EnvironmentalScience

Chapter 1 Notes #1

Definitions

Pure Science• Ex. – Number of stars in solar system

• Ex. – Comparison of plant and animal cells

• Seeks to answer questions about how things work

Applied Science• Engineering, Medicine

• Solving problems/Technology

Definitions

Environmental Science• Applied Science

• Uses many different sciences• chemistry, botany, zoology, meteorology

• Mainly ecology (how living things interact with other living and nonliving things)

• How humans interact with their environment

Scientific Method

Systematic Approach to solving problems Many Steps 1. Problem/Purpose

• Ex. Bean Plant Experiment: You are testing a new fertilizer for a company to see if it is more effective at growing larger plants at a faster rate…..

2. Hypothesis• Our background knowledge tells us it should be better

Scientific Method (2)

Experiment:• Materials:

• Procedure• Control

• Constants

• Dependent Variable (Depends on independent)

• Independent Variable (you are in control)

Scientific Method (3)

Observations/ Data• Qualitative

• Quantitative

• Qualitative Vs. Quantitative Data• Examples – pink, big, cold

• Examples – 20 books, 42 meters, 12 degrees

Conclusion (analysis)• What did you find

• Errors

Graphs – Part of Conclusion

Circle, Bar and Line• Percentages

• Comparison

• Growth/Change

Graphs Need• Size

• Labels,

• Titles