Investigating Science HSC Notes Review

Flashcards covering key terms, historical scientific investigations, methodology, technology, and sociological impacts from Modules 5 to 8 of the Investigating Science syllabus.

Peptic Ulcer

A break in the tissue of the gastrointestinal tract, found by Marshall and Warren to be caused by H. pylori rather than stress or spicy food.

H. pylori

The bacteria observed in gastric tissue samples that Marshall and Warren hypothesized was responsible for causing peptic ulcers.

Von Helmont

A scientist who tested if plants gained nourishment from soil by weighing a willow tree and its soil over 5 years, concluding growth came from water.

Magnetrons

Vacuum tubes that generate microwaves, which Percy Spencer utilized to develop the first microwave oven after noticing a candy bar melting in his pocket.

Stadia

An ancient unit of distance used by Eratosthenes to calculate the Earth's circumference; he estimated it to be 250,000 stadia.

Doppler Effect

The phenomenon where the frequency of waves increases as a source moves toward an observer and decreases as it moves away.

Reaction Rate

The total amount of reactant used or product made divided by the time taken, often measured to see the effect of changes in temperature ($K$).

Charles Law

A law stating that the volume and temperature ($K$) of a gas are directly proportional ($V_1/T_1 = V_2/T_2$) when pressure is constant.

Boyle’s Law

A law stating that the pressure and volume of a gas are inversely proportional ($P_1V_1 = P_2V_2$) when temperature is constant.

Systematic Error

Errors in experimental observations usually coming from measuring instruments that affect accuracy and can be identified and eliminated.

Random Error

Errors caused by unknown and unpredictable changes in an experiment that affect precision and accuracy but can only be reduced by repeating trials.

SDS (Safety Data Sheets)

Documents providing critical information about hazardous chemicals, including hazards, safe handling, and emergency procedures.

GPlates

Computer software created by Dietmar Muller used to produce simulations of Earth’s geological history and provide evidence for continental drift.

X-ray Diffraction

A technology that produces diffraction patterns used by Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins to provide evidence for the double-helical structure of DNA.

Geiger-Muller Counter

A device created in 1908 used to detect radiation and alpha particles, which helped Rutherford propose a coherent structure of the atom.

CRISPR

A biotechnology developed by Jennifer Doudna using the Cas9 protein to cut and edit genes by inserting strands of RNA into an organism's cells.

Newton's Second Law

The law defined by the equation $F = ma$, used in technologies like tuned mass dampers to reduce vibrations in tall buildings during earthquakes.

Bioharvesting

The collection of plants from Country and Place for the ethical development of new drug treatments and chemicals using Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge.

Sample Bias

The tendency to under or over represent a particular group within a sample population during an investigation.

Cherry Picking

The deliberate practice of presenting only the results of a study that best support a hypothesis instead of reporting all findings.

Placebo

A medicine or procedure with no therapeutic effect used to show that the treatment itself, rather than the patient's mood or expectation, causes a change.

Double-blind Trial

A trial where both the administrator and the participants are unaware of who is receiving the treatment or the placebo to prevent observer bias.

Hawthorne Effect

A psychological phenomenon where participants alter their behavior because they are aware they are being observed and evaluated.

Scientific Theory

A well-substantiated explanation acquired through the scientific method that has been repeatedly tested and confirmed through observation.

Scientific Law

A description, usually expressed as a mathematical relationship, of what happens in a phenomenon under specific conditions.

Publish or Perish

The pressure on scientists to have a number of journal articles regularly accepted for publication to keep their jobs or maintain grant funding.

Predatory Journals

Open-access journals that exploit scientists by accepting papers for a fee without providing rigorous peer-review or editing practices.

Anil Potti

A former associate professor at Duke University who was found by the ORI to have falsified genomic research data regarding lung cancer chemotherapy.

Smallpox Vaccine

The first vaccine developed by Edward Jenner in 1796 using cowpox pustules to create immunity against the contagious smallpox disease.

Laparoscopy

A keyhole surgical procedure using small incisions to operate on the interior of abdominal or pelvic cavities, reducing recovery time and pain.

ICIP

Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property, which refers to the rights of Indigenous peoples to protect and benefit from their traditional knowledge.

Bioprospecting

The exploration of biological resources for identifying new bioactive and pharmaceutical compounds, raising ethical issues over ownership and removal.

LifeStraw

A water purification device designed to filter 99.999999% of bacteria and 99.999% of parasites to prevent water-borne infectious diseases.

Halo Effect

The tendency to form a positive impression of a trait of a person or object based on a positive impression of another unrelated trait.