Concepts and Terms
Name a non-renewable natural resource.
oil
Which of the following is not an example of a natural resource?
coal - sunlight - plastic - timber
plastic
What does it mean that science is self-correcting?
As the science community gathers results, it fine-tunes hypotheses and even theories. Sometimes, established ideas are abandoned for a new idea that better fits the data gathered.
We know what renewable and nonrenewable natural resources are, but what is an "in-between" resource?
A resource that can turn nonrewable if it isn't used sustainably.
Define environmentalism
social movement dedicated to protecting the natural world and undesirable changes to the natural world by humans
What does the environment contain?
both living and non-living things
The branch of philosophy that deals with good, bad, right, and wrong is called what?
ethics
What are the similarities and differences between experiments and observational studies?
Similarities: gather data, involve variables
Differences: scientist look for evidence in the natural world that would confirm or contradict the predictions generated by their hypotheses
Why do scientists try to control most variables in an experiment or observational study?
When only one factor is manipulated, it allows the scientist to be more confident that any differences observed were caused by the factor they are investigating.
Define Sustainable
resource that can continue at the same rate into the foreseeable future
Fill in the last spot that is missing:
predicted results/observations =
actual results/observations
__________________________
Lends support
What is the primary difference between a theory and a hypothesis?
A theory is broader than a hypothesis, dealing with a wider range of situations and observations.
Explain the agricultural revolution and how it affected the human population.
live longer and produce more surviving children
Who was Thomas Malthus, and what did he suggest about human population growth?
He was a British economist who claimed that unless population growth was controlled, the number of people would outgrow the available food supply until starvation, war, or disease arose and reduced the population.
Define ecological footprint
An ecological footprint is the impact a person or group has on the environment based on the resources they use and the waste they create.
What are experiments or observational studies in which only one variable is manipulated called?
controlled
The variable a scientist manipulates in an experiment is called what?
independent variable
Explain the Industrial Revolution. (give 2 examples)
Shifted people from a rural lifestyle to an urban lifestyle
Technological advances enabled people o live longer, happier lives
Why do scientists use models?
to generate predictions when they cannot observe a phenomenon directly
Define Scientific theory (3 things)
An idea must effectively explain a phenomenon, make accurate predictions, and have undergone extensive, rigorous testing.
Define hypothesis
a testable idea that attempts to explain a phenomenon or answer a scientific question
Define "the tragedy of the commons"
The idea is that unless resources are regulated, humans will eventually use them up.
A scientist repeats an experiment ten times. Nine out of ten times, the results support her predictions. He thinks he knows what caused the one trial to produce an unexpected result. Should he report all of his results in his paper, or just the nine that supported his hypothesis? Explain
Yes, the scientist should publish all of the data so that another lab attempting to replicate his results can avoid the same error.
What is a worldview, and what impact does it have on science?
Culture, together with personal experiences, influences each person's perception of the world and his or her place within it.
Define environmental ethics
ethical standards to relationships between humans and their environment