Scientific Skills and Inquiry
What are the three main skills scientists use to learn about the natural world?
Observing, inferring, and predicting.
What is the SI unit for length?
Meter (m).
What is a physical change?
A change that alters form or state but does not create a new substance.
What is energy?
The ability to do work or cause change.
Why is preparation important before performing a lab?
To ensure safety and understand equipment and procedures.
What kind of observation uses numbers or measurements?
Quantitative observation.
What prefix means one-thousandth (1/1,000)?
Milli-.
Which of the following is NOT a physical change: melting ice, burning wood, crushing a can, or dissolving sugar in water?
Burning wood.
What type of energy is stored in chemical bonds?
Chemical energy.
What should you do immediately if a lab accident occurs?
Tell your teacher right away.
What does it mean to infer in science?
Explaining observations based on reasoning from prior knowledge.
What is the difference between mass and weight?
Mass is the amount of matter and does not change with location; weight is the force of gravity on an object and changes with location.
What law states that matter is neither created nor destroyed in a physical or chemical change?
Law of Conservation of Matter (Mass).
What is the difference between thermal energy and temperature?
Thermal energy is the total energy of all particles in an object; temperature is the average energy of particle motion.
Why must certain wastes not be thrown in the trash or down the drain?
They may be hazardous and require special disposal procedures.
Why must a controlled experiment manipulate only one variable at a time?
To ensure the results can be confidently attributed to that single variable.
What tool is best used to measure the volume of a liquid?
Graduated cylinder.
What type of change produces one or more new substances?
Chemical change.
Is melting ice an endothermic or exothermic process?
Endothermic (energy absorbed).
Name two hazards you might face during field investigations.
Severe weather and poisonous plants (or traffic, wild animals).
Give an example of a scientific prediction based on past experience and current information.
Weather forecasting.
How do you calculate the volume of a rectangular solid?
Volume = Length × Width × Height.
Name two examples of chemical changes from your notes.
Rusting of iron and combustion (burning).
Describe the energy transformation that occurs during photosynthesis.
Electromagnetic energy (sunlight) → chemical energy (sugar molecules).
Explain why you should never work alone in the field.
For safety reasons—to have help in emergencies and to avoid hazards unnoticed when alone.