EES Unit 1 Study Guide: The Scientific Method & Earth's Place in Space

Vocabulary flashcards covering scientific methods, experimental variables, graph types, cosmic hierarchy, the Big Bang theory, and the formation and structure of the solar system.

Nebular Hypothesis

The hypothesis describing how our solar system was created.

Solar System Initiation

The start of the formation of our solar system, initiated by a supernova and gravity.

Layers of the Sun

The three layers of the sun: 1) Core, 2) Radiative zone, and 3) Convective zone.

Fusion

The energy and heat-creating process taking place in the core of the sun.

Mass of the Solar System

The percentage of the mass of our solar system contained in the sun, which is $99.9\%$.

Steps of Solar System Formation

The 6 steps of the solar system's formation in order: 1) Dust cloud, 2) Collapse, 3) Spinning, 4) Flattening, 5) Condensing, and 6) Accretion.

Inner Planets Formation

Rocky planets formed as the inner planets because their materials could withstand the sun's heat.

Outer Planets Formation

Gas giants formed as the outer planets because their materials could not withstand the sun's heat and were forced farther away.

Qualitative Observation

An observation based on physical properties, such as describing three balls.

Quantitative Observation

An observation that deals with measuring the amount of something, such as humidity being $65\%$. It is used more often in scientific research.

Scientific Method

The 6 steps of scientific inquiry in order: 1) Observation, 2) Ask a Question, 3) Hypothesis, 4) Conduct Experiment, 5) Analyze Data, and 6) Conclusion.

Observation vs Inference

An observation is a direct factual statement (e.g., 'There is liquid on the floor'), whereas an inference is a conclusion drawn from observations (e.g., 'This could be a crime scene').

Hypothesis

A testable statement written in an 'If/Then' format that must be tested with measurements, rather than just a guess.

Control Group

The group in an experiment used as a baseline to compare and observe changes against.

Independent Variable

The variable that is manipulated in an experiment (e.g., caffeine), which is plotted on the x-axis.

Dependent Variable

The variable being measured as an outcome in an experiment (e.g., heart rate), which is plotted on the y-axis.

Circle Graph

The type of graph used to show percentages.

Line Graph

The type of graph used to represent a trend over time.

Goo-Yuck

A type of substance classified as a colloid.

Scientific Theory vs Law

A scientific theory is not less supported by facts than a law.

Big Bang Theory

The theory explaining that the universe started from a singularity exploding and expanding.

Hierarchy of the Universe

The hierarchy of the universe from largest to smallest: 1) Universe, 2) Galaxies, 3) Solar Systems, 4) Planets + Moons, and 5) Space rocks.