Science-6th Grade-Trimester 1

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Scientific Method

Question or Problem - the step when you wonder about a problem that will become the purpose of the experiment

Research - the step when you find out more information about the experiment and what has been done before

Hypothesis - the step when you make an educated guess about the outcome of the experiment, written as an "If... then..." statement

Conduct Experiment - the step when you perform the procedures and list materials to test the hypothesis

Analyze your Data (aka Observe and Record Results) - the step when you watch what happens and write down qualitative and /or quantitative data in a chart or table

Conclusion (aka Report your Results) - the step when you summarize your experiment, share your data, decide if your hypothesis was correct, and determine what could be improved for next time. In order to verity the results, experiments must be retested.

Scientific Method Vocabulary

Variable - things that change or can be changed in an experiment

Independent variable - what causes the changes in an experiment. Written in the first part of the hypothesis (after the "If"). Should be only one variable to test for each experiment.

Dependent variable - the changes measured in an experiment. Written in the second part of the hypothesis (after the "then").

Control Variables/Group - things that are NOT manipulated/changed; not being tested; used for comparison

Qualitative Data - using the senses to gather information about something... without numbers

Quantitive Data - using the senses to gather information about something... with numbers

Hypothesis - educated guess; must be testable; predicts an outcome

Inference - using observations and your knowledge to identify what might happen next or why a result occurred

Observation - using many senses as possible to gather and record information

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Big Bang Theory

Timeline

Big Bang - Time = 0 years

Stars & galaxies formed 200-400 million years after big bang

Now - Time = 13.8 billion years after big bang

Sun formed - Time = 9.2 billion years after big bang

Earth formed - Time = 9.3 billion years after big bang

General Information

Universe started as the size of an atom

Universe began as a violent expansion - all space and matter was created from a single point of pure energy in an instant

No explosion - just a continued expansion

Per Albert Einstein, energy froze into matter (E=mc2)

Evidence of Big Bang

Universal expansion - observed that galaxies are moving away from each other and away from earth (Hubble's Law)

3 degree background radiation - Noise radiation is evenly spread across space

Quasars - super large galactic cores that put out more light than whole galaxies; nothing exists past quasars

Radioactive decay - radiometric dating allows us to determine age of items from the decay of radioactive isotopes within the object. We an determine an estimated time that the earth and moon were formed

Stellar formation and evolution - life cycle of stars (forming, burning, and exploding)

Speed of light and stellar distances - speed of light is universal constant; furthest stars are 10-15 billion light years away

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