Download Academic Earth / Environmental Science Ms. Reathaford

Academic Earth /
Environmental Science
Ms. Reathaford
Unit Learning Objectives
Students will understand that:
1. Effective collaboration within a small group is often necessary for a successful
outcome
2. Mapping Earth is the basis for understanding global processes and environmental
issues
3. Knowing and practicing safety expectations is critical to maintaining painless
experience
4. The scientific method is the standard process for educational, societal and
technological research
Earth Science
Earth Science is the study of Earth and
space.
Within Earth Science, there are major
divisions:
1. Astronomy
2. Climatology and Meteorology
3. Geology
4. Oceanography
5. Environmental Science
Environmental Science
The systematic study of our environment and our proper place in it
• Draws on many disciplines, skills and interests
Integrates natural sciences and social sciences
Integrates humanities in a broad, holistic study of the world around us
• Persistent challenges to face, most of which we have created
Pollution
Population Growth
Climate Change
Biodiversity Loss
• Improvement in many areas that benefit our planet
Education
Health Care
Water Quality
Energy alternatives
What is the Scientific Method?
A procedure used to scientists to test hypothesis by making predictions
about the outcome of the experiment BEFORE it is performed is
referred to as the scientific method.
Experiment Factors:
• Independent Variable: factor manipulated BY the experimenter
• Dependent Variable: Changes due to the individual experiment
• Constant: Variables do not change
• Control: “Base Group” for the experiment
Data:
• Quantitative: can be ordered (weight, temperature)
• Qualitative: different in types – NOT ordered (gender, species)
Steps of the Scientific Method
1. Determine the problem
2. Make a Hypothesis
3. Experiment
Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
Constant
Control
4. Collect Data
5. Analyze the Results
6. Draw Conclusions
7. Repeat
Measurement
• Using measurements is common when conducting science experiments.
• A measurement includes using both a number that identifies how many units
there are and a unit of measure.
• Most scientific studies and experiments use a standard system of units called
Le Systeme International d’Unites (SI).
• SI is the modern version of the metric system
• Based on a decimal system that uses the number 10 as the base unit
Measurement Conversions
Prefix
Symbol
Meaning
kilo
k
one thousand
hecto
h
one hundred
deka
da
ten
(B)… m, L, g
BASE UNIT
deci
d
one tenth
centi
c
one hundredth
milli
m
one thousandth
--
Length
The standard SI Unit to measure length is the
meter (m)
• A meter is divided into 100 equal parts,
called a centimeter (cm)
• A centimeter is divided into 1000 equal
parts, called a millimeter (mm)
What does this all mean?
1m = 100cm = 1000 mm
Weight and Mass
WEIGHT
• The measure of
the gravitational
force on an object.
• Varies with
location, based on
gravitational force
(ie… a person on
the moon)
• Measured with
some type of scale
MASS
• The amount of
matter in an
object, dependent
upon the number
of atoms that
make up the
object.
• Mass does not
change with an
object’s position.
• Measured with
triple beam
balance
Area and Volume
AREA
Area is the amount of surface
included within a set of boundaries.
• Area is expressed in square units of
length, such as m2 or cm2
• Area is determined by multiplying
length x width (l x w)
VOLUME
Volume is the amount of space
occupied by an object.
• m3 for a solid object
• mL or L for fluid objects
• 1mL = 1 cc = 1cm3
Density
Density is the measure of the amount of matter that occupies a
given space.
• Density is expressed in grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm3),
grams per milliliter (g/mL) or kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m3
• Calculate density by dividing the mass of the matter by its
volume (m/v)
Time & Temperature
TIME
The interval between two events is
time
• Time is typically measured with a
watch or clock
• Most precise measure of time
comes from an atomic clock
• The SI unit for time is the second
(s)
TEMPERATURE
The measure of the average vibrations of
the particles that make up a material is
temperature
• Particles that vibrate more quickly have
a higher temperature
• Particles that vibrate more slowly have
a lower temperature
• Measured in degrees, with a
thermometer, and on a Celsius scale in
Science
MEMORY RECALL
FORMULAS
• Area = length x width
• Density = mass/volume
• Volume = length x width x height
• C to K = C + 273.16
• K to C = K – 273.16
Scientific Notation
Expresses number as a multiple of ten
Example: 1250000000000 = 1.25 x 1012




It is expressed as a number between 1 and 10, multiplied by a power of 10
The power is the number of places the decimal moves
A positive (+) moves the decimal to the left
A negative (-) moves the decimal to the right
Examples:
12500 = 1.25 x 104
.000125 = 1.25 x 10-4
Graphs
• Used to show comparisons between data
within your experiment.
• Each graph must have:
•
•
•
•
•
1. Title
2. Labeled Axis
3. Legend / Key
4. Must be completed in pencil
5. Must take up ample space on paper
(consistent)
Steps to Making a Graph
1.
Determine the variables and label each axis
•
•
2.
Independent variable goes on the x-axis (horizontal)
Determine the scale of the graph
•
•
3.
Determine the number value for each square on the graph
Spread the graph out to take up the most equal amount of space
Plot the data points
•
4.
Mark each data value with a dot
Draw the graph
•
•
5.
Dependent variable goes on the y-axis (vertical)
Draw a line that best fits the data points
If there is more than one line on the graph, you must include a key identifying each line
Give the graph a descriptive title
Latitude and Longitude
Cartography is the science of mapmaking,
where cartographers use an imaginary grid
of parallel lines and vertical lines to locate
exact points on Earth.
On this grid, the equator (an imaginary
parallel splitting the Earth in half at 0o)
separates the Northern and Southern
hemispheres.
Mapping Points of Interest
Latitude
• Parallel lines that measure distances north and south
of the equator, running east and west.
Longitude
• Lines that measure east and west of the Prime
Meridian (0o), running north and south.
• Each degree is about 111km on the Earth’s surface
• Also referred to as meridians or great circles
• To locate positions more exactly, degrees of latitude
• The Prime Meridian runs through Greenwich,
are broken into smaller units (minutes)
• There are two points of latitude… the North Pole
and the South Pole.
• Latitude will have 90o north and south of the
equator
England (the home of the royal Naval Observatory).
• Lines are NOT parallel, but are instead large
semicircles that extend vertically from pole to pole
• Longitude will have 180o east and west of the Prime
Meridian.
World Mapping: Points of Interest
Latitude:
• Equator (0o)
• Tropics Zone (between 30oN and 30º S
of the equator)
•
•
•
•
Tropic of Cancer (23.5o N)
Tropic of Capricorn (23.5o S)
Arctic Circle (66.5o N)
Antarctic Circle (66.5o S)
Longitude:
• Prime Meridian (0o)
• International Date Line (180o)
Where in the World?
Throughout this course, you will need to know the
geographical location of many different places, regions,
landmasses, and bodies of water:
•
•
•
•
•
•
World Continents
Oceans
Large bodies of water (Great Lakes, Rivers, Aquifers) in USA
Mountain Ranges in the USA
Land regions within the USA
Prominent land and water features in North Carolina
Remote Sensing
• Until recently, mapmakers had to go on-site to
collect data needed to make maps
• Today, advanced technology has changed this –
enabling data to be collected by satellites from far
above the Earth’s surface
• This process is referred to as remote sensing