environmental science

environmental science

the study of the interactions between humans and the environment

environmental science is an

interdisciplinary science

biology

the study of living things

earth science

the study of the earths nonliving systems

physics

study of matter and energy

chemistry

study of chemicals and their interactions

social sciences

study of human populations

natural resource

any material that comes from nature that is used by humans

renewable resource

things that are replaced relatively quickly through natural processes (water, sunlight, wind, plants and animals)

nonrenewable resource

things that form at slower rates than they are consumed (fossil fuels)

pollution

any undesired change in air, water and/or soil that adversely (negatively) affects the health, survival, or activities of humans or other organisms

biodegradeable

things are decomposed (broken down) at faster rates than they are accumulate

nonbiodegradeable

things that accumulate faster than they can decompose (plastic)

biodeversity

the number and variety (types) of living things in an area

extinction

the disappearance of individuals that live in an area

law of supply and demand

the greater the demand for something, there is a lack of supply and the price increases

ecological footprint

the productive area of land that is needed to support the needs of a person

sustainability

the condition in which human needs are met in such a way that the human population can survive indefinitely

observation

information gathered using the senses

hypothesis

testable explanation to a problem

prediction

statement of what will happen if the hypothesis is correct

experiment

a procedure designed to test the hypothesis under controlled conditions

variable

factor of interest (1 at a time)

independent (manipulating) variable

the thing that changes because of the person doing the experiment (scientist, 1 thing)

dependent (responding) variable

thing that changes because of the independent variable

experimental group

the group that receives the treatment (independent variable)

control group

the group that doesn’t receive the treatment (group under “normal” conditions)

data

information gathered from an experiment

correlation

a reliable association between two (or more) eventss

statistics

the collection and classification of data in the form of numbers

quantitative data

data in the form of numbers

qualitative data

data that is NOT in the form of numbers

statistical population

a group of similar things that a scientist is interested in learning about

mean

the number obtained by adding up the data for a characteristic and dividing by the total number of individuals (is an easy way to compare individuals in a population)

distribution

the relative arrangement of the members of a statistical population (graphically seen as a bell curve)

probability

the chance (likelihood) that something will happen. (# of outcomes/total # of outcomes)