Chapter 1.1 - Weskan Schools

Chapter 1.1 • Branches of Earth Science • Geology – study of the solid earth – Most geologists specialize in a particular aspect of the Earth – Volcanologist – studies volcanoes – Paleontologist – studies fossils – Some explore the oceans and underwater caves

Chapter 1.1 • Oceanography – study of the ocean – Physical oceanographers study things like waves and ocean currents

– Biological oceanographers study the plants and animals that live in the ocean – Geological oceanographers study natural chemicals and the chemicals from pollution in the ocean

Chapter 1.1 • Black smokers are rock chimneys on the ocean floor that spew black clouds of minerals and are a type of hydrothermal vent (crack in the ocean floor) that releases very hot water and minerals • The minerals and the hot water from these vents support a biological community of blood red tube worms, clams, and blind white crabs

Chapter 1.1 • Meteorology – study of the entire atmosphere – 2 of the major destructive weather events – Hurricanes

– Tornadoes

Chapter 1.1 • Astronomy – the study of all physical things beyond Earth • Study stars, asteroids, planets, and everything else in space

Chapter 1.1 • Other branches of Earth Science that depend more heavily on other areas of science • Ecology – study the relationships between organisms and their surroundings • Geochemistry – specialize in rocks, minerals, and soils

Chapter 1.1 • Special branches – cont’d • Environmental Science – how humans interact with the environment • Geography and Cartography – study the surface feature of the earth and make maps of those features

Chapter 1.2 • Scientific method – a series of steps that is used to answer a question or solve a problem • Scientists may use all of the steps or just some of the steps of the scientific method • Sometimes only observations are needed to find an answer • Can the answer always be found?

Chapter 1.2 • Form a hypothesis – a possible explanation or answer to a question • Scientists have to think logically and creatively and consider what they already know • Must be testable by experimentation • If a hypothesis is not testable, it does not mean that it is wrong, just that there is no way to support or disprove the hypothesis • Scientist make predictions about their hypothesis

Chapter 1.2 • Test the hypothesis – scientists design experiments that will clearly show whether a particular factor caused an observed outcome • A factor is anything in an experiment that can influence the experiment’s outcome – Ex: temperature, size, watering amount, etc

• Controlled experiment – tests only one factor at a time

• Experimental experiment – factors are the same as the controlled, except for one factor • Variable – one factor that differs

Chapter 1.2 • Test the hypothesis – cont’d • Collect data – • Scientists also support their conclusions by repeating their experiment • If an experiment produces the same results again and again, scientists can be more certain about the effect the variable has on the outcome of the experiment

Chapter 1.2 • Analyze the results – they must organize the data so that they can be analyzed – They must put the data into a table or graph

Chapter 1.2 • Draw conclusion – they decide whether the results of the experiments support a hypothesis • If the hypothesis is not supported by the tests, they must try to find another explanation for what they have observed • Communicate Results – scientists communicate their results with other scientists • Other scientists may repeat the experiments to see if they get the same results

Chapter 1.3 • Global warming – worldwide increase in temperature • Is global warming happening? • Models – representations of objects or systems – Models of earth, solar system, etc

Chapter 1.3 • Types of Models • 1. Physical models – models you can touch and should act and look just like the real thing • 2. Mathematical models – made up of mathematical equations and data • 3. Conceptual models – take the form of theories like the Big Bang and atomic theory

Chapter 1.3 • Global-Warming Model – is the temperature of the earth increasing • Greenhouse effect – a greenhouse is made up of glass in which plants are grown • Has anyone been in a greenhouse???

Chapter 1.3 • What is the temperature like in a greenhouse? • Testing the Global-Warming Model – What could we do to test it?

Chapter 1.4 • Systems of measurement – scientists must be able to make accurate and reliable measurements • SI unit or International System of Units – most scientists and almost all countries use this system • Does the US use the SI system?

Chapter 1.4 • Measuring length – meter is the basic unit of length in the SI system • Look at page 22 to see how the meter is divided up

Chapter 1.4 • Measuring volume – amount of space that something occupies or contains • Is often measured in liters (L)

Chapter 1.4 • Measuring volume of solids – Large solid object is given in cubic meters

– Smaller objects are measured in cubic centimeters – Displacement of water is used to measure the volume of fossils and rocks with irregular shapes

Chapter 1.4 • Temperature – a measure of how hot or cold something is • Measure in degrees Celsius or Kelvin • Does the US always use C or K

Chapter 1.4 • Lab Safety Rules!!!