General science

• Scientific Method


  1. Identifying the problem (Questioning)

  2. Gathering Preliminary data

  3. Formulating a hypothesis

  4. Testing of the hypothesis

  5. Analysis and interpretation of data

  6. Drawing of Conclusion
• Independent Variable


  Variable changed by the experimenter
• Dependent Variable


  Variable that responds to the variable that is changed in the experiment
• Experimental group


  Groups that receive treatment
• Control group


  Opposite of experimental group
• Hypothesis


  What we think the answer to the question is, and it should be stated in terms of the variables defined
• Theories


  A reasonable explanation of scientific laws, derived from a hypothesis that has been supported by repeated testing
• Model


  Helps visualize occurrences and objects that cannot be observed
• Scientific laws and theories cannot be proven absolutely
• Major Regions of the Earth

  • Lithosphere
  • Hydrosphere
  • Atmosphere
  • Biosphere
• Lithosphere


  The solid part and the largest portion of the earth
• Hydrosphere


  The liquid part, covering about 71% of the earth's surface
• Atmosphere


  The gaseous portion that envelops the earth
• Biosphere


  The region where living things are found
• Nitrogen about 78%
• nitrogen in air reacts with chemicals

  1. produces nitrates

  2. used by living things for manufacture of proteins

  3. Returned to the atmosphere by the process of decay
• Gases in the atmosphere

  • Oxygen - 21%
  • Water vapor
  • CO₂
  • Other gases
• Oxygen


  Used for respiration, for combustion processes
• Layers in the atmosphere

  • Troposphere - layer where life exists, has lowest temperature
  • Stratosphere - contains ozone that serves as a protective shield against UV rays
  • Mesosphere - layer where meteoroids that enter the earth's atmosphere are burned
  • Ionosphere - contains ions that are used for radio communications
  • Exosphere - space for artificial satellites
• Winds


  Uneven temperature and pressure in the atmosphere result in the movement of air
• Monsoons


  The absorption and reflection of thermal energy by different materials of earth
• Ecology


  • Study of how living things interact with their environment
  • Biotic factors - all living factors in the environment
  • Abiotic factors - nonliving factors that are essential to living organisms
  • Population - group of the same species living together
  • Community - all the different populations living together
  • Ecosystem - community of different living things interacting with one another with their nonliving environment
  • Biomes - large areas whose ecological communities are determined by its climate
• Bluish and white stars are the hottest and youngest stars
• The least hot and the oldest stars are the reddish stars
• Nebular Theory


  The solar system originated from a rotating gas and dust cloud composed of hydrogen, helium, and some heavier elements
• Ptolemaic theory


  The earth is stationary, each planet and the sun revolved around the earth
• Copernican theory


  Considers the sun as the center of the solar system
• Mercury


  • Rocky, cratered surface
• Planets


  • Mercury
  • Venus
  • Earth
  • Mars
  • Jupiter
  • Saturn
  • Uranus
  • Neptune
• Mercury


  • Rocky, cratered surface; extremely thin atmosphere
• Venus


  • Thick cloud cover; green house effect
• Earth


  • Liquid water, life
• Mars


  • Polar ice caps, pink sky, dominant volcanoes
• Jupiter


  • Great red spots, thin ring; huge magnetosphere
• Saturn


  • Many rings and ringlets, Titan only moon with substantial atmosphere
• Uranus


  • Rotates on side; worldwide ocean of superheated water
• Neptune


  • Unusual satellite rotation, 4 rings, great dark spot
• Asteroids


  Objects that orbit the sun like planets, but are smaller than the planets and are sometimes called minor planets
• Meteoroids


  Objects smaller than the asteroids that revolve around the sun
• Comet


  A mass of frozen materials such as water, methane and ammonia along with the bits of rock and dust