Name:___________________
Date:_______________
Unit 1Lesson 3 Scientific Knowledge
… From the Beginning
What is science?
•______________________ is the study of the natural world.
•Scientists study many different things, living and nonliving, from the deepest
parts of the ocean to the objects in outer space.
•The natural sciences are divided into three areas:________ or ___________,
____________or _____________, and_____________ or ____________.
__________________________ is often included in physical science.
What is science?
•Biology, or life science, is the study of ___________________things
What is science?
•Geology, or Earth science, is the study of _________________and the processes
that shape Earth.
What is science?
•__________________________ is the study of nonliving matter and energy.
What does science tell us?
•Scientific knowledge is constantly___________________________.
•Many things that people consider scientific “facts” are actually the most widely
accepted explanations.
•What we learn in science are what most scientists agree are the best
explanations about how things happen. They are ________________scientists
have about the world.
What does science tell us?
•A scientific ______________________ is an explanation supported by a large
amount of evidence.
•Theories are what most scientists agree to be the best _________________
based upon what we now know.
Not a Theory—It’s a Law!
How do scientific theories differ from laws?
•The words __________and _______________have specific meanings in science.
•A scientific _____________ is a description of a specific relationship under given
conditions in the natural world.
•Scientific laws describe the way the world ________________ They hold
anywhere in the universe.
What does Boyle’s Law describe?
•Boyle’s law describes the relationship between the _________________ and
______________ of a gas that is kept at a constant ___________________
•Boyle’s law states that at a constant temperature, when the _____________ of a
gas is increased, its ________________decreases. When the pressure of a gas
____________________ at a constant temperature, its volume _______________
How do scientific theories differ from laws?
•A scientific _____________________ is a well-supported explanation of nature.
•Scientific theories are supported by many pieces of _____________________
•Theories help us ___________________ and explain the laws we observe.
What is the Cell Theory?
•The ________________ states that living things are made up of cells that perform
the basic _____________________of life.
What’s Your Evidence?
Where do scientists get their evidence?
•____________________are curious. They look at everything going on around
them, ask questions, and collect information to answer these questions.
•Scientific knowledge is based on ____________________________evidence
•Empirical evidence is all the __________________ and ___________________
scientists gather in support of a scientific explanation.
Where do scientists get their evidence?
•Scientists gather evidence in many places. Some do ______________, and others
do____________________work.
•Fieldwork is work done outdoors or where conditions___________ be controlled.
•Fieldwork gives scientists the opportunity to collect data in an original setting.
_________________and _____________________ do fieldwork.
Where do scientists get their evidence?
•In a laboratory, scientists have the opportunity to collect data in a ____________
environment.
•Most____________________ are conducted in laboratories. In an experiment,
scientists try to see what happens under certain conditions.
•Laboratories come in many varieties. They can be in the ocean or in the sky.
The Debate Continues
How do scientific ideas change?
•Scientific knowledge is what scientists think are the most-likely explanations for
what we see. Over time, these explanations can _________________________.
•Scientific ideas and explanations change when new ________________is found
or when someone gives a better explanation of the old evidence.
The Debate Continues
How has the model of the atom changed?
•The theory of atoms is a good example of how new _____________________ can
modify an established theory.
How do scientific ideas change?
•Scientists ______________________ and share ideas. Often, many brains are
better than one when solving a puzzle.
•Scientists regularly gather at meetings to discuss and debate ideas. Many ideas
are not accepted at first.
•This rigorous evaluation ensures that scientific knowledge is solidly supported.