1.1 The Nature of Science

Pg 7-9

Objectives

• To apply ethics and open discussion in science.

• To gain an understanding of universal laws and scientific thought.

Scientific Thought

• Skepticism – a questioning and (healthily) doubtful attitude.

Why is skepticism important for a scientist?1.Discovering new technologies, theories, etc.2.Developing new and better ways of doing

things.

Heliocentric vs. Geocentric

Sports-centric

Helicobacter pylori bacterium

Scientific Law

• Universal Law – a description of observable occurrences which applies everywhere in the known universe.– Law of Universal Gravitation, Laws of Planetary

Motion, Law of Conservation of Energy

Ethics and Science

• Brainstorm: What relationships do you think exist between ethics and science?

(Write some ideas on a piece of paper)• Scientists must be open to allowing others to

test their findings.• A theory is only as good as it can be tested.• Scientists must only publish verifiable data or

risk implying untruths and misleading thousands of other scientists.

Reasons to Study Science

1. To take better care of yourself.2. To become a more informed citizen.3. To become a better consumer.4. To improve the world around you.5. …6. …

1-2 Scientific Methods

pg 10-13

Goal

• After this lecture students should be able to define key terms to the scientific process as well as perform an experiment, observe, hypothesize and make conclusions using knowledge of variables and control/test groups in order to support or refute a theory.

Observations – The Basis of Scientific Research

• Observation: the act of noting or perceiving objects or events using one of the five senses.

Stages of Scientific Investigations

• Observing – Science can be thought of at a very shallow level

as trying to explain the universe. Thus, one must observe the universe somehow, or forget that it was ever there.

• Asking questions– Why is the sky blue? – Why does a piece of paper burn at 451 °F?

• Forming Hypotheses and Making Predictions– Hypothesis: an explanation that might be true. or – Hypothesis: a statement that can be tested by

additional observations or experimentation.– Prediction: the expected outcome of an

experiment assuming the hypothesis is correct.

• Confirming Predictions– Experiment: a planned procedure to test a

hypothesis.• Control Group: a group which receives no experimental

treatment.• Independent Variable: the factor that is changed in an

experiment.• Dependent Variable: the factor that you are

measuring.

• Drawing Conclusions– Does your data from the experiment support your

hypothesis?

• Construct a Theory– Theory: a set of related hypotheses that have been

tested and confirmed many times by many scientists.• Represents the most supported reasons or scientists’

“best-guess” at something. • You cannot prove a theory or hypothesis with

experiments. Experiments only support or refute them. Therefore, science builds a model for what we think is happening. It does not necessarily build an identical replica.

• A theory or hypothesis can always be revised or rejected based on future experiments and observations.

1.3 Tools and Techniques (abv.)

Pg 14-16

Objectives

• Utilize the SI units and their prefixes to convert between them using dimensional analysis.

• Distinguish between significant digits and insignificant digits.

• Understand and practice safe lab techniques.

Base SI Units

Using SI Units and Prefixes

• Combining any SI Base Unit with a prefix only changes the magnitude (size) of the unit. – Exs: a gram is the SI Base unit of mass. A kilogram

(kg) is 1,000 times larger than a gram. A gigagram (Gg) is 1,000,000 times larger than a gram, and a yottagram (Yg) is 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 times larger than a gram.

Dimensional Analysis

• You can multiply and divide by conversion factors in order to cancel out units and convert from any given SI base to another. – Ex: Convert 1 second to centiseconds.

Significant Digits

• Significant Digits – the valid digits in a measurement.– Ex: You measure a pen to be 12.6 cm long with a

ruler which has only cm markings. Therefore, it has three digits all of which are significant. Two which you are certain of, and one which you estimated.

• A digit 1 through 9 is always significant, in any single number.

• A 0 can be significant or insignificant:– Significant: 102 or 13.01 or 12.0– Insignificant: 120 or 100,000,000,000 or 1.2x1023

• How many digits are significant?

– 12– 10,003– 1.650– 1300

1-4 What is Biology?

pg 17-19

Goals

• Gain an understanding of the unifying concepts of Biology and apply that knowledge to comparing living/non-living things, identifying living organisms, and describing some living organisms using terminology from the section.

Characteristics of Biology

• Biology is– the study of life. – the study of living organisms.

Unifying Themes of Living Things

1) Cellular structure and Function- Living things contain one or many cells.- Cell: the smallest unit capable of all functions

of living things.2) Reproduction: the process organisms go

through to create more of their own kind.3) Metabolism: the sum of all the chemical

reactions in an organism.

4) Homeostasis: maintaining stable internal conditions despite changes in an organism’s external environment.

5) Heredity: the passing of traits from parent to offspring.- Gene: basic unit of heredity coded into and organism’s

deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).- Mutation: a change in an organism’s DNA6) Evolution - Species: a group of genetically similar organisms which

may produce fertile offspring.7) Interdependence- Ecology: branch of Biology which studies the interactions

of organisms with each other and with their non-living environment.