Science Skills

Concept 1: Safety in the Laboratory

Success Criteria & Vocabulary

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Beaker: A lipped cylindrical glass container for laboratory use.

Boiling tube: A thin glass tube closed at one end, used to hold small amounts of material for heating or boiling. 

Bunsen burner: A piece of laboratory equipment that produces a single open gas flame. 

Conical flask: A type of laboratory glassware which features a flat bottom, conical body, and a cylindrical neck.

Funnel: A plastic or glass tube or pipe that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, used for pouring liquid or powder into a small opening. 

Gauze mat: A wire mesh used to spread heat evenly.

Hazardous: Risky or dangerous.

Measuring cylinder: A piece of laboratory glassware used to accurately measure the volume of a liquid. 

Test tube: A thin glass tube closed at one end, used to hold small amounts of material for laboratory experiments. 

Thermometer: A long and thin piece of glassware used to measure temperature.

Tripod: A three-legged metal stand for supporting equipment above a Bunsen burner. 

Tasks

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Safety in the Laboratory

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Safety in the Laboratory

Laboratory Equipment

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Laboratory Equipment

Concept 2: The Bunsen Burner

Success Criteria

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No essential vocabulary. Woo hoo!

Tasks

Bunsen Burner Licence Test

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Bunsen Burner Licence Test

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Support Notes

What is a Bunsen burner?

A BUNSEN BURNER is a common piece of laboratory equipment and you will use it many times this year. It is also one of the most dangerous. This is because it is a device that combines flammable gas with controlled amounts of air to produce a flame. 

You must learn how to use this piece of equipment safely. 

Video: Laboratory Equipment & The Bunsen Burner

What are the different components of a Bunsen burner?


The collar controls the amount of air, and therefore oxygen that goes into the Bunsen burner. The more oxygen mixed with the flammable gas, the hotter the flame becomes. 

How to use a Bunsen burner safely!

Watch this video on how to light a Bunsen burner safely!

What's the difference between the yellow and blue flames?

Watch this video, comparing the two flames. 

Concept 3: Measuring with Accuracy

Success Criteria & Vocabulary

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Accuracy: How close the measured value is to the true value.

Average: Sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are being summed. 

Median: Middle number in a sorted list of numbers.

Meniscus: A curve formed on the upper surface of a liquid inside a container. 

Meniscus error: Type of error where the observed measurement is inaccurate because it was not taken from the bottom part of the meniscus. 

Outlier: An observation that lies an abnormal distance from other values; a value that brings the mean away from the median by an amount that cannot be ignored.

Parallax error: Type of error where the observed measurement is inaccurate because of your eye being positioned at an angle to the measurement markings. 

Precision: How consistently you can get the same measured value using the same method and measuring instrument. 

Qualitative: Observations or information that is descriptive and based on non-numerical characteristics. 

Quantitative: Observations or information that can be counted, measured, and expressed using numbers.

Reliability: Extent to which the results can be reproduced when the research is repeated under the same conditions.

Validity: Extend to which the results really measure what they are supposed to measure. 

Zero error: Type of error where the observed measurement is inaccurate because the measuring instrument did not begin measuring from zero. 

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Tasks

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Measuring Accurately

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9 Skills C3: Measuring Accurately

Support Notes

There are two types of observations you can make in your scientific investigations:

QUANTITATIVE observations - Using measuring instruments to describe observations in numbers.

QUALITATIVE observations - Using senses to describe observations in words. 

Measurements for quantitative observations involve the:

Units are just as important as the number because without units the number has no meaning. 

What is accuracy and validity?

ACCURACY is how close the measured value is to the true value. If your measured values are accurate, you can say that your experiment is VALID

You can’t get a better measurement than your measuring instrument allows. Scales used on any instrument are marked off into smaller and smaller divisions. The smallest division determines the accuracy of the measuring instrument.

So if you choose the appropriate measuring instruments, and address potential errors that may arise, your measurements will be as accurate as possible, and your experiment will be valid. 

What is precision and reliability?

PRECISION is how consistently you can get the same measured value using the same method and the same measuring instrument. If your measured values are precise, you can say that your experiment is RELIABLE

How can we ensure precision, and therefore reliability?

What kinds of mistakes can be made while measuring?

It’s difficult to say any measurement is exact. Mistakes are easy to make while taking measurements, and the best thing you can do is to reduce these mistakes or errors. 

Mistakes and errors occur when: 

What types of errors do you need to be aware of?

Parallax error

PARALLAX ERROR occurs when you don't look straight at the scale. You need to look square onto a measurement. 

Meniscus error

A MENISCUS is a curve formed on the upper surface of a liquid inside a container. 

MENISCUS ERROR occurs when the wrong part of the meniscus is used to measure the volume of a liquid. 

To avoid meniscus error, always read the bottom of the meniscus. 

Zero error

ZERO ERROR is where a measuring instrument registers a reading when there should not be any reading. 

To avoid zero error, ensure that your measuring instrument is at zero when before you use it for measuring.