Year 9 Science Yearly Notes

 Ecosystem Earth
 Describe features of ecosystems, including abiotic and biotic factors.
- Creatures in natural habitat
- Soil pH
- Temperature
- Light Intensity
- Wind Speed
- Humidity
- Soil Moisture
 Present & describe the features of the:
 Water cycle
1. Condensation: Water vapour turned into water
2. Precipitation:
3. Evaporation:
4. Transpiration: Absorbed by plants
5. Absorption: Absorbed into ground
6. Infiltration: Movement into the ground
7. Run off: Runs into water bodies
 Carbon cycle
- Photosynthesis
- Respirational Plants
- Feeding
- Death and Waste
- Respiration
- Decomposition
- No Decomposition
- Combustion
 Nitrogen cycle
- Soil
- Atmosphere
- Rainwater
- Surface Water
- Live Plants
- Dead plants and Animals
 Define the terms producer, consumer, decomposer and identify trophic
levels.
- Producer: Organisms that can make their own food
- Consumer: Gets energy from eating producers or other
consumers
 - Decomposer: Break down dead and decaying organisms
- Trophic Level: Producer – Primary Consumer – Secondary
consumer – Apex predator
 Use food chains and webs to describe energy flow through ecosystems
including application of the 10% rule and trophic interactions.
- When an organism eats another organism and digests it, 10%
of the energy that organism had is passed through the chain or
the web to the consumer
 Predict what can happen to a food web when key organisms are removed.
- Some organisms will be able to take over with no competitors
and others will die out or not be able to thrive in the
ecosystem
 Define the terms population and community correctly.
- A community of animals, plants or humans among whose
members interbreeding occurs
- An interacting group of species in a common location
 Recall the Law of Conservation of Matter and discuss with respect to flow of
matter & energy through ecosystems.
- In a chemical reaction, matter is neither created nor destroyed
- When organisms eat other organisms, matter is passed on
rather than destroyed
 Evaluate the scientific evidence of human activity on ONE global issue e.g.
climate change
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 Atoms- The Inside Story
 Recall the structure of an atom (protons, neutrons, electrons, nucleus, shells)
- Protons = Atomic Number
- Electrons = Protons but on shells
- Neutrons in Nucleus
- Shells hold 2 and then all 8
 Define the terms atomic number and atomic mass
- Atomic number is the number of protons
- Atomic mass is the number of protons and neutrons
 Use the Periodic Table to explain the relationships
 Atomic number= Protons = Electrons
 Atomic mass = Protons + Neutrons
 Timeline of Atomic history
 Explain the link between advances in technology and our scientific
understanding
 Recall the terms atom, elements, compounds, molecules and mixtures.
- Atom – Simplest form of matter
 - Element – Made up of only one type of atom
- Compound- Made up of 2 of more chemically bonded atoms
- Molecule – Any 2 or more atoms chemically bonded
- Mixture – 2 different atoms not chemically bonded
 Identify parts of the Periodic Table (alkali metals, alkaline earth metals,
transition metals, rare earth metals, other metals, semi metals, noble gases,
halogens).
 Describe common trends in the Periodic Table, including reactivity.
- More reactive further up and left it goes excluding noble gas
 Use the pH scale to predict acidity/basicity of common substances.
 Identify that atoms with the same atomic number but different atomic
masses are called isotopes.
- More neutrons added
 Identify that not all isotopes are stable- unstable isotopes are radioactive.
- Radioactive because they are trying to become stable and do
so by being radioactive
 Identify the three main types of radioactivity and describe their
characteristics.
- Alpha Weak, Slow
- Beta – Medium Strength, Fast
- Gamma – Strong, speed of light
 Describe the term half- life and draw half- life graphs to show rate of decay.
- Time it takes for half of the nucleus to decay
 It’s Electrifying
 Identify that the production of electricity from fossil fuels is a major source of
carbon dioxide.
 Identify and draw components in an electrical circuit.
 Define the terms voltage, current & resistance.
- Voltage: Pressure that pushes charged electrons
- Current: The flow of electricity through an object
- Resistance: Opposition of current flow
 Identify the advantages and disadvantages of parallel and series circuits.
- In series if one part of thew circuit shuts down the whole thing
fails to run while in parallel it does not. Parallel also results in
brighter bulbs
 Use the formula voltage = current x resistance.
- V = IR
 Recall energy conversions in some simple appliances.
 Explain how fossil fuels are formed.
 - Dead organism are buried underground and form fossil fuels
from the pressure that they are put under for prolonged
periods of time
 Describe a range of environmental impacts arising from the use of fossil fuels.
- More CO2 in the atmosphere leading to global warming from
the enhanced greenhouse effect
- Energy source isn’t renewable as it takes a long time to form
 Research an alternative energy source.
- Solar, Wind, Water are all resources that will not run out
 All Under Control
 Recall the purpose of the respiratory, circulatory, digestive and excretory
body systems.
 Describe the links between respiratory, circulatory, digestive and excretory
system.
 Outline the role of respiration in the body.
 Identify the major components of the nervous system and discuss the
structure of nerve fibres and neurons.
 Identify a variety of responses by multicellular organisms to external and
internal stimuli due to changes in the external and/or internal environments
to achieve homeostasis.
 Draw flow diagrams to show the steps in nervous system response.
 Describe a reflex arc.
 Identify the endocrine glands in the body and the hormones they produce.
 Compare differences between nervous system and endocrine system.
 Medical Science
 Describe the states of health and disease.
 Identify and describe a variety of named infectious and non- infectious
diseases.
 Identify and describe examples of genetic, mental and age- related illness.
 Discuss issues affecting the health of Indigenous Australians.
 Identify and describe the three lines of defence against disease.
 Identify and discuss methods of disease control and prevention using
examples. E.g. vaccination programs, quarantine.
 Identify and describe the function of organs in the human reproductive
system.
 Communication
 Classify different forms of communication.
 Identify that waves transfer energy without transferring matter and give
examples.
 Define amplitude wavelength, crest, trough, frequency, period and speed and
use them to describe waves.
  Draw a label a diagram of a wave.
 Distinguish transverse and longitudinal waves and give examples.
 Use the particle model of matter to explain sound transmission.
 Explain convection and conduction of heat in terms of the particle model of
matter.
 Explain how sound travels through a medium and describe the key features
of a medium in transmitting sound.
 Explain properties of light using terms such as luminous, opaque,
transparent, translucent.
 Define the laws of reflection & refraction in mirrors, lenses and prisms.
 Identify and classify the main types of EMR and order them by wavelength.
 Describe examples of how EMR is used for communication.
 Explain why objects have a certain colour and some colours get hotter than
others in the sun.
 Explain how total internal reflection works.
Scientific Skills