Earth Science Chapter 2

Front 1

Science

Back 1

Science involves objective, logical, and repeatable attempts to understand the principles and forces working in the natural universe.

Front 2

Scientific Skepticism

Back 2

Scientific skepticism, also referred to as skeptical inquiry, questions claims based on their scientific verifiability rather than accepting claims based on faith or anecdotes.

Front 3

Deduction

Back 3

Deduction involves determining a single fact from a general statement; it is only as accurate as the statement.

Front 4

Induction

Back 4

Induction involves determining a general statement that is very likely to be true, from several facts.

Front 5

Scientific Methods

Back 5

Scientific methods are based on gathering observable, empirical (produced by experiment or observation), and measurable evidence that is critically evaluated.

Front 6

Hypothesis

Back 6

hypothesis is a suggested explanation based on evidence that can be tested by observation or experimentation.

Front 7

Observation

Back 7

observation is the act of noting or detecting phenomenon through the senses.

Front 8

Experiment

Back 8

An experiment is a test that is used to eliminate one or more of the possible hypotheses until one hypothesis remains.

Front 9

Controls

Back 9

Scientific experiments involve controls, or subjects that are not tested during the investigation. In this way, a scientist limits the factors, or variables that can cause the results of an investigation to differ.

Front 10

Variable

Back 10

A variable is a factor that can change over the course of an experiment.

Front 11

Independent Variables

Back 11

Independent variables are factors whose values are controlled by the experimenter to determine its relationship to an observed phenomenon (the dependent variable).

Front 12

Dependent Variable

Back 12

. Dependent variables change in response to the independent variable.

Front 13

Constants (controlled variable)

Back 13

Controlled variables are also important to identify in experiments.

Front 14

Accuracy

Back 14

Accuracy is the measure of how close a calculated or measured quantity is to its actual value.

Front 15

Precision

Back 15

precision, also called reproducibility or repeatability.

Front 16

Error

Back 16

An error is a boundary on the precision and accuracy of the result of a measurement.

Front 17

Scientific Theories

Back 17

Scientific theories are hypotheses which have stood up to repeated attempts at falsification and are thus supported by a great deal of data and evidence.

Front 18

Theory

Back 18

theory to describe a guess or an opinion.

Front 19

Scientific Laws

Back 19

Scientific laws are similar to scientific theories in that they are principles which can be used to predict the behavior of the natural world

Front 20

Scientific Journals

Back 20

Scientific journals communicate and document the results of research carried out in universities and various other research institutions.

Front 21

Peer Review

Back 21

Peer review is a process of opening a scientist’s research or ideas (in the form of a scientific paper) to examination by other scientists who are experts in the same field.

Front 22

Bias

Back 22

A bias is a position for favoring one particular point of view over another, and it is usually based on preconceived ideas about a situation.

Front 23

Ethics

Back 23

Ethics, also called moral philosophy, is the discipline concerned with what is morally good and bad, right and wrong

Front 24

Biotechnology

Back 24

Biotechnology is technology based on biology; it involves the use of organisms or biological processes and can be especially used in agriculture, food science, and medicine

Front 25

Bioremediation

Back 25

. The use of microorganisms to clean up contaminated sites such as an oil spill is called bioremediation.

Front 26

Simulation

Back 26

A simulation is a model that runs over time.