Ch 1 Study Guide
Essay
Compare and contrast science and technology. Science is the study of the natural world to see how it
functions. Technology, in contrast, changes the natural world to meet human needs or solve problems.
What does it mean for a hypothesis to be testable? Researchers must be able to carry out
investigations and gather evidence that will either support or disprove the hypothesis.
What is the difference between qualitative observations and quantitative observations? Quantitative
observations deal with numbers, or amounts, while qualitative observations deal with descriptions that
cannot be expressed in numbers.
Use an example to explain why technology can have both positive and negative consequences.
Pesticides have helped people by killing harmful insects that destroy crops. However, pesticides have
also polluted water and, in some cases, harmed humans and other animals.
Why is honesty especially important in a scientist when the results of an experiment go against
predictions? Is the scientist is not honest, and then he or she may communicate results that are false.
Other scientists working on the same or similar studies would be led down the wrong paths.
Explain why using two manipulated variables in an experiment would not be wise. If an experiment
had two manipulated variable, there would be no way to tell which variable caused the results.
Describe the safety precautions you should follow at the end of a lab experiment. Clean your work
area. Turn off and unplug equipment and return it to its proper place. Dispose of wastes as instructed by
the teacher. Wash your hands thoroughly.
Concepts to Consider
A world globe is an example of a model.
Making a forecast of what will happen in the future is predicting.
The factor that may change in response to the manipulated variable is called the responding variable.
The sharing of ideas and experimental findings with others through writing and speaking is called
communicating.
An operational definition describes how to measure a variable or define a term.
Science is a way of learning about the natural world.
An experiment in which only one variable is manipulated at a time is called a (n) controlled experiment.
The process of grouping together items that are alike in some way is called classifying.
Technology is how people change the world around them to meet their needs and solve practical
problems.
A (n) quantitative observation deals with a number, or an amount.
Preparing for a lab investigation should begin the day before the lab.
The facts, figures, and other evidence gathered through observations is data.
A factor that can change in an experiment is called a variable.
A person who is trained to use both technological and scientific knowledge to solve practical problems is
called a(n) engineer.
In an experiment, the one variable that is purposely changed to test a hypothesis is called the
manipulated variable.
Skepticism is an attitude of doubt.
Operational definition describes how to measure a particular variable or define a particular term.
You are inferring when you explain or interpret the things you observe.
A possible explanation for a set of observations or answer to a scientific question is a hypothesis.
Life science is also known as biology.