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Chapter 1_
Term | Definition |
---|---|
astronomy | study of objects of beyond earths atmosphere |
meteorology | the study of the atmosphere, which is the air surrounding earth |
geology | study of materials that make up earth and the processes that form and change these materials, and the history of the planet and its life-forms since its origin. |
oceanography | study of earth's oceans including the creatures that inhabit its waters, its physical and chemical properties, and the effects of human activities. |
environmental science | study of the interactions of humans with environment |
geosphere | the part of earth from its surface to its center |
atmosphere | blanket of gases surrounding earth that contains about 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, and 1 percent other gases such as argon, carbon dioxide, and water vapor |
hydrosphere | all the water in earths oceans, lakes, seas, rivers, and glaciers plus all the water in the atmosphere |
biosphere | all of earth's organisms and the environments in which they live |
scientific methods | a series of problem-solving procedures that help scientists conduct experiments |
hypothesis | a testable explanation of a situation |
independent variable | factor that is manipulated by the experimenter in an experiment |
dependent variable | factor in an experiment that can change if the independent variable is changed |
control | standard for comparison in an experiment |
le systeme international d'unites (SI) | replacement for the metric system; based on a decimal system using the number 10 as the base unit; includes the meter:(m),second:(s), and kilogram:(kg). |
scientific notaion | a method used by scientists to express a number as a value between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of 10 |
scientific model | an idea, a system, or a mathematical expression that represents the idea being explained |
scientific theory | an explanation based on many observations during repeated experiments; valid only if consistent with observations, can be used to make testable predictions, and is the simplest explanation; can be changed of modified with the discovery of new data |
scientific law | a principle that describes the behavior of a natural phenomenon |