environmental science a - unit 1: introduction to environmental science

what is ecological succession?

ecological succession is a predictable and sequential series of changes to a community that occurs over time

a community is concerned about the impact a new factory may have on the environment. which environmental science career could help with the concern?

environmental engineer

a group of researchers wants to prove that their hypothesis is true and can be supported. which of these steps would help them prove their hypothesis?

evaluate the results of their experiments to look for patterns in data.

how is proper science validated?

experimentation and testing

what type of science is a pseudoscience?

false

which claim is credible?

from a university article: "flying squirrels can move through the air quickly, gliding to trees."

what is the purpose of using a calibration standard?

to identify and remove any bias in an instrument

a student performs an experiment to study the turbidity of water from a nearby pond. the turbidity of the water is measured using a mass spectrophotometer. the student repeats the experiment three times using the same sample of water. what might have caused the inconsistent results?

use of an uncalibrated mass spectrophotometer

lesson 1

what is science?

who helped found a national park and a group called friends of the everglades?

marjory stoneman douglas

a student is analyzing data from a density experiment. the student records a mass of 76.68 g and a volume of 50.5 mL. the student is trying to calculate density (mass divided by volume) and use the correct number of significant digits. which answer is correct?

1.52 g/mL

a student performs an activity where a rubber ball is dropped from different heights and the height to which it bounces back is recorded. which tool might help in collecting the data for the activity?

100-foot appraiser's tape

a student is analyzing data from a density experiment. the student records a mass of 25.79 g and a volume of 86.4 mL, and calculates a density of 0.29849537037 g/mL. which is the correct way to record the density using scientific notation?

2.98 g/mL x 10^-1

a student is recording how fast a toy car can move. the student records a speed of 10 m/s. the student wants to convert meters per second into kilometers per hour in order to know how fast the toy car moves compared to a real car. there are 1,000 meters in a kilometer, 60 seconds in a minute, and 60 minutes in an hour. using dimensional analysis, how fast is the toy car moving in km/hr?

36 km/hr

a student fills a beaker with distilled water and marks the volume as 92.5 mL. after completing the experiment, the student records the final volume of the distilled water in the beaker as 47.61 mL. which option shows the volume of distilled water used in the experiment with the correct significant digits?

44.9 mL

a gym member records their calorie burn every day to track their progress. what is the mean, median, and range, respectively, of the amount of calories burned over a week?

574.3, 590, and 370

which is an example of a scientific hypothesis?

a person will not get cavities if they brush their teeth daily.

what defines a scientific hypothesis?

a testable and falsifiable statement made based on observations

how does accuracy differ from precision?

accuracy is the closeness of the measured value to the true value, while precision is the closeness of the measured values to each other.

what factors may cause a scientific theory to change? select all that apply.

advances in technological and data collection methods have improved an original theory. subsequent groups of scientists cannot replicate the results of the original scientists who formulated the theory.

a student performs an experiment where he collects a sample of water to test the cloudiness of the water. which of these factors may affect the result of the test? select all that apply.

amount of total sample collected time at which the sample was collected depth from which the sample was collected

what defines a scientific theory?

an explanation of observable phenomena that is supported by evidence

this graph represents a relationship between a predator and its prey. identify the pattern found in the graph and predict the trend.

approximately every 10 years, the population of each organism decreases and then increases again. based on this data, the trend will continue.

lesson 4

data

which are human causes of extinction? select all that apply.

burning of fossil fuels introduction of a foreign species

living sea corals are losing their color. which environmental science career would study this?

marine biologist

which scientific questions can be disproved by conducting tests? select all that apply.

can monkeys communicate with each other? are vegetables good for growing strong bones? do video games negatively impact mental health?

lesson 2

careers in environmental science

which are important steps to carry out when using scientific equipment? select all that apply.

checking that the equipment is calibrated and working correctly deciding whether it is necessary to use protective gear such as gloves ensuring that the correct equipment is being used to measure a given property

how is conservation defined?

conservation is the careful management of resources and the preservation of wildlife and habitats

which are causes of extinction?

cutting down forests, overfishing

how did robert shelford contribute to the study of environmental science?

he studied and collected insects

a student is shooting arrows at a bullseye and is trying to determine how accurate and precise the shots are during each round of volleys. match each combination of accuracy and precision with the correct description regarding the student's attempts.

high accuracy, high precision : all of the student's shots are in the center, gathered around the bullseye. high accuracy, low precision : all of the student's shots are scattered, but they are mostly over the central area around and on the bullseye. low accuracy, high precision : all of the student's shots are grouped together, but they are outside the bullseye in a different area of the target. low accuracy, low precision : all of the student's shots are scattered all over the target, mostly outside the bullseye.

lesson 5

impacts on society

a student concludes that insect mass appears rapidly and at high rates in may, peaks in july, and disappears again in october. what can the student infer from the graph regarding this conclusion?

insects die in the winter, leaving behind eggs to hatch in the spring when it is warm enough.

how can research positively affect society? select all that apply.

it can help societies find ways to solve problems based on facts. it can improve disease outcomes for societies such as with vaccines.

which options best define calibration? select all that apply.

it is the process of evaluating and adjusting equipment used for measurement. it is the method of ensuring the accuracy of equipment by using a known standard.

review the graph, which illustrates average monthly temperatures in sacramento, california, and kansas city, kansas. what conclusion is best supported by the graph?

kansas city has a greater change in temperature over the year than sacramento.

a student is measuring how fast toy cars move. the student records the following speeds of the cars. the student calculates mean, median, and range. match each statistical analysis type with the correct answer.

mean : 5.35 median : 5.375 range : 2.5

a student performs an activity where a ball is allowed to roll down an inclined ramp. after the ball is released from the peak of the ramp, the student wants to measure the distance that the ball travels. which of these units would be appropriate for measuring the distance traveled by the ball?

meters

match each contribution to science with the correct individual.

rachel carson: warned of the dangers of pesticides and herbicides robert shelford: collected different insects specimens frank egler: encouraged scientific research in ecology marjory stoneman douglas: advocated for the preservation of the everglades

how has research affected scientific thinking? select all that apply.

research has helped scientists see new ways to approach problems. research has helped scientists questions and solve problems

how do societies use scientific knowledge from research? select all that apply.

societies use scientific knowledge to help make informed decisions. societies use data from research to find solutions to problems and to prevent other problems.

what is the focus of environmental science?

solutions to environmental problems

what is an example of science?

studying the universe, including motions, positions, and interactions of celestial objects

how did research conducted on polluted drinking water in flint, michigan, impact the environment?

the amount of harmful chemicals in the water was reduced.

study the graph. https://cdstools.flipswitch.com/asset/media/1238797 examine the data in the graph. based on the trends in averages, what conclusion can be made?

the average global temperature increased from 1880 to 2010.

a student is checking the density of a gold nugget. the known density of gold is 19.32 g/cm3. the student tests the nugget three times and comes up with 19.18 g/cm3, 19.17 g/cm3, and 19.19 g/cm3. how reliable is this data?

the data has high precision but lower accuracy.

a student collected four different samples of river water for an experiment at a specific time of day and a specific location along the river. each sample that was taken had a different volume. the student added a random number of drops of reactant to each of the samples. her results showed inconsistencies compared to what she expected. what might have caused this? select all that apply.

the difference in the volume of water that was sampled the random number of drops of reactant added to each sample

which is a trend found in the graph?

the population is increasing exponentially.

lesson 3

the scientific method

what is environmental science?

the studying of the composition of the environment and organisms' interactions within the environment

why are hypotheses important?

they allow scientists to question observations in the world around them and explore answers, which can lead to new discoveries.