Science Skills
What are the three skills that scientists use to learn about the world?
Observing, Inferring and Predicting
_____________________ are facts, figures and other evidence gathered through observations.
Data
What is the name of the tool used for measuring mass?
Triple Beam Balance
Volume is the amount of space an object takes up
What is density?
The amount of matter in a certain amount of space
What are the two types of observations scientists can make?
_____________________ are tools scientists can use to organize and interpret data.
Graphs
The SI unit of mass is the
The curved upper surface of a liquid in a tube is called ____________.
Meniscus
How can you find the density of an object?
Mass/Volume
What is the difference between a qualitative and quantitative observation?
Qualitative: Describes the quality something
Quantitative: Involves numbers/measurement
What is a controlled experiment and why is it important to make sure variables are controlled?
A controlled experiment is where you are only manipulating one variable at a time. This is important because it will help get more valid results and answer your scientific question.
Why do scientists prefer to describe matter using mass rather than weight?
Weight changes based on location (ie on the moon vs earth) but mass stays the same (ie dollar bill is always 1 gram)
List the three most common units of volume.
Liters, milliliters, cubic centimeters
Calculate the density of sulfuric acid if 35.4 mL of the acid has a mass of 65.14 g.
D = m/v
D= 65.14g/35.4 mL
1.84 g/mL
Which part of the following sentence is an observation and which part is an inference? Be prepared to explain your thoughts.
The plant is very wilted- probably because nobody remembered to water it.
Observation: The plant is very wilted (uses 5 senses)
Inference: It's wilted because nobody watered it (making an assumption about why it was wilted, based on background knowledge that if you don't water plants they wilt)
Explain the difference between independent/manipulated variables and dependent/responding variables?
Independent/Manipulated Variables: The variable that is changed on purpose in an experiment
Dependent/Responding Variable: Variable that changes in response to the one that is changed
What is the difference between mass and weight?
Mass: A measure of the amount of matter in an object
Weight: A measure of the force of gravity on an object
A pool is 14 cm high, 8 cm long, and 5 cm wide. The tank is filled with water. What is the volume of the water?
14 cm x 8 cm x 5 cm = 560 cm^3
Oil has a density of about 0.93 g/mL, while water has a density of 1 g/mL. Explain why the oil will float on the water.
The oil is less dense than the water, so it will float on top. Also - oil and water do not mix!
What is the difference between a prediction and an inference?
Inference: An educated guess about something you observe, based on your background knowledge
Prediction: Guess about something that will happen, based on previous evidence
What are the steps of the scientific method?
Observation
Question
Hypothesis
Design Experiment
Collect Data
Analyze
Communicate
What is inertia? Describe the relationship between mass and inertia.
An object's resistance to change in motion. The more mass the more inertia.
What are the three different ways to measure the volume of solid objects?
1. The displacement method
2. measure the length, width, and height of the object and multiply
3. measure volume of displaced water
The units of density are usually ____________________ or ____________________.
g/cm^3 or g/mL