General Biology Hub

Lecture Learning Tools

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The lecture objectives and the lecture quiz is from the class handout GB_1_SGuide_Quiz_02_Sci.html, which may have been distributed in class.

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MAIN TOPICS OUTLINE

2.1. SCIENCE (scientific fundamentals)
2.11 Nature of Science (Scientific Fundamentals)
2.12 Scientific Method
2.13 Controlled Experiment
2.14 Theory and Law
2.15 Scientific publications

2.2. INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM OF MEASUREMENTS (Metric Measurements)
2.3. MICROSCOPY

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LECTURE OBJECTIVES (instructional goals)

AT THE END OF THIS LECTURE, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO:

1. Differentiate between science, non-science, and pseudoscience.
2. Explain the underlying assumptions and the limitations of science, and understand that scientific 'fact' may change with changing scientific knowledge.
3. List the steps in the scientific method.
4. Explain the purpose of a controlled experiment, and understand the difference between a control group and a test group.
5. Differentiate between a scientific hypothesis, a scientific theory, and a scientific law.
6. Discuss scientific publications.
7. List the reference units for scientific mass, length, volume and temperature measurements (the SI-system "metric" reference units), list and understand the SI-system prefixes, and know some standard temperature points in the three temperature scales (Celsius, Fahrenheit and Kelvin).
8. Know how to use a microscope including the meaning of the term parfocal, know the various microscope parts, understand depth of focus / field of vision and understand how to calculate the total magnification.
9. Define selected key terms.

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QUIZ

• List the steps in the Scientific Method (in correct order, as five steps -- as discussed in class):
1. OBSERVATION 2. QUESTION 3. HYPOTHESIS 4. TEST 5. CONCLUSION

• List four underlying assumptions of science: (select from the following: value, testable, tentative, scientific method, natural, uniformity, five senses)
6. Science deals only with what we can perceive with the basic five senses.
7. What we perceive function according to the principle of uniformity.
8. All events are caused by natural phenomena.
9. Science discover and attempt to understand phenomena by a systematic form of inquiry called the scientific method.


• List three limitations of science: (select from the following: value, testable, tentative, scientific method, natural, uniformity, five senses)
10. Scientific conclusions are always tentative.
11. Scientific hypothesis must always be testable.
12. Science cannot deal with subjective value judgments.


• SI System (or sometimes "metrics"):

13. Give the reference unit for a. length, b. volume, c. mass (weight), and d. temperature:

a. meter, b. litre, c. gram, d. °C (in the metric system, which is used in biology); K (in the SI system, which is used in chemistry),


14. Boiling point of water: 100°C (= 212°F), 15. Freezing point of water: 0°C (= -32°F)

16. Normal human body temperature: 37°C (= 98.6°F) 17. Temperature in a freezer: -18°C (= 0°F)

18. Absolute zero: -273°C (= -459°F) 19. Milk pasteurization temperature: 71°C (= 160°F)


20. Weight measurements: 1 g = 10 dg = 100cg = 1000mg = 1,000,000µg = 1,000,000,000ng


21. Length measurements: 1 m = 10 dm = 100cm = 1000mm = 1,000,000µm = 1,000,000,000nm


(1,000,000,000nm = 1,000,000µm = 1,000mm = 100cm = 10dm = 1 meter = 0.1dam = 0.01hm = 0.001km = 0.000,001Mm = 0.000,000,001Gm)

22. Volume measurements: 1 l = 10dl = 100cl = 1000ml = 1,000,000µl = 1,000,000,000nl


23. Computer memory: 1,000,000,000 byte = 100,000,000 dab = 10,000,000 hb = 1,000,000 kb = 1,000Mb = 1Gb

(1,000,000,000nb = 1,000,000µb = 1,000mb = 100cb = 10db = 1 byte = 0.1dab = 0.01hb = 0.001kb = 0.000,001MB = 0.000,000,001GB)


24. Length measurements: 1,000,000,000 m = 100,000,000 dam = 10,000,000 hm = 1,000,000 km = 1,000Mm = 1 Gm


• 25. It is easy to understand the SI system if one understands the terminology. The words kilo and milli BOTH mean thousand.

As prefixes in the SI system kilo stands for 1,000 and milli stands for 1 / 1,000. The world kilo is used when converting up, while milli is used when converting down.

26. Which of the lecture objective(s) (see list above -- not counting the key term objective) was/were not covered in the quiz above? Lecture objective #8. Know how to use a microscope.

Don't spend too much time on the metric system, other than what has been indicated in the classroom. You are responsible for the "meter stick, and the temperature comparisons between degrees Celsius and degrees Fahrenheit -- see bold temperature points in textbook appendix VI.

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KEY TERMS

See lecture notes learning tools page.

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