SCIENCE FORM 1

CHAPTER 1

1.1 UNDERSTANDING THAT SCIENCE IS PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE

WHAT IS SCIENCE?

• Science is the systematic study of nature and how it affects us and our environment.

• Science can explain natural phenomena that happen in our environment.

• How?– Through careful observations, studies and

scientific investigations.

List some of natural phenomena:

CAREERS IN SCIENCE

Forensic technician

Environmentalist

Science teacher

Archeologist Doctor

VARIOUS FIELDS IN SCIENCE

• Science covers a very wide area of study and is divided into various fields, such as:– Biology: the study of living things– Physics : the study of interaction of matter and

energy– Chemistry : the study of composition and chemical

properties of substances, their reactions and uses– Geology : the study of rocks and minerals– Astronomy : the study of the stars and planets– Meteorology : the study of weather and climate

A SCIENCE LABORATORY

What are the good practices demonstrated by the student?

• Wearing goggles• Carrying bottles by

the body; not the neck

GENERAL RULES AND SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

COMMON LABORATORY APPARATUS

Bunsen burner Tripod stand and wire gauze

Test tube Crucible

Syringe Test tube holder

Retort stand and clamp

1.2 Scientific Investigation

Steps in scientific investigation

1. Identifying problem2. Forming a hypothesis

3. Planning the experiment4. Controlling the variables

5. Collecting data6. Analysing and interpreting data

7. Drawing a conclusion8. Writing a report

1. List the steps of scientific investigation.

2. Write down a report on Simple pendulum experiment.

SIMPLE PENDULUM EXPERIMENT

WRITING A REPORT

1. Aim2. Problem statement

3. Hypothesis4. Variables

5. Materials and apparatus6. Procedure

7. Results8. Analysis

9. Conclusion

1. AIM

• To investigate how the length of the pendulum string affect the time for 10 complete swings of the pendulum.

2. PROBLEM STATEMENT

• How the length of the pendulum string affect the time for 10 complete swings of the pendulum?

3. HYPOTHESIS

• If the length of the pendulum is longer, the time taken for 10 complete swing of the pendulum is longer.

4. VARIABLES

• Manipulated (what to change): the length of the pendulum

• Responding (what is observed): time taken for 10 complete swings

• Constant (kept the same): mass of the pendulum bob

5. MATERIALS AND APPARATUS

• Pendulum bob, string/thread, retort stand and clamp, stop watch

• Apparatus set-up:

6. PROCEDURE (active sentence)

1. Prepare the simple pendulum with a 10cm long thread.

2. Pull the pendulum bob to one side, then release.3. Record the time taken for 10 complete oscillations

in a table.4. Repeat the experiment using a simple pendulum of

different lengths, e.g. 20cm, 30cm, 40cm and 50cm.5. Draw a graph showing the time taken versus length

of pendulum for 10 complete oscillations.

6. PROCEDURE (change to passive sentence when writing a report)

1. A simple pendulum with a 10 cm long thread was prepared.

2. The pendulum was pulled to one side, and then was released.

3. The time taken for 10 complete oscillations was recorded in a table.

4. The experiment was repeated using a simple pendulum with 20cm, 30cm, 40 and 50cm long.

5. A graph showing the time taken versus length of pendulum for 10 complete oscillations was drawn.

7. RESULTS (DATA TABLE)

Experiment Length of

simple pendulum ( cm )

Time taken for 10 complete oscillations ( s )

1 10 102 20 133 30 154 40 18 5 50 20

7. RESULTS (DATA TABLE)

Experiment

Length of simple

pendulum ( cm )

Time taken for 10 complete

oscillations ( s )

Time taken for 1 complete

oscillations ( s )

1 10 10 1.02 20 13 1.33 30 15 1.54 40 18 1.8 5 50 20 2.0

8. ANALYSIS • Graph of time taken for 10 complete oscillations

versus length of simple pendulum.

8. ANALYSIS

From the graph, we can say that:1. The pendulum with a longer string takes

time to oscillate than the pendulum with a shorter string.

2. The time taken for the pendulum to make one complete oscillation will when the pendulum string is longer.

longer

increase

9. CONCLUSION

• From the results, the hypothesis is .

• The time taken for the simple pendulum to make one complete oscillation with the length of the pendulum.

accepted

increases

1.3 PHYSICAL QUANTITIES AND

THEIR UNITS

MEASUREMENT

• Measurement is important because:–It helps to describe things everyday;–It is a part of the scientific investigation

process(e.g: simple pendulum experiment)

MEASUREMENT Can be measured Cannot be measured

How far is your house to the school?

How beautiful a person is?

How long does you take to finish your homework?

How does a durian taste?

How hot is a glass of water? How soft a pillow is?

How a flower smell?

PHYSICAL QUANTITIES

• A physical quantity is something that can be measured.

• There are five basic quantities: length, time, mass, temperature and electric current.

• Measurement of physical quantities consist of two parts:– A number indicating value or how much;– A unit of measurement.

STANDARD UNITS: S.I. UNITS

• Unit is a scale that helps you understand a particular measurement.

• S.I units: International standard unit of measurement (Systeme International d’ Unites).

IMPORTANCE OF STANDARD UNITS

Allow us to analyse data and compare information easily and more accurately;

No confusion because there is specific symbols for each unit;

Allow us to solve problems related to measurement.

FIVE BASIC QUANTITIESPhysical

quantities SI units Symbols Definition

LengthMetre m

A measurement of how long something from one point to another

Mass Kilogram kg A measurement of how much matter there is in an object

Time Second s A measurement of the interval between two events

Temperature Kelvin K A measurement of the warmness or coldness in any object

Electric current Ampere A A measurement of the rate flow of electric charges through a circuit

PREFIXES

• Prefixes are added to units like meter and gram when we need to state values that are too small or too large.

Prefix Multiplier Symbol Numerical value

Micro X 10-6 µ 0.000001Milli X 10-3 m 0.001Centi X 10-2 c 0.01Kilo X 103 k 1000

Mega X 106 M 1000000

1.4 CONCEPT OF MASS AND

WEIGHT

WHAT IS WEIGHT?• The weight of an object is the pull of the Earth

(force of gravity) on the object.• The S.I unit of weight is Newton (N).• The weight of any object depends on the

gravitational force.• The weight of an object is obtained using a

spring balance or compression spring balance.

WHAT IS MASS?• The mass of an object is the quantity of

matter in the object.• The S.I. unit of mass is kilogram (kg).• The mass of an object can be obtained using a

triple beam balance or lever balance.

EXERCISE 5: CAN U DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN MASS AND WEIGHT?

MASS WEIGHT

CAN U DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN MASS AND WEIGHT?

MASS WEIGHTIt is the amount of

matter in an object.It is the gravitational

pull on an object.

Its value is fixed. Its value varies from place to place.

Unit: kilogram (kg) Unit: Newton (N)Measured using beam

balance or lever balance.

Measured using spring balance or weighing

balance.

1.5 MEASURING TOOLS

MEASURING LENGTH

• Tools: ruler, metre rule, measuring tape• Measuring the length of a straight line:– Using metre rule or a ruler– Correct position of eye (to avoid parallax error)

• Measuring the length of a curve:– Using a ruler and a piece of thread• A knot is tied at the end of a thread• The thread is stretched along the curve carefully• Make a mark at the end of the curve• Stretch the thread along the ruler to obtain the length

– Using an opisometer

• Measuring the diameter of a spherical object:– Using two wooden blocks and a ruler

– Using a set-square and a ruler

• Measuring the diameter of an object:– The external diameter is measured using external

calipers and a ruler

– The internal diameter is measured using internal caliper and a ruler.

• Measuring the thickness of an object:– The thickness of a piece of paper can be

determined by measuring the thickness of a stack of papers and dividing the value of number of sheets of paper.

sheets ofNumber

paper ofstack a of Thicknesssheet single a of Thickness

– The thickness of a glass tube can be measured by taking the difference between its external and internal diameter.

2

diameter internal-diameter Externalglass of Thickness

MEASURING AREA

• Area is the total surface covered by an object.• The SI unit is square metre (m2).• Regular-shaped areas can be calculated using

Mathematical formulae.• Irregular-shaped areas can be estimated by

using a graph paper.

• Using graph paper:– Trace the object on the

graph paper.– Estimate the area by

counting the number of full squares, half full squares and more than half full squares (tick the squares)

– Area of the object is estimated by multiplying the number of squares with the area of one square.

– The area can be estimated more accurately with smaller squares.

MEASURING VOLUME• Volume of an object is the total space

occupied by the object.• The SI unit is cubic metre (m3).• It also can be measured in millilitre (ml).• The apparatus: measuring cylinder, burette

and pipette.

1 ml = 1 cm3

1 l = 1000 cm3= 1000 ml1 m3= 1 000 000 cm3 = 1 000 000 ml

• Measuring volumes of liquids– The volume must be taken at the meniscus level

of the liquid.– Use a piece of white paper to enable the

meniscus to be seen clearly.– The eye is positioned at the same level of the

meniscus to avoid parallax error.

• Measuring volumes of solids– The volume of regular-shaped and irregular-shaped

can be measured using water displacement method.

– The object to be measured must be submerged in the measuring cylinder filled with water.

– The volume of the water displaced is the volume of the object.

– The volume of a solid can also be measured using a displacement can or a Eureka can.

– The volume of the water that flows out from the can is the volume of the solid measured.

– The volume of a light object can be measured with the aid of a weight, for example, a stone.

– The stone which is tied to the cork enables the cork to be submerged in the water.