Science Flashcards T/L 3C: Scientific Theory Versus Laws Active Study Methods

cell theory

1. All living things are made of cells 2. All cells come from previous cells 3. The cell is the basic structure of all living things

Afred Russel Wallace

A British naturalist. Helped Darwin develop his theory

Hypothesis

A scientific hypothesis is an idea or explanation that can be tested

Law

A scientific law is an explanation based on repeated experimental observations that describe an occurrence in a specific situation or condition.

Theory

A scientific theory is a well-supported explanation of some aspect of the natural world. A theory is developed through investigations and is repeatedly tested and confirmed through observation and experimentation.

The following statements are false

A scientific theory is all about your feelings and what you want to be true. A scientific theory is just some idea from some person. The common use of the term law means the same thing as scientific law. The common use of the term theory means the same thing as scientific theory. Scientific laws and scientific theories are the same thing. A scientific law can become a scientific theory. A scientific theory can become a scientific law. A scientific law is more accurate than a scientific theory. A scientific theory is ore accurate than a scientific law.

The following statements are true

A scientific theory is testable or falsifiable in some way. A scientific theory can be used to predict future discoveries. A scientific theory is backed by verified data and experimental results. A scientific theory is an explanation of evidence.

Casual Theory definition

A synonym to an opinion, hunch or guess

Leclerc and James Hutton

Began to develop new ideas about the age of Earth. Earth must be at least 70,000 years old to reach its present temperature, and it could not have gotten its sedimentary rock formations unless it was hundreds of millions of years old.

Common definition of theory

Could be from one person, no data required; untested, speculation and/or conjecture. Unsubstantiated, no data, not testable.

In 1795 Georges Cuvier began to work at the National Museum in Paris

Cuvier discovered that the supposed remains of the elephants Hanibal rode across the Alps were actually the remains of Wooly Mammoths

Theodosius Dobzhansky

Described genes and demonstrated that it is through mutations in genes that change occurs

Charles Darwin

English natural scientist who formulated a theory of evolution by natural selection (1809-1882)

scientific law

Generalization of many observations, limited to certain parameters or constraints; might not apply everywhere, occurs in nature, often a mathematical relationship.

Leeuwenhoek

Identified animalcules

Nicholas Steno

In the 17th century made a law stating the oldest sediments are on the bottom of a rock formation, while the newest are on the top

Examples of evidence

Information learned by watching a commercial, information gained through gossip.

Ignaz Semmelweis and Louis Pastur

Invented germ theory

Schleiden and Schwann

Investigations on plant and animal tissue

emperical evidence

Knowledge gained by experimentation or observation

Scientific Theory

LOTS of input from many people, supported by multiple sources of reliable data; testable, falsifiable claims, a consensus conclusion drawn from many observations. Substantiated, lots of data, testable. An explanation of evidence

Examples of empirical Evidence

Observations collected during a long-term study, data collected from an experiment

Hooke

Observed cork

The following people helped develop cell theory

Robert Hooke Antoine van Leeuwenhoke Matthias Schleiden Theodore Schwann Robert Remak Walther Flemming Rosalind Franklin James Watson Francis Crick

Common definition of law

Rule to follow, created by people in society, can be obeyed or disobeyed.

Describes a natural phenomenon or relationship that always occurs under specific conditions. Often becomes more limited over time. Provides no explanation as to why a phenomenon occurs. Often can be represented by a mathematical formula. A scientific law is a statement based on repeated experimental observations that describe some aspect of the universe It always applies under the same conditions and implies that there is a causal relationship between its elements. Scientific Laws do not explain things

Scientific Law

Explains how a natural phenomenon works and often explains more related phenomena over time A scientific theory is a well-substantiated explanation of the natural world that is acquired through the scientific method, as well as confirmed through observation and experimentation (empirical evidence) Scientific theories can simply be explained by saying that it is a hypothesis that has been accepted by the scientific community

Scientific theory

The following statement is true

Scientists do not have a complete knowledge of germs, and the knowledge that they do have can grow and change

This statement is false

Scientists have complete knowledge of atoms and this knowledge can never change

Germ Theory

Some diseases are caused by microorganisms and pathogens

Scientific theories definition

Supported by evidence

Science is a rigorous process, but it is not subject to intense scrutiny by others

The previous statement was false

A gradual increase in knowledge happens as many researchers test many individual hypothesis and even established scientific laws are able to be tested

The previous statement was true

Carolus Linnaeus

Traveled extensively and collected data on the structural similarities and differences between different species of plants noting that some very different plants had very similar structures, he began to piece together his landmark work, Systema Naturae, in 1735. In Systema Naturae Linneaus classified organisms into related groups based on similarities in their physical features. He developed a hierarchical classification system, even drawing relationships between seemingly disparate species based on physical similarities he observed between these organisms. Linnaeus did not explicitly discuss the change in organisms or propose a reason for his hierarchy,

Laws describe ______________

What happens

Theories describe __________

Why things happen

Gould and Eldridge

came to the conclusion that evolution consists of long periods of stability that are punctuated by occasional instances of dramatic change

Both scientific theories and scientific laws

can be modified if new evidence refutes the current statement. cannot be validated by a single person. based on the results of many investigations. supported by a large amount of empirical evidence. widely accepted by the majority of scientists within a given field of study. They are testable and make falsifiable predictions. This means that they can be debunked, rejected, or modified A scientific definition as well as a common definition Aim to predict future discoveries