CNEC Lau Wing Sang Secondary School
Integrated Science – Concept Map for Unit 1 Introducing Science
CNEC Lau Wing Sang Secondary School
Integrated Science – Concept Map for Unit 1 Introducing Science
Think like a scientist!
A. Read the following text carefully and complete the concept map with the words/ phrases in bold.
In order to better understand what happens in the natural world around us, we can carry out scientific
investigations. We start by asking questions and proposing hypotheses (that means making suggestions about
possible answers). After that there are two stages we must complete to find out the answers to our questions.
The first one involves designing an experiment. When we do this, we have to make sure that it is based on a
fair test. If it is, then we can believe the results of our experiment are reliable. That means the results are true.
When we design a fair test, we must also identify different types of variables – these are the parts of the
experiment that can change. For example, we can increase or decrease the quantity (make the amount of
something bigger or smaller), the length (make it longer or shorter) or the thickness (make it thicker or thinner)
of something to see what happens.
There are three types of variable – the independent variable, which we change in order to observe what
happens; the dependent variable, which is the one we measure because it can change if we change the
independent variable; and the controlled variable, which we keep constant (the same).
The second stage involves carrying out experiments in the laboratory. There we can find apparatuses,
chemicals and other equipment.
Apparatuses are used for two purposes: measuring and for heating. We use a thermometer for measuring the
temperature (how hot or cold something is), a balance for measuring the weight (how heavy or how light
something is), a measuring cylinder to measure the volume (the amount of space an object takes up) and a
stopwatch to measure time. Different measuring apparatuses indicate (show) the measurements in different
ways. For example, the temperature of something will be shown in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit, your weight
will be indicated in kilograms, the length of something in metres (m) or centimetres (cm) and the duration of an
event in hours, minutes and seconds.
Whenever we need to heat something up in the lab, we use the Bunsen burner. When the air hole is open, the
flame is blue, but if we close the air hole, the flame turns yellow.
In addition to apparatuses, we also have chemicals. These are dangerous and their containers (bottles or boxes)
always carry labels with hazard warnings on them. That means you should be careful when handling them.