Chapter 1.2: What is Science?

True or false? The statement below is a theory. "All matter is composed of atoms"

False It is a general statement, a theory, that explains many observations in chemistry.

When enough evidence has been collected to establish a general principle of how the natural universe works, the evidence is summarized in a __________

theory

Science is concerned only with the _______ _________.

natural universe

What is the scientific method?

(1) state a hypothesis (2) test the hypothesis (3) refine the hypothesis

What is a hypothesis?

An educated guess about how the natural universe works

Most __________ include observations of small, well-defined parts of the natural universe designed to see results of the experiments.

experiments

What is "the natural universe?"

It's anything that occurs around us, well, naturally. Stars; planets; the appearance of life on earth; and how animals, plants, and other matter function are all part of the natural universe. Science is concerned with that—and only that.

_________ and ________ are scientific fields concerned with the fundamental interactions between matter and energy.

Physics and astronomy

Key Takeaway: _________ is a process of knowing about the natural universe through observation and experiment.

Science

Name some examples of qualitative descriptions:

Sulfur is yellow, your math book is heavy, or that statue is pretty.

What is science?

The process of knowing about the natural universe through observation and experiment.

Why do we have to do experiments? Why do we have to test? Because the ________ universe is not always so ________, experiments are necessary

natural; obvious For example, it is fairly obvious that if you drop an object from a height, it will fall. Several hundred years ago (coincidentally, near the inception of modern science), the concept of gravity explained that test i.e. It took decades of tests and millions of experiments to establish what the elements actually are.

___________ _________ are generally qualitative descriptions

physical properties

With HIGHER _________, more carbon dioxide can dissolve in the water. When the soda or beer container is sealed, the high pressure of carbon dioxide _____ remains ______ the package. When you open a container of soda or beer, you hear a distinctive hiss as the excess _______ _________ gas escapes. It comes out of the solution as ________

pressures; gas; inside carbon dioxide; bubbles

Most good hypotheses are grounded in ________ understood ___________ and represent a _________ _________ of that _________. The scientist then devises ways to test if that guess is or is not correct.

previously; knowledge; testable extension; knowledge

What is an example of a hypothesis?

"if I mix one part of hydrogen with one part of oxygen, I can make a substance that contains both elements."

What is a law?

A specific statement that is thought to be never violated by the entire natural universe.

What are experiments?

A test of the natural universe to see if a guess (hypothesis) is correct.

_________ is the study of living organisms

Biology

_________ is the study of the interactions of matter with other matter and with energy.

Chemistry

What is a theory?

A general statement that explains a large number of observations.

Identify each statement as either a qualitative description or a quantitative description: 1. Gold metal is yellow. 2. A ream of paper has 500 sheets in it. 3. The weather outside is snowy. 4. The temperature outside is 24 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. QUALITATIVE Because we are describing a physical property of gold 2. QUANTITATIVE This statement mentions a specific amount 3. QUALITATIVE The word snowy is a description of how the day is 4. QUANTITATIVE In this case, the weather is described with a specific quantity—the temperature

Name some examples of quantitative descriptions:

25 students in a class, 650 pages in a book, or a velocity of 66 miles per hour.

Even though it is a gas, _______ ________ can dissolve in water, just like ______ or _______ can dissolve in water When that occurs, we have a ________ ________, or a solution, of carbon dioxide in water.

carbon dioxide; sugar or salt homogeneous mixture

What is quantitative?

A description of a specific amount of something. (knowing how much of something is present, usually by counting or measuring it)

What is qualitative?

A description of the quality of an object.

Is the English language part of science? Why?

NO Why? It is contrived; it is made up. Science deals only with what occurs naturally. English is certainly worth knowing (at least for people in predominantly English-speaking countries), but why isn't it science? English, or any human language, isn't science because ultimately it is contrived; it is made up. Think of it: the word spelled b-l-u-e represents a certain color, and we all agree what color that is. But what if we used the word h-a-r-d-n-r-f to describe that color? (See Figure 1.8.) That would be fine—as long as everyone agreed. Anyone who has learned a second language must initially wonder why a certain word is used to describe a certain concept; ultimately, the speakers of that language agreed that a particular word would represent a particular concept. It was contrived.

What is carbon dioxide composed of? Under normal conditions, it is a _______. If you ______ it down enough, it becomes a ______ known as dry _____. Carbon dioxide is an important ________ in the _______ of life on earth.

carbon and oxygen; gas; cool; solid; ice; compound; cycle

What are solutions of carbon dioxide dissolved in water

carbonated beverages: sodas, beer, and sparkling wines

Key Takeaway: Science is broken down into various ________, of which ________ is one

fields; chemistry

Chemistry is the study of matter and how it interacts with other matter and energy. ____a____ is anything that has mass and takes up space. Matter can be described by its ____b_____ ____c_____, such as color, shape, and _________ or ____d____. Matter can also be described by its _____e____ ____e______, which describe how matter changes its form in the presence of other matter. Both physical and chemical properties can change, so we can also describe matter in terms of its ____f____ ______f___ and its ___g____ ____g____. A _____h_____ is a sample of matter that has the same physical and chemical properties throughout. There are two types of substances: ____i_____, which are the most basic type of chemical, and ____j_____, which are combinations of elements. When more than one substance is present, we have a ___k____. If it is obvious that more than one substance is present, we have a ___l____ ____l___. If it is not obvious, we have a ____m____ ____m_____, also called a ____n___. Elements are divided into ___o___, _____p___, and ____q____ (or ___r_____), depending on their physical prope Chemistry is a branch of ____s____, which is a process of learning about the natural universe by observation and experiment. Learning about the natural universe starts off with a ____t_____, or guess, about how it works. ____u____ are tests which are performed to learn if the hypothesis is correct. If we have a good explanation that explains a large number of experiments or observations, we call that explanation a theory. If an explanation is specific enough that it is thought to never be violated, we call that explanation a ___v___. Chemistry, like all branches of science, makes two types of observations. _____w____ observations are general descriptions of the universe; for example, the dog is brown. _____x____ observations are numerical measurements; for example, the dog has a mass of 10 kilograms. Both types of observations are useful in chemistry.

a. Matter; b. physical properties; c. phase; d. state e. chemical properties f. physical changes g. chemical changes h. substance i. elements j. compounds k. mixture l. heterogeneous mixture m. homogeneous mixture n. solution o. metals p. nonmetals q. semimetals r. metalloids s. science t. hypothesis u. Experiments v. law w. Qualitative x. Quantitative

Which of the following fields would be considered science? a. geology, the study of the earth b. ethics, the study of morality c. political science, the study of governance d. biology, the study of living organisms

a. YES Because the earth is a natural object, the study of it is indeed considered part of science. b. NO Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with right and wrong. Although these are useful concepts, they are not science. c. NO There are many forms of government, but all are created by humans. Despite the fact that the word science appears in its name, political science is not true science. d. YES Living organisms are part of the natural universe, so the study of them is part of science.

Other sciences can be named as well. Understand that these fields are not always completely separate; the boundaries between scientific fields are not always readily apparent. Therefore, a scientist may be labeled a ___________ if he or she studies the chemistry of biological organisms.

biochemist

A scientist who is familiar with how part of the natural universe works—say, a chemist—is interested in ___________ _____________ ___________. That person makes a reasonable guess—a hypothesis—that is designed to see if the universe works in a new way as well.

furthering that knowledge

________ is the study of the earth.

geology

In science, a _________ is the highest understanding of the natural universe and is thought to be inviolate

law For example, the fact that all matter attracts all other matter—the law of gravitation—is one such law.

What is the language of science?

mathematics All scientific fields use mathematics to express themselves—some more than others.

Key Takeaway: Scientists go through a rigorous process to determine ______ ___________ about the universe; this process is generally referred to as the ________ _______

new knowledge; scientific method

Key Takeaway: Science, including chemistry, is both _________ and ________

qualitative and quantitative.

Science can be either _________ or ________

qualitative or quantitative

The process of science is usually stated as the ________ __________

scientific method

_______, _________, and _____wine take advantage of the properties of a solution of carbon dioxide in water.

soda, beer, and sparking wine