitative because it uses numbers and units.
A student tests both the amount of water and the type of soil at the same time. Why is this not a fair test?
More than one variable was changed.
Daily Double: A drought causes plants to die, animals to lose food, and rivers to become smaller. Explain how at least three spheres are connected.
The atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere are interacting; the lack of precipitation reduces water, which affects plants and animals.
Put these layers in order from outside to inside: mantle, inner core, crust, outer core.
Crust, mantle, outer core, inner core
How does convection move energy through the atmosphere?
Rising warm air carries energy upward while sinking cool air moves downward.
Greenhouse gases are important because they do what?
They trap some heat in Earth’s atmosphere.
An experiment produces different results each time. Name two things the scientist should check.
Constants, measurement methods, procedure, or amount of materials.
Why is Earth considered a system instead of four completely separate spheres?
The spheres interact and exchange matter and energy.
Scientists use models and seismic evidence to study Earth’s interior. What is one limitation of these methods?
They do not allow scientists to directly observe the actual layers.
DAILY DOUBLE: Explain how uneven heating from the Sun can create wind or air movement.
Uneven heating creates temperature and density differences. Warm, less-dense air rises while cool, denser air sinks, creating movement.
A student wants to know whether fertilizer affects plant growth. Describe a fair test.
Use similar plants, give them the same light and water, change only the fertilizer, and measure their growth.