Science Sleuths
This testable proposed explanation can be supported or rejected by evidence.
What is a hypothesis?
Wind and sunlight belong to this resource category because they are continually replenished.
What are renewable resources?
“We should protect this forest because it provides people with clean drinking water.” This human-centered argument reflects this ethical perspective
What is anthropocentrism?
This basic unit of an element contains a nucleus and electrons.
What is an atom?
Liquid water changing to water vapor is this water-cycle process.
What is evaporation?
Earth’s rocks, soil, and mantle belong to this sphere.
What is the geosphere?
In a tap-water versus microwaved-water plant experiment, this is the independent variable.
What is the type or treatment of water given?
Unlike wind, this gaseous fossil fuel cannot be replaced on a human timescale.
What is natural gas?
"Every living organism has value, even if it provides no benefit to humans.” This statement reflects this ethical perspective.
What is biocentrism?
A substance with atoms of two or more different elements chemically bonded is this.
What is a compound?
Rain, snow, sleet, and hail reaching Earth are forms of this process.
What is precipitation?
The gases surrounding Earth make up this sphere.
What is the atmosphere?
Plant height and mass measured after two weeks are examples of this kind of variable.
What are dependent variables?
This term describes a group of the same species living in one area at the same time.
What is a population?
“We should protect the entire ecosystem—including its organisms, water, and soil.” This statement reflects this ethical perspective.
What is ecocentrism?
These two nucleic acids store or help transmit genetic information.
What are DNA and RNA?
Water vapor leaving plant leaves enters the atmosphere through this process.
What is transpiration?
All water on Earth, including ice and water vapor, belongs to this sphere.
What is the hydrosphere?
Repeating a study to see whether its findings hold up is this practice.
What is replication?
This measure estimates the biologically productive land and water needed to support resource use and absorb wastes.
What is an ecological footprint?
In the test narrative, this stakeholder group focuses on livestock losses caused by wolves.
Who are ranchers?
These compounds contain only carbon and hydrogen and occur in petroleum.
What are hydrocarbons?
The attraction of water molecules to one another is this property.
What is cohesion?
All living organisms and the regions where life occurs belong to this sphere.
What is the biosphere?
This broad explanation is supported by extensive testing and evidence, rather than being merely a guess.
What is a scientific theory?
Coal, oil, and natural gas share this resource classification.
What are nonrenewable resources?
In the test narrative, this stakeholder group worries about wolves reducing elk available for hunting.
Who are hunters?
This macromolecule group includes fats and oils and is not generally made of repeating monomer chains.
What are lipids?
Ice floats because its density is this compared with liquid water.
What is lower or less dense?
A deer drinks from a stream. These two spheres are interacting.
What are the biosphere and hydrosphere?