Earth’s Four Spheres
This sphere is the layer of gases around Earth.
atmosphere
You use sight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell to gather information this way.
An observation?
What is the First step in scientific method after making observation?
Answer: Ask a question
Name 3 types of Variables?
Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
Control Variable
What is a graph ?
A graph is a tool that visually displays data and helps scientists to communicate results.
Rocks, mountains, sand, and soil are parts of this sphere.
geosphere
A student enters class with a wet umbrella. “The umbrella is wet” is an observation; “It is probably raining outside” is this. Explain your answer
It is an inference because the student has not directly observed or see the rain, so the explanation might not be correct.
What is a hypothesis?
Answer; This is an educated guess or prediction that can be tested.
Leo changes the weight of a toy car and measures how fast it rolls down a ramp. What is the dependent variable?
The speed of the toy car.
On a standard bar graph, which axis is horizontal, and which axis is vertical?
The x-axis is horizontal. The y-axis is vertical.
Oceans, rivers, underground water, ice, and water vapor belong to this sphere.
Hydrosphere
A student sees muddy paw prints on the floor and says, “A dog walked through here.” Is the student’s statement an observation or an inference? Explain your answer.
This is an inference, because the student uses the paw prints as evidence but did not directly see a dog walk through.
After an experiment, scientists look at their results to see what they show and conclude. Name this step?
Answer: analyzing the data
Emma tests how different amounts of salt affect how long water takes to boil. Identify the independent and dependent variables.
Independent: amount of salt.
Dependent: time the water takes to boil.
1. What is the main purpose of using bar graph?
2. what does the X-axis and Y-axis usually show on bar graph?
1. It helps to make quick comparisons between different categories.
2. X-axis- different categories
Y- axis- amounts/ numbers
This sphere includes plants, animals, people, and tiny bacteria.
biosphere
Choose the observation:
A. The plant needs water.
B. The plant has three yellow leaves. Explain your choice.
Answer is option B. The number and color of the leaves can be directly observed.
After scientists finish an investigation, they share their results with others. What is this step called?
Answer: Communicating results.
Oliver tests whether a dog barks more at music or at a doorbell. Identify the independent variable, dependent variable, and two constants.
Independent: type of sound.
Dependent: number of barks during a set observation period.
Constants: same dog, sound volume, length of sound, location, or observation time.
Choose the best graph for each:
A. A plant’s height measured each day.
B. Favorite school subjects.
B. The percentage of students choosing each lunch option.
Answer:
A. Line graph
B. Bar Graph
C. Pie chart
Clouds are included in the atmosphere, and water vapor in clouds is also part of this sphere.
hydrosphere
A student describes a plant as “a cactus.” Why is “The plant has green branches, dense thorns, and yellow flowers” a better observation?
Answer: It gives detailed descriptions that can be observed with the senses, rather than only naming the plant.
Mia drops one ball from 1 meter onto tile and another ball from 2 meters onto carpet. She concludes that carpet makes balls bounce higher. Give two reasons her test is unfair.
She changed both the ball and the drop height, in addition to changing the surface. For fair test only variable should be change
What are controlled variables?
The variable that stays the same through out the experiment in order to get fair result
Difference between Pie chart and Line graph?
A pie chart shows parts of a whole, and total value is always equal to 100%
A line graph uses to show changes over time