Science Basics
This is something that can be repeatedly demonstrated to be correct.
What is a fact?
The first step of the scientific method, such as noticing an animal has spines.
What is observation?
The idea that Earth formed mainly through several sudden, massive disasters.
What is catastrophism?
The abbreviation for million years ago.
What is Ma or mya?
This hypothesis explains how the solar system formed from a collapsing cloud of gas.
What is the nebular hypothesis?
An educated, testable, and predictive guess that must pass the “if–then” test.
What is a hypothesis?
This step asks why something happens after observations are made.
What is asking a question?
James Hutton’s idea that Earth’s processes operate the same way today as in the past.
What is uniformitarianism?
The abbreviation for billion years ago.
What is Ga or bya?
The process where surrounding fragments clump together to form planets.
What is planetary accretion?
A well-tested explanation that has been repeatedly supported by experiments and observations.
What is a theory?
This stage involves experiments, sample collection, or finding measurable facts.
What is collecting data?
The updated version of uniformitarianism that allows processes to speed up or slow down.
What is actualism?
The abbreviation for thousand years ago.
What is Ka?
The prototype star that formed as hydrogen became hotter and denser.
What is a protostar?
A scientific idea that is 99.9% correct but still allows for rare exceptions.
What is a law?
At this step, scientists determine whether the hypothesis was supported or rejected.
What is evaluation?
This principle explains why modern processes help us understand ancient Earth.
What is the Principle of Uniformitarianism?
The Earth formed approximately this many billion years ago.
What is 4.5 Ga?
The collision between Earth and a Mars-sized body that led to the Moon’s formation.
What is the Theia impact?
Science is described in Unit 1 as one of many ways to do this.
What is understand the world around us?
After completing the scientific method, this must happen before results are widely accepted.
What is replication by other scientists?
The scientist who published Theory of the Earth in 1795.
Who is James Hutton?
Before 6 Ga, Earth and the solar system did not exist and matter was mostly this.
What is a nebula (clouds of gas / hydrogen atoms)?
During Earth’s molten stage, low-density material rose and high-density material sank, forming layers.
What is planetary differentiation (stratification)?