Name Date Class

Quick Vocabulary
Lesson 1 Lesson 2
critical thinking comparing what you description spoken or written
already know with the information summary of observations
you are given in order to decide
explanation interpretation of
whether you agree with it
observations
hypothesis possible explanation for
International System of Units (SI)
an observation that can be tested
internationally accepted system of
by scientific investigations
measurement
inference logical explanation of an
percent error expression of error as
observation that is drawn from
a percentage of the accepted value
prior knowledge or experience
scientific notation method of writing
observation using one or more of
or displaying very small or very
your senses to gather information
large numbers
and taking note of what occurs

prediction statement of what will

happen next in a sequence of
events

science the investigation and

Copyright Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

exploration of natural events and

of the new information that results
from those investigations

scientific law rule that describes a

repeatable pattern in nature

scientific theory explanation of

observations or events that is
based on knowledge gained from
many observations and
investigations

technology practical use of scientific

knowledge, especially for industrial
or commercial use

Scientific Problem Solving 1

Name Date Class

Quick Vocabulary
Lesson 3
constant factor in an experiment
that stays the same

control group contains the same

factors as the experimental group,
but the independent variable is not
changed

dependent variable factor you

observe or measure during an
experiment

experimental group used to study

how a change in the independent
variable changes the dependent
variable

independent variable factor that

you want to test; is changed by the
investigator to observe how it
affects a dependent variable

Copyright Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

qualitative data words used to
describe what is observed

quantitative data numbers used to

describe what is observed

variable any factor that can have

more than one value

2 Scientific Problem Solving

Name Date Class

Enrichment LESSON 1

When did science begin?

The word science comes from the Latin
word scientia, meaning knowledge. In its
broadest sense, science refers to any
organized body of knowledge that can
result in a prediction. As it is used today,
science generally refers to a system of
gaining knowledge about the natural world
by using the scientific method, which you
learned about in this lesson. So is the
scientific method a modern invention?
Natural Philosophy
Before the 1700s, the study of nature was
referred to as natural philosophy. Natural
philosophers studied nature by thinking
about it. One of the most famous natural
philosophers was Aristotle, who lived in the
fourth century B.C. Aristotles method was to
summarize previous thinking about a subject
and then present his own arguments and
ideas. Aristotle based his explanations on
affected by air resistance, such as a brick
and a half-brick, he would have seen that
they fell at the same speed. Aristotle was so
highly respected that, even when later
scientists showed that his ideas were
incorrect, some people did not believe it.
Scientific Methods
Many think that scientific methods began
with the scientific revolution in Europe in
the 1600s. Actually, the first experimental
scientific method was used by several
scientists in about 1000 A.D.
Isaac Newton is often credited with major
discoveries about light and optics in the
1700s. More than 700 years earlier, a
scientist named Alhazen experimented with
reflection, refraction, mirrors, and lenses. He
also calculated the speed of light and knew
that white light contained all the colors.
The word empirical refers to testing

Copyright Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

how things appeared to the senses. For
example, he stated that heavier things fall
fasterthe speed being proportional to the
weight. He did not experiment, though.
Was Aristotle correct?
If you drop a stone and a piece of paper,
the heavier object falls faster. This made
Aristotles idea seem logical. But had he
actually dropped two objects that were not
hypotheses using observation or
experiment. Alhazen developed the use of
empirical methods. He quantified his
observations by making careful
measurements and is often know as the
father of the scientific method. Other
scientists of the time used similar methods
to study effective medical treatments,
motion, and astronomy.

Applying Critical-Thinking Skills

Directions: Answer each question or respond to each statement.

1. Evaluate the following idea: Because a person has ideas that seem to explain much of
what we observe in nature, no experiments need to be done to prove those ideas.
2. Apply If Aristotle was incorrect about falling objects, why do the paper and brick
appear to fall at the different speeds? Under what conditions would paper and a brick
fall at the same speed?

16 Scientific Problem Solving

Name
Enrichment
Where do units come from?
Thousands of years ago, people
measured lengths using objects that they
always had with themhuman body parts.
For example, one foot was the length of a
persons foot. An inch was the width of a
thumb. But everyones feet or thumbs were
not the same size.
To settle disagreements about whose body
parts would be used, the inch was redefined
as the length of three barleycorns. The foot
became the length of 36 barleycorns. But
barleycorns came in different sizes too.
The mile was originally defined as the
length of 1,000 paces of a Roman legion.
A pace was two steps, or about 0.91 meters,
so the mile was roughly 1,524 meters.
Later, each country adopted its own
standard measurements, which made trade
nearly impossible. Whose system would be
used to measure the weight of trade
goods?
The Metric System
To solve this problem, mathematicians
decided that a system that was built on a
few basic units and that had prefixes based
on powers of ten would be much easier to
remember and use.
In 1889, the first General Conference on
Weights and Measures (GCWM) met in
Paris and decided on the definitions for the
basic metric units. The SI units used today
Applying Critical-Thinking Skills
Directions: Answer each question.
1. Apply Suppose a person is trying to sell a piece of land to someone. What problems
might occur if the length of a persons stride were used to measure distances?
2. Evaluate Why might using the speed of light to determine the length of the meter be
more reliable than using a measured distance around Earth?
32
Date Class
LESSON 2
were adopted in 1960 by the eleventh
GCWM.
What is a meter?
In the eighteenth century, one group
suggested defining the meter as equal to one
ten-millionth of the length of a line from
the North Pole to the equatorpassing
through Paris. This was not a particularly
convenient way to measure length.
Mathematicians then decided to make an
object that would act as a standard against
which all meter measuring devices would
be compared. It wasnt all that easy. The
standard must be kept under controlled
conditions to avoid changes in length from
rust and temperature.
By 1983, mathematicians settled on the
current definition of the meterthe length
of the path traveled by light in a vacuum
during 1/299,792,458 of a second.
Copyright Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
What is a kilogram?
At the end of the eighteenth century, a
kilogram was defined as the mass of a cubic
decimeter of water. In 1889, the first
GCWM ordered that a standard kilogram
would be made of a platinum-iridium alloy.
To eliminate confusion about weight and
mass, they declared: This prototype shall
henceforth be considered to be the unit of
mass.
Scientific Problem Solving
Name
Enrichment
Why do bridges fail?
In 2005, scientists did a study of bridge
failures in the United States between 1989
and 2000. There were a total of 503 failed
bridges. Failure was anything from total
collapse to damage severe enough that the
bridge had to be closed.
Natural Disasters
Natural disasters accounted for more
than half of U.S. bridge failures during the
tested period. Fifty-three percent of bridge
failures came during floods. Large volumes
of water racing at high speeds past the
bridge supports can wash away or weaken
the bridge footings. Flood waters also carry
heavy debris, such as trees, which collide
with the supports, causing failure or
damage. In addition, about 3 percent of
bridges failed because of earthquakes.
Collisions, Overloading, and Design Flaws
Collisions with vehicles were responsible
for another 12 percent of bridge failures.
Fourteen bridges failed due to a truck or car
striking a bridge structure. Ten bridges were
knocked down by collisions with ships or
barges, and three bridges failed after train
accidents damaged bridge parts.
About 10 percent of the failed bridges
collapsed because too many people or
Applying Critical-Thinking Skills
Directions: Respond to each statement.
1. Summarize factors that bridge designers should consider when they design a bridge.
2. Categorize some of the problems that must be solved before sensors that monitor the
health of bridge structures become practical.
3. Explain how bridge designers might anticipate unforeseen incidents, such as a boat
striking a bridge support.
50
Date Class
LESSON 3
vehicles were on the span at the same time.
For example, more than one hundred
people were injured when a walkway bridge
collapsed at an automobile racetrack.
Of the 503 bridges, 20 failed because of
corroded steel or related aging. Weakening
of materials over time and design flaws
accounted for 9 percent of the failures.
These two factors contributed to the
collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minnesota.
Role of the NTSB
Whenever there is a catastrophic failure or
accident that involves transportation in the
United States, the National Transportation
Safety Board (NTSB) investigates the causes.
In the I-35W collapse, they determined that
corrosion of the nodes and possible design
flaws contributed to the failure. They also
considered the added weight of heavy
machinery that was used when the bridge
Copyright Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
was repaired over the years.
There is increasing interest in adding
monitoring sensors to newly built bridges.
These sensors would constantly monitor
the health of critical bridge structures to
identify corrosion or design flaws. Bridges
then can be repaired before the bridge fails.
Scientific Problem Solving
Name Date Class

Chapter Test A

Scientific Problem Solving

Multiple Choice
Directions: On the line before each question or statement, write the letter of the correct answer.

1. Which is a possible explanation for an observation that can be tested?

A. hypothesis
B. scientific law
C. measurement

2. A triple-beam balance is used to measure

A. mass.
B. length.
C. weight.

3. How would the number 5,234 be expressed using scientific notation?

A. 5.234 104
B. 5.234 103
C. 5.234 10-3

Completion
Directions: On each line, write the term from the word bank that correctly completes each sentence. Each term
is used only once.

constant experimental group scientific notation

Copyright Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

technology variable
4. is the practical use of scientific knowledge and is one of the
results of scientific inquiry.
5. is a method of writing or displaying very small or very
large numbers.
6. The is the part of a controlled experiment that is used to
study how a change in the independent variable changes the dependent variable.
7. Any factor in an investigation that can have more than one value is called
a(n) .
8. A factor in an investigation that stays the same is a(n) .

62 Scientific Problem Solving

Name Date Class

Chapter Test B

Scientific Problem Solving

Multiple Choice
Directions: On the line before each question or statement, write the letter of the correct answer.

1. Which phrase does NOT describe a hypothesis?

A. can be tested
B. always correct
C. possible explanation
D. based on observations

2. The volume of a liquid is measured using

A. a spring scale.
B. a thermometer.
C. an electronic balance.
D. a graduated cylinder.

3. How would the number 0.0421 be expressed using scientific notation?

A. 4.21 102
B. 421.0 104
C. 4.21 10-2
D. 421.0 10-4

Completion

Copyright Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Directions: On each line, write the term from the word bank that correctly completes each sentence. Not all terms
are used.

constant control group experimental group

scientific notation technology variable
4. One result of scientific inquiry, , is the practical use of
scientific knowledge.
5. is a method of writing or displaying very small or very
large numbers.
6. The is the part of the controlled experiment that is used to
study how a change in the independent variable changes the dependent variable.
7. Any factor in an investigation that can have more than one value is called
a(n) .
8. A factor in an investigation that stays the same is a(n) .

64 Scientific Problem Solving

Name Date Class

Chapter Test C

Scientific Problem Solving

Multiple Choice
Directions: On the line before each question, write the letter of the correct answer.

1. Which statement is NOT a scientific hypothesis?

A. Baseballs roll faster than basketballs.
B. Basketball is more fun than baseball.
C. Basketballs bounce higher than baseballs.
D. Playing baseball increases players heart rates.

2. Which measurement was most likely made using a graduated cylinder?

A. 218 N
B. 2.5 kg
C. 331 mL
D. 6.31 cm

3. Which number represents the greatest distance?

A. 6.78 102 m
B. 6.78 106 m
C. 6.78 10-4 m
D. 6.78 10-8 m

Completion

Copyright Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Directions: On each line, write a term or phrase that correctly completes each sentence.

4. One result of scientific inquiry, , is the practical use of

scientific knowledge.
5. is a method of writing or displaying very small or very
large numbers.
6. The is the part of the controlled experiment that is used to
study how a change in the independent variable changes the dependent variable.
7. Any factor in an investigation that can have more than one value is called
a(n) .
8. A factor in an investigation that stays the same is a(n) .

66 Scientific Problem Solving

Analyzing the Elements of a Scientific Method
Read the following story and then answer the questions.

A scientist wants to find out why sea water freezes at a

lower temperature than fresh water. The scientist goes to the
library and reads a number of articles about the physical
properties of solutions. The scientist also reads about the
composition of sea water. The scientist travels to a nearby
beach and observes the conditions there. The scientist notes the
taste of sea water and other factors such as waves, wind, air
pressure, temperature, and humidity. After considering all this
information, the scientist sits at a desk and writes, "If sea water
has salt in it, it will freeze at a lower temperature than fresh
water." The scientist goes the laboratory and does the following:
a. Fills each of two beakers with i liter of fresh water
b. Dissolves 35 grams of table salt in one of the beakers
c. Places both beakers in a freezer at a temperature oflC
d. Leaves the beakers in a freezer for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, the scientist examines both beakers and fins the fresh water to be frozen. The
salt water is still a liquid. The scientist writes in a notebook, "It appears that salt water freezes at a
lower temperature than fresh water." The scientist continues, "1 suggest that the reason sea water
freezes at a lower temperature is that sea water contains dissolved salts, while fresh water does
not."
Questions:
1. Which statement(s) contain conclusions?

2. Which statement(s) contains a hypothesis?

3. Which statement(s) contain observations?

4. Which statement(s) describe an experiment?

5. In which statement is the problem described?

The Big6 Skills
The Big6 is a process model of how people of all ages
solve an information problem.
1. Task Definition
1.1 Define the information problem
1.2 Identify information needed (to solve the information problem)
o What is my current task?
o What are some topics or questions I need to answer?
o What information will I need?

2. Information Seeking Strategies

2.1 Determine all possible sources (brainstorm)
2.2 Select the best sources
o What are all the possible sources to check?
o What are the best sources of information for this task?

3. Location and Access

3.1 Locate sources (intellectually and physically)
3.2 Find information within sources
o Where can I find these sources?
o Where can I find the information in the source?

4. Use of Information
4.1 Engage (e.g., read, hear, view, touch)
4.2 Extract relevant information
o What information do I expect to find in this source?
o What information from the source is useful?

5. Synthesis
5.1 Organize from multiple sources
5.2 Present the information
o How will I organize my information?
o How should I present my information?

6. Evaluation
6.1 Judge the product (effectiveness)
6.2 Judge the process (efficiency)
o Did I do what was required?
o Did I complete each of the Big6 Stages efficiently?

The "Big6" is copyright (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more information, visit: www.big6.com
Handout created by: Barbara J. Shoemaker, School Media Specialist, Mill Road Elementary, K-2
Red Hook Central School District, Red Hook, NY