SCNS1508 Lifelong Learning Natural Sciences - Unit Review Flashcards

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers key scientific definitions, units of measure, graphical literacy, and problem-solving skills as outlined in the SCNS1508 natural sciences curriculum.

Philosophy of Science

The field concerned with how science operates, its goals, the relationship it has with the rest of society, and the differences between science and other activities.

Methodological Naturalism

The assumption, for the sake of research, that all phenomena are natural, have natural causes, and can be studied and understood by natural, scientific investigations.

Epistemology

A branch of philosophy concerned with questions about knowledge and knowledge claims; a subfield of which the Philosophy of Science is often considered.

Hypothesis

A specific, testable education guess or limited statement regarding the cause and effect in a specific situation, which can be supported or refuted through experimentation.

Scientific Model

A representation used for situations where it is known that the hypothesis has a limitation on its validity, such as the Bohr model of the atom.

Scientific Theory

An explanation of a set of related observations or events based upon tested hypotheses and verified multiple times by detached groups of researchers.

Scientific Law

A statement of fact meant to describe, in concise terms, an action or set of actions that is universal and can sometimes be expressed as a single mathematical equation.

Scientific Paradigm

A term developed by Thomas Kuhn to explain the working set of theories under which science operates at any given time.

Occam’s Razor

The principle that the most simple explanation that fits the available data is the one which is preferable; entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity.

Fallibilism

The feature of scientific facts, theories, and hypotheses where they are regarded as something less than absolute truth and as being open to revision with new information.

Independent Variable

The factor in an experiment that is isolated and manipulated by the researcher to produce results.

Dependent Variable

The measurable outcome of the manipulation of the independent variable; the results of the experimental design.

Control

A part of an experiment without the variable being tested, used as a comparison to measure the effects of the manipulated variable.

Claim

In Toulmin's model, a statement that you are asking another person to accept as true or an action you want them to enact.

Grounds

The basis of real persuasion made up of data, hard facts, and reasoning on which a claim is based.

Warrant

The link that connects data and grounds to a claim, legitimizing the claim by showing the grounds to be relevant.

International System of Units (SI)

A decimal metric system of units completed in 1971 by adding the mole as the seventh base unit.

Meter

The SI base unit of length, defined in 1983 as the length of the path traveled by light in vacuum during a time interval of $1/299\,792\,458$ of a second.

Kilogram

The SI base unit of mass, equal to the mass of the international prototype of the platinum-iridium kilogram kept at the BIPM.

Kelvin

The SI unit of thermodynamic temperature, defined as the fraction $1/273.16$ of the thermodynamic temperature of the triple point of water.

Mole

The amount of substance of a system which contains as many elementary entities as there are atoms in $0.012\,kilogram$ of carbon 12.

Candela

The luminous intensity of a source that emits monochromatic radiation of frequency $540 \times 10^{12}\,hertz$ with a radiant intensity of $1/683\,watt\,per\,steradian$.

Solidus

A slash symbol ($/$) used in SI unit notation to signify the division of units.

Bar Graph

A visual display used to compare the amounts or frequency of occurrence of different characteristics of data among groups.

Line Graph

A graph used to track changes over short and long periods of time and depicts how one thing is influenced by another continuing variable.

Pie Chart

A graph used to show percentages of a whole at a set point in time; it does not show changes over time.

X-Y Plot

Also called a scatter plot, it is used to determine relationships between two different things to see if one event affects another.

Linear Regression Analysis

A statistical method to determine the best fit straight line through data points by minimizing the sum of the squares of the deviations.

Problem

A situation that requires resolution for which an individual or group sees no apparent path to the solution.

Brainstorming

A problem-solving approach designed to help a group generate creative solutions by separating idea creation from evaluation.

Nominal Groups

A technique where members work individually in each other's presence, recording ideas on a chart and discussing them before ranking to reach a decision.

Action Plan

A chart listing the tasks that need to be done, who is responsible, the timeline, and the starting point for implementing a solution.

Critical Thinking

The intellectually disciplined process of conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, and evaluating information as a guide to belief and action.

Rationality

A characteristic of critical thinking that relies on reason rather than emotion and requires following evidence where it leads.

Intellectual Standards

Criteria such as clarity, accuracy, relevance, and logical consistency used to assess the quality of thinking.