Author: S.Aldrich
Keywords: S. Aldrich

MEASUREMENT
Scientists use the metric system to measure matter. It is based on factors of 10. Science measurements should be accurate and precise.

Name:

Chapter 2:
The Tools of Science
6th Grade Science

Measurement	Unit
Volume	Liter (L)
Length	Meter (m)
Force	Newton (N)
Temperature	Celcius (ºC)
Mass	mass (g)

Glue/ Staple this section down into your
Science Notebook

Variables
IV= Variable being changed in an experiment
DV= variable that changes based on the IV
CV= variables you keep the same for valid results

Scientific Method
Always begin with a question.
Collect information
A hypothesis is an educated guess about what you think will happen. It is not an opinion. And you must be able to test it.
An experiment with a variable (things you can change) and a control (things that stay the same) must then be run.
Collect data and analyze results. Draw a conclusion and decide if the results supported your hypothesis.

SAFETY
Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes.
Wear an apron to protect yourself and your clothing from chemicals.
Use heat-resistance gloves when handling hot objects.
Keep your work area clean and safe.
Tie back long hair.
Provide appropriate care for plants and animals.
Make sure electric cords are not tangled.
Wear closed-toe shoes.

Length/ Distance:
To measure length, we use a meter stick/ruler.
Your Turn: Using a ruler measure the length of the catfish. __________________________
Mass:
To measure mass, we use a triple-beam balance
Volume:
Volume: amount of space something takes up
To measure volume, we use a graduated cylinder
Density = Mass/Volume
(g/mL)

Your Turn: Given the scale above, what is the actual length of the catfish? _______________

Amount of
Matter

Measure of Gravity

The curved line on the graduated
cylinder is called the
meniscus
How much liquid is in the
cylinder? _________

Estimate: approximate number

Accuracy– how close to actual answer
Precision– how close to your other answers

Mean: (average) add up all #s and divide by total amount of #s
Median: middle number (make sure they are lined up least to greatest)
Mode: number that occurs most
Range: biggest # - smallest #
Your Turn: Find the above for the following data: 1,1,2,3,4,5,3,2

% error Your Turn: I measured the length of the pencil to be 12 cm but the actual length was 12.2 cm. What was my % error?

GRAPHING
Line Graph: Line graphs show trends in data clearly. Increases and decreases are easily seen and predictions can be made. Line graphs contain two variables: Independent Variable: what is changed in the experiment (x– axis) Dependent Variable: changes in response to the independent variable. (y-axis)
Your Turn: Look at the graph. What is the independent variable? Dependent variable?
Bar Graph: make comparisons between different variables. If one variable is given, the value of the other is easily seen.
Pie Chart: A pie graph represents 100%. So, it is possible to see data divided into different groups.

Your Turn How many students are in the marching band compared to jazz choir?