Yr 11 Investigating Science

Theory

An explanation of why phenomena happen and allows predictions to be made.

Law

A statement, usually expressed as a mathematical relationship, about what happens in phenomena.

Theory of Evolution

Explains the processes of how living things evolve over time.

Theory of Plate Tectonics

Explains the processes of how the Earth's continents drift and move over time.

Big Bang Theory

Explains the origin and expansion of the universe.

Law of Conservation of Mass

States that in any chemical reaction, the mass of the reactants is equal to the mass of the products.

Law of Conservation of Energy

States that energy is neither created nor destroyed, but only transformed from one form to another.

Newton's Laws of Motion

Describes the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration in objects.

Germ Theory

States that germs are the cause of disease.

Oxygen Theory of Combustion

States that oxygen is the key element in the chemical reaction of combustion.

Law of Superposition

States that in undisturbed rock layers, the oldest rocks are at the bottom and the youngest rocks are at the top.

Mendel's Law of Dominance

States that one factor of an inherited trait will be dominant and the other recessive.

Law of Original Horizontality

States that sedimentary rock layers are deposited in horizontal layers.

Law of Inherited Acquired Characteristics

States that physical changes acquired during an organism's lifetime can be passed on to its offspring.

Law of Conservation of Energy in Biology

States that energy within living things is transformed from chemical energy stored in food into kinetic energy and released as heat energy.

Law of Conservation of Energy in Chemistry

States that in chemical reactions, the overall amount of energy does not change, but is only transformed from one form to another.

Law of Conservation of Energy in Earth and Environmental Science

States that the heat energy budget of the Earth is balanced, with the heat entering the planet being equal to the heat radiated by the planet.

Einstein's Mass-Energy Equivalence

States that mass can be converted into energy and vice versa.

Nuclear Reactions

Involve the splitting or fusion of atomic nuclei, resulting in the release or absorption of energy.

Nuclear Decay

The natural process of unstable atoms transforming into other elements, releasing energy and particles in the process.

Forms of observation

Information acquired through any of the senses

Chemical reaction

Nature of a chemical reaction determined by sight and smell

Scientific hypotheses

Conclusions based on observations and inferences

Extensive testing

Investigation of cause and effect to make informed conclusions

Qualitative data collection

Data collection relying on personal opinions and descriptions

Quantitative data collection

Data collection relying on measurement and scientific equipment

Behavioural science

Observing biological interactions in behavioural science laboratories

Scientific breakthroughs

Result of simple observations that sparked inquiry and experimentation

Archimedes' principle

Observation of water displacement used to determine density

Penicillin

Observation of mould's effect on bacterial growth led to life-saving antibiotic

Galileo's discovery

Observation of Jupiter's moons challenged traditional cosmology

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander observations

Observations of natural environment for sustainable land management

pH

Measurement of acidity or alkalinity of a substance

Gravity

Observation of objects falling towards the earth

Cell characteristics

Qualitative observations of cell location, shape, and organelles

Cell size

Quantitative data indicating cell function and energy requirements

Rock strata

Observations of geological exploration and fossil examination

Qualitative data limitations

Subjectivity and lack of precision in qualitative data

Variables

Factors in a scientific investigation that are deliberately changed or controlled

Research question

Specific question developed from an observation to guide an investigation

Hypothesis

Educated guess based on the relationship between variables

Method

Detailed description of the steps and variables in a scientific investigation

Risk assessment

Identification of potential hazards and precautions in an investigation

Observational tools limitations

Limitations due to technology, physical space, and time

Periodic table

Organized representation of elements based on properties

Heliocentric model

Sun-centered model of the Solar System

Collaboration in science

Importance of collaboration in scientific observations and conclusions

Theory of evolution

Theory based on collaborative observations and research

Heredity genetics

Observations and laws of genetic inheritance

Scientific observations in physical sciences

Observations and conclusions in chemistry and astronomy

Earth and Environmental Science

Study of landforms and environmental conditions over time

Collaborative data collection

Modern scientists rely on collaboration to build upon previous observations and hypotheses

Plate tectonics

Theory that explains the movement of continents over time

Continental drift

Theory that all continents were once joined together and drifted apart

Pangaea

Supercontinent that existed millions of years ago

Mid-ocean ridges

Underwater mountain ranges caused by hot magma rising from the mantle

Seafloor spreading

Process where new rocky crust pushes the old crust outwards, causing the seafloor to spread

Sediment thickness

Measurement used to gather evidence for plate tectonic theory

Rock age

Measurement used to gather evidence for plate tectonic theory

Comprehensive knowledge

Understanding of the distribution of continents over the Earth's crust

Inference

Possible explanation based on past experiences and available evidence

Observation

Data without inherent meaning, viewed within context of past experience

Past experience

Individual's previous encounters that shape interpretation of the world

Preconceived assumptions

Inferences used to inform further inferences, often untested

Available evidence

Data that may be limited by time, scale, or technology

Collective understanding

Influence of others' stories, experiences, and knowledge on interpretation

Quantitative data

Numerical observations with standard units

Qualitative data

Descriptive observations using words or images

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

Indigenous groups making inferences from observations of Country and Place

Toxic puzzle

Edible plants requiring careful observation and reasoning for safe preparation

Wonky holes

Submarine freshwater springs attracting fish, important for Indigenous peoples

Consulting the research

Reviewing existing knowledge to inform scientific investigations

Making inferences from the research

Drawing on collective understanding and reasoning of scientists

Develop inquiry questions

Formulating questions based on existing research gaps

Construct suitable hypotheses

Proposing relationships between independent and dependent variables

Plan suitable investigations

Designing investigations based on previous methods and technology

Avoid unnecessary investigation

Consulting existing research to avoid repetition of previous investigations

Repeating investigations

Verifying and challenging previous research to confirm or overturn conclusions

Patterns in data

Recognizing and interpreting patterns to support scientific conclusions

Type II error

Failure to recognize a pattern when one is present

Observing natural and universal patterns

Collecting data over time, space, or scale to establish patterns

Migrating Australian birds

Tracking bird migration patterns through international collaboration

Halley's Comet

Tracing the path of a comet through historical records and scientific theories

Snowflakes

Explaining the formation of snowflake patterns through chemistry and physics

Groups in the periodic table

Organizing elements based on similar properties and electron configurations

Patterns that are not there

Seeing patterns that do not actually exist, known as type I errors

Pareidolia

Seeing faces in random objects due to evolutionary pattern recognition

Optical illusions

Brain shortcuts that create illusions of depth or other visual effects

Data outliers

Extreme data points that may skew the relationship between variables

Testing assumptions

Critically analyzing assumptions that influence interpretation of data

Generalizations

Statements drawn from specific cases or examples

Collaborative teams

Pooling resources, talent, and ideas to increase efficiency and cross-discipline research

Alternative perspectives

Different viewpoints and understandings that challenge assumptions

Collaboration or competition?

The story of competing scientists in the discovery of DNA's structure

Scientific mysteries

Unanswered questions in science that require further research and evidence

Origins of life on Earth

Hypotheses and debates surrounding the emergence of life on our planet

Feynmanium

Theoretical last element of the periodic table (element 138)

Bohr's model of the atom

Model that predicts the last possible element of the periodic table

Quantum physics

Incorporates small particles traveling at extreme speeds

Quantum models of the atom

Predicts an extended number of elements in the periodic table (173)