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ES Vocab Ch1
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Astronomy | Study of objects 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 earths 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 earths 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, second, and kilogram. |
Scientific Notation | A method used by scientists to express and 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 or modified with the discovery of new data. |
Scientific Law | A principle that describes the behavior of a natural phenomenon. |