Observations and Inferences

Introduction to Earth Science

Earth Science is the study of Earth and its position in the universe. This science can be broken down into four disciplines of study:

ASTRONOMY:

METEOROLOGY:

OCEANOGRAPHY:

GEOLOGY:

Observation vs. Inference

An observation is

--

An inference is

--

Types of Observations

Quantitative observations are

Qualitative observations are

Quantitative observations =

Qualitative observations =

Observation vs. InferenceOBSERVATIONS INFERENCES

Classification

Classification is

PLANETS

JOVIAN PLANETS TERRESTRIAL PLANETS

Planets with large diameters and low densities.

Planets with small diameters and large densities.

Measurement

Measurement is

Measurement Tool Standard Unit of Measurement

Length: The distance between two points

Meter stick, metric ruler, Trundle wheel

meter, kilometer, centimeter, light-year

Mass: The amount of matter in an object

Triple-beam balance

grams, kilograms

Volume: The amount of space an object occupies.

Graduated cylinder cm3

(cubic centimeters)

Percent DeviationErrors exist in our

understanding of the Earth due to a number of factors:

12.

Percent deviation is

Percent deviation = difference from accepted value X 100 accepted

value

Marissa used a triple-beam balance improperly to obtain the mass of a rock sample. Marissa determined the mass to be 45.6g when the mass of the rock sample should have been 48g. What is the percent deviation?

Percent DeviationPercent deviation = difference from accepted value X 100

accepted valuePercent deviation =

Percent deviation =

Percent deviation =