Scribd
Upload
9 views14 pages

Scientific Method 2021

Uploaded by

aryandhani99
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
9 views14 pages

Scientific Method 2021

Uploaded by

aryandhani99
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 14

LIFE SCIENCES

INVESTIGATIONS

GROWING KWAZULU-NATAL TOGETHER


Variables

• In planning the investigation you need to test various


possibilities (FACTORS) one at a time so that we can
be sure which factor gives us the result.

• Each factor is known as a VARIABLE and each


investigation should test only ONE variable.

• Generally a scientific investigation has an


EXPERIMENT and a CONTROL.
Variables
There are 3 types of variables:
• Independent/manipulated variable – variable that is
controlled or changed by the investigator to determine what
effect it has. In graphs it is the variable that is drawn on the
horizontal axis/X-axis

• Dependent /responding variable – variable that is the effect of


the independent variable – this is the response that is
measured or monitored during the investigation. In a graph, it
is the variable that is drawn on the vertical axis/Y-axis.

• Fixed/Constant variable –. all the factors that must be


controlled/fixed when conducting an investigation
HYPOTHESIS TESTING

A hypothesis is an attempt to explain some event or


observation using whatever information currently
available.
It is an “educated
guess” your
predicting what is
How to state an hypothesis going to happen.

• There must be two variables.


• State the relationship between the two variables.
• It must be testable.
• Independent variable first (cause) and the dependent
variable (effect)
HYPOTHESIS TESTING

• A hypothesis is an idea that a person


gets from observation made. It is a
suggested solution to a question.

• The hypothesis needs to be tested


before one can draw any conclusions.
Reliability and Validity

What is reliability?
• The idea behind reliability is that any significant results of an
investigation must be more than a once-off finding and be
repeatable.

• Other researchers must be able to perform exactly the same


experiment, under the same condition and generate the
same results.

• repeat the experiment/investigation


OR increase the sample size.
Reliability and Validity

What is Validity?

• Validity questions how the experiment/investigation was carried


out.
• Have all the factors/variables been controlled/fixed except the
variable/factor being tested?
• Have the samples been chosen randomly?
• Is the design for the investigation appropriate?
• In questions which ask learners to suggest some factors that might
have decreased the validity of an investigation, the answers should
center around criticism of the scientific process:
for example some factors/variables that were not fixed/controlled
when carrying out the investigation.
Scientific investigation = Hypothesis testing
Observation of phenomena

Ask question of phenomena

•through observation identify phenomena and

formulating a question
•list all possible variables (factors)
Formulate Hypothesis

“Cause” and “effect”

Formulate a hypothesis (prediction) that follows the

criteria
- explain all aspects of an observation
- be the simplest possible explanation
- be expressed in such a way that predictions
can be made from it, and
- be testable by experiment
Plan/design Investigation

• identify the variable to be tested


(dependent variable)
• identify the factors to be kept
constant
• identify the independent variable
• list appropriate apparatus

Experiment Control

• Collecting data
• Select instrument/method that is
most appropriate for collection of
data in an investigation
• Scaling, measuring quantities,
systematic counting, matching,
Results
Recording results/ findings
Record results in the form of tables, drawings, descriptions, pictures
etc. light dark
Identify patterns in the results Week 1 50 20

Identify and record irregular observations Week 2 53 23

Re-organise data
Plotting graphs (line, bar graphs, histograms and pie charts),
Constructing flow charts ,mind maps ,and concept maps, etc.
5
4
light

light 3
temp
plants
dark
sun water
2
temp soil
1
0
water

Plants light plants dark


Conclusion
explain the relationship between the variables (how and when the
dependent variable changes over time/ concentration changes) (pH, light,
carbon dioxide, etc.) during the experiment

identifying and explaining trends/patterns from graphs (line graphs,


histograms, bar graph and pie charts) flow charts, descriptions, etc.

doing calculations
explain the data
Suggest specific changes that could improve the apparatus and technique

 comparing data (similarities and differences)


 Critically analyse
Support hypothesis Does not support
Hypothesis is not hypothesis
rejected Hypothesis is rejected

Revise, modify, adapt or


Repeat generate new hypothesis
START PROCESS
AGAIN
Example of a scientific investigation illustrates the above
concepts

OBSERVATION:
• A researcher observed that the potted plants he
covered with a black plastic bag did not grow.

• His HYPOTHESIS: Sunlight is essential for plant growth.

VARIABLES:
• In planning the investigation, he set up TWO sets of 50 plants as follows:
• EXPERIMENT: 50 plants placed in a greenhouse
• CONTROL: 50 plants placed in an identical greenhouse, blackened so that
no light could enter.

• NB. The experiment and control differed in only one factor (VARIABLE)
i.e.in the experiment plants were given light and the control plants were
NOT exposed to light
VALIDITY
The plants in both the experiment and control received the same soil,
amount of water, temperature etc. – in other words, they were given the
same requirements

• He measured the growth of the


plants over a period of time in the
experiment and in the control

• He found that those plants placed in sunlight (EXPERIMENT) grew.


• He found that those plants placed in darkness (CONTROL) did not
grow.

• He concluded that his hypothesis was correct for the type of plant that
he investigated.

You might also like