SCIENCE FORM 1

CHAPTER 1
1.1 UNDERSTANDING THAT SCIENCE IS PART OF EVERYDAY
LIFE

WHAT IS SCIENCE?
Science is the

systematic study

nature

and how it affects us and our

environment.

explain natural
phenomena that happen in our

Science can

environment.
How?
Through careful observations, studies and

scientific investigations.

of

List some of natural

phenomena:

CAREERS IN
SCIENCE

Environmentalist

Archeologist

Doctor

Forensic technicianScience teacher

VARIOUS FIELDS IN
SCIENCE
Science covers a very wide area of study and is

divided into various fields, such as:

Biology: the study of living things
Physics : the study of interaction of matter and

energy
Chemistry : the study of composition and
chemical properties of substances, their reactions
and uses
Geology : the study of rocks and minerals
Astronomy : the study of the stars and planets
Meteorology : the study of weather and climate

A SCIENCE
LABORATORY

What are the good practices

demonstrated by the student?
Wearing
goggles
Carrying
bottles by the
body; not the
neck

GENERAL RULES AND SAFETY

PRECAUTIONS

COMMON LABORATORY
APPARATUS

Bunsen burner

Tripod stand and wire gauze

Test tube

Crucible

Syringe
Test tube holder

Retort stand and clamp

Scientific Investigation

Steps in scientific
investigation
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Identifying problem
Forming a hypothesis
Planning the experiment
Controlling the variables
Collecting data
Analysing and interpreting data
Drawing a conclusion
Writing a report

1. List the steps of

scientific
investigation.

2. Write down a report

on Simple
pendulum experiment.

SIMPLE PENDULUM
EXPERIMENT

WRITING A REPORT
Aim
2.
Problem statement
3.
Hypothesis
4.
Variables
5.
Materials and apparatus
6.
Procedure
7.
Results
8.
Analysis
9.
Conclusion
1.

1. AIM
To investigate how the length of the

pendulum string affect the time for 10

complete swings of the pendulum.

2. PROBLEM STATEMENT
How the length of the pendulum
string affect the time for 10 complete
swings of the pendulum?

3. HYPOTHESIS
If the length of the pendulum is longer, the

time taken for 10 complete swing of the

pendulum is longer.

4. VARIABLES
Manipulated (what to change)

: the length of the pendulum

Responding (what is observed)
: time taken for 10 complete swings
Constant (kept the same)
: mass of the pendulum bob

5. MATERIALS AND
APPARATUS
Pendulum bob, string/thread, retort stand and

clamp, stop watch

Apparatus set-up:

6. PROCEDURE (active
sentence)
1. Prepare the simple pendulum with a 10cm long
2.
3.
4.

5.

thread.
Pull the pendulum bob to one side, then release.
Record the time taken for 10 complete
oscillations in a table.
Repeat the experiment using a simple pendulum
of different lengths, e.g. 20cm, 30cm, 40cm and
50cm.
Draw a graph showing the time taken versus
length of pendulum for 10 complete oscillations.

6. PROCEDURE (change to passive

sentence when writing a report)

1. A simple pendulum with a 10 cm long

2.
3.
4.

5.

thread was prepared.

The pendulum was pulled to one side,
and then was released.
The time taken for 10 complete
oscillations was recorded in a table.
The experiment was repeated using a
simple pendulum with 20cm, 30cm, 40
and 50cm long.
A graph showing the time taken versus

7. RESULTS (DATA
TABLE)Length of Time taken for 10
Experime
simple
nt
pendulum (
cm )

1
2
3
4
5

10
20
30
40
50

complete
oscillations ( s )

10
13
15
18
20

7. RESULTS (DATA
TABLE)
Time taken
Length
Time taken

for 1
of
for 10
Experi
complete
simple
complete
ment
oscillations (
pendulu oscillations (
s)
m ( cm )
s)

1
2
3
4
5

10
20
30
40
50

10
13
15
18
20

1.0
1.3
1.5
1.8
2.0

8.
ANALYSIS
Graph
of time taken for 10 complete oscillations
versus length of simple pendulum.

8. ANALYSIS

From the graph, we can say that:

1. The pendulum with a longer string takes

time to oscillate than the pendulum

longer

with a shorter string.

2. The time taken for the pendulum to make one
complete oscillation will
when
the
increase
pendulum string is longer.

9. CONCLUSION
From the results, the hypothesis is

accepted

.
The time taken for the simple pendulum to
make one complete oscillation increases
with the length of the pendulum.

1.3 PHYSICAL
QUANTITIES
AND THEIR
UNITS

MEASUREMENT
Measurement is important

because:
It helps to describe things
everyday;
It is a part of the scientific
investigation process
(e.g: simple pendulum
experiment)

MEASUREMENTCannot be
Can be measured
How far is your
house to the
school?
How long does you
take to finish your
homework?
How hot is a glass
of water?

measured
How beautiful a
person is?
How does a durian
taste?
How soft a pillow
is?
How a flower

PHYSICAL QUANTITIES
A physical quantity is something that can be

measured.
There are five basic quantities: length, time,
mass, temperature and electric current.
Measurement of physical quantities consist of
two parts:
A number indicating value or how much;
A unit of measurement.

STANDARD UNITS: S.I. UNITS

Unit is a scale that helps you

understand a particular
measurement.
S.I units: International standard
unit of measurement (Systeme
International d Unites).

IMPORTANCE OF STANDARD
UNITS
Allow us to analyse data and

compare information easily and

more accurately;
No confusion because there is
specific symbols for each unit;
Allow us to solve problems related
to measurement.

FIVE BASIC QUANTITIES

Physical
quantities

SI
units

Symb
ols

Length

Mass
Time

Metre

A measurement of how long

something from one point to
another

Kilogra
m

kg

A measurement of how much

matter there is in an object

Second

A measurement of the
interval between two events

A measurement of the
warmness or coldness in any
object

Temperature
Kelvin
Electric
current

Definition

Amper
e

A measurement of the rate

flow of electric charges

PREFIXES
Prefixes are added to units like meter and

gram when we need to state values that are

too small or too large.
Prefix

Multiplie
r

Symbol

Micro

X 10-6

Milli
Centi
Kilo

X 10-3
X 10-2
X 103

m
c
k

Mega

X 106

Numeric
al value
0.00000
1
0.001
0.01
1000
100000

1.4 CONCEPT OF
MASS AND
WEIGHT

WHAT IS WEIGHT?
The weight of an object is the pull of the

Earth (force of gravity) on the object.

The S.I unit of weight is Newton (N).
The weight of any object depends on the
gravitational force.
The weight of an object is obtained using a
spring balance or compression spring
balance.

WHAT IS MASS?
The mass of an object is the quantity of

matter in the object.

The S.I. unit of mass is kilogram (kg).
The mass of an object can be obtained using
a triple beam balance or lever balance.

EXERCISE 5: CAN U DIFFERENTIATE

BETWEEN MASS AND WEIGHT?
MASS

WEIGHT

CAN U DIFFERENTIATE
BETWEEN MASS AND WEIGHT?
MASS
It is the amount of
matter in an
object.

WEIGHT
It is the
gravitational pull
on an object.
Its value varies
Its value is fixed.
from place to
place.
Unit: kilogram (kg) Unit: Newton (N)
Measured using
Measured using
beam balance or spring balance or
lever balance.
weighing balance.

1.5 MEASURING
TOOLS

MEASURING LENGTH
Tools: ruler, metre rule, measuring tape
Measuring the length of a straight line:
Using metre rule or a ruler
Correct position of eye (to avoid parallax

error)

 Measuring the length of a curve:

Using a ruler and a piece of thread

A knot is tied at the end of a thread

The thread is stretched along the curve carefully
Make a mark at the end of the curve
Stretch the thread along the ruler to obtain the
length

Using an opisometer

 Measuring the diameter of a spherical

object:
Using two wooden blocks and a ruler

Using a set-square and a ruler

Measuring the diameter of an object:

The external diameter is measured using
external calipers and a ruler

The internal diameter is measured using

internal caliper and a ruler.

Measuring the thickness of an object:

The thickness of a piece of paper can be
determined by measuring the thickness of a
stack of papers and dividing the value of
number of sheets of paper.

Thickness of a stack of paper

Thickness of a single sheet
Number of sheets

The thickness of a glass tube can be measured

by taking the difference between its external

and internal diameter.

External diameter - internal diameter

Thickness of glass
2

MEASURING AREA
Area is the total surface covered by an

object.
The SI unit is square metre (m2).
Regular-shaped areas can be calculated using
Mathematical formulae.
Irregular-shaped areas can be estimated by
using a graph paper.

Using graph paper:

Trace the object on the
graph paper.
Estimate the area by
counting the number of full
squares, half full squares
and more than half full
squares (tick the squares)
Area of the object is
estimated by multiplying
the number of squares
with the area of one
square.
The area can be estimated
more accurately with
smaller squares.

Volume of an object is the

MEASURING
VOLUME
total space

occupied by the object.

The SI unit is cubic metre (m3).
It also can be measured in millilitre (ml).
The apparatus: measuring cylinder, burette
and pipette.

1 ml = 1 cm3
1 l = 1000 cm3= 1000 ml
1 m3= 1 000 000 cm3 = 1
000 000 ml

Measuring volumes of liquids

The volume must be taken at the meniscus
level of the liquid.
Use a piece of white paper to enable the
meniscus to be seen clearly.
The eye is positioned at the same level of the
meniscus to avoid parallax error.

Measuring volumes of solids

The volume of regular-shaped and irregularshaped can be measured using water
displacement method.

The object to be measured must be submerged in

the measuring cylinder filled with water.

The volume of the water displaced is the
volume of the object.

The volume of a solid can also be measured

using a displacement can or a Eureka can.

The volume of the water that flows out
from the can is the volume of the solid
measured.

The volume of a light object can be

measured with the aid of a weight, for

example, a stone.
The stone which is tied to the cork enables the
cork to be submerged in the water.