📘 General Science Notes
I. Branches of Science
1. Physical Science – the study of non-living things
o Includes Physics (motion, forces, energy) and Chemistry
(matter and its changes)
2. Life Science (Biology) – the study of living things
o Includes plants, animals, humans, ecosystems, and cells
3. Earth and Space Science – the study of the Earth, its
atmosphere, and the universe
o Includes weather, rocks, natural disasters, planets, and
stars
4. Environmental Science – the study of how humans interact with
the environment
II. Scientific Method
1. Ask a question
2. Form a hypothesis – a guess based on what you know
3. Conduct an experiment
4. Observe and collect data
5. Analyze results
6. Draw a conclusion
7. Communicate findings
III. Matter
States of Matter: Solid, Liquid, Gas (and Plasma)
Properties of Matter: Mass, volume, density, color, texture
Physical Change: No new substance (e.g., melting, freezing)
Chemical Change: New substance forms (e.g., burning, rusting)
IV. Force and Motion (Physics Basics)
Force: A push or pull (measured in Newtons)
Gravity: A force that pulls objects toward Earth
Friction: A force that resists motion
Newton’s Laws of Motion:
1. Objects stay at rest or in motion unless acted on
2. F = ma (Force = mass × acceleration)
3. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction
V. Energy
Forms of Energy: Light, heat, sound, chemical, electrical,
kinetic, potential
Law of Conservation of Energy: Energy cannot be created or
destroyed, only changed
VI. Living Things (Biology)
Characteristics of Living Things:
o Grow, reproduce, respond, use energy, made of cells
Levels of Organization: Cell → Tissue → Organ → System →
Organism
Photosynthesis: Process by which plants make food
o Sunlight + Carbon dioxide + Water → Glucose + Oxygen
Respiration: Cells break down food for energy
VII. Ecosystems
Producers: Make their own food (plants)
Consumers: Eat other organisms (animals)
Decomposers: Break down dead matter (fungi, bacteria)
Food Chain/Web: Shows energy flow between organisms
Habitat: Place where an organism lives
VIII. Human Body Systems
Circulatory System: Heart, blood vessels – moves blood
Respiratory System: Lungs – breathing
Digestive System: Stomach, intestines – breaks down food
Nervous System: Brain, nerves – sends signals
Skeletal/Muscular System: Supports and moves the body
IX. Earth Science
Layers of the Earth: Crust, mantle, core
Rocks and Minerals: Identified by color, luster, hardness
Water Cycle: Evaporation → Condensation → Precipitation →
Collection
Weather vs Climate:
o Weather: short-term
o Climate: long-term pattern
X. Astronomy
Planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus,
Neptune
Phases of the Moon: New, crescent, first quarter, gibbous, full
Sun: Main source of light and heat for Earth
Stars: Huge balls of burning gas
Gravity keeps planets in orbit
