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4 Method Notes 24

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25 views15 pages

4 Method Notes 24

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cobym7404
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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8/30 Skittles Lab 14
8/28 Scientific Method Notes 15
*Title and date pages
The Nature of
Science and The
Scientific Method
Science notebook page 15
What is Science
SCIENCE IS…..
 a way in which answers related to NATURAL events
are proposed
 a way in which people can learn and UNDERSTAND
events in the NATURAL WORLD.
 based on OBSERVABLE EVENTS
 a study of the NATURAL WORLD
 a method of DISCOVERY and UNDERSTANDING
by using a PROBLEM SOLVING process called
the????
Theories
 Theories are explanations for some
phenomena based on observation,
experimentation, and reasoning.
 BASED ON MANY EXPERIMENTS
 Experiments that explain a theory MUST
be repeatable
 You must be able to predict from a
theory
LAWS
 Laws are summaries of many
experimental results and
observations
 Lawsare not the same as theories
because laws tell only what happens,
not why it happens.
6 Steps to the Scientific Method
 1. Make an observation
 2. Form a hypothesis
 3. Test the hypothesis
 4. Collect, Organize and Analyze the Data
 5. Draw Conclusions
 6. Communicate the results
Step 1: Observations
 Observations based on senses or tools
 sight, smell, touch, thermometer, ruler etc.
 Observations of natural events usually
raise a question
 Why did one plant grow taller than the other?
 Research is usually done to help find out
more about the question raised
Step 2: Form A Hypothesis
 Based on your observation a hypothesis is
formed that tries to explain your observation or
answer your question
A hypothesis tries to predict or determine the
outcome of your experiment even before the
experiment is done
 Predictions usually stated in an “if ….. Then” statement. Ex:
If I drop a rock then it will fall down toward the ground
 HYPOTHESIS MUST BE TESTABLE!
Step 3: Test the Hypothesis
 Controlled Experiments are used to test a
hypothesis
A controlled experiment is an experiment that
tests only one factor at a time by
 a control group is compared with an experimental
group. Variables are not changed in the Control
Group.
 Control groups allows you to see if a change in a
variable creates an observed outcome by
comparing the control group with the exp gp
 A variable is a factor that changes in a controlled
experiment. Variables are changed in the
experiment group and serve as the factor
tested
VARIABLES
 INDEPENDENT
 The variable being changed in the experiment
 DEPENDENT
 The variable that responds to the changed
independent variable
 The variable being measured (the data
collected)
 EX: growing plants with different amounts
of fertilizer (independent – fertilizer;
dependent – plant height
Step 3 Continued
 Scientists try to design experiments that will clearly
show whether a particular variable caused an
observed outcome
 IF IT CANNOT BE OBSERVED THEN IT CANNOT
BE TESTED!!!
 Can we test if a comet impact kill the dinosaurs? Why or Why
Not?
 Sometimes models are used to represent a real
object
 Used when it is difficult to control all of the variables or not
possible to test “the real thing”
Step 4: Collect, Organize &
Analyze Data
 Data collected from experiments
 Data is: recorded observations or measurements
(qualitative = description, quantitative = number data)
 Based on observations
 Utilize tools or senses: sight, smell, temperature
change etc.
 Data is organized in tables, charts and graphs
so that it can be more easily analyzed
Step 5: Draw Conclusions
 Scientists decide whether the results of the
experiment support or reject the
hypothesis.
 When the hypothesis is rejected by the
tests and data, the scientist must find
another explanation for what they have
observed
 NO EXPERIMENT IS A FAILURE: All
experiments are observations of real events
Step 6: Communicate the Results
 Results must be communicated in written
form
 Communication helps other scientists
performing the same experiments to see if
the results of your experiment are the
same as their results
 Helps people see if results are repeatable!
Practice
 Unit 1 folder – assignment folder
1. Submit picture of notes
2. Complete & submit Scientific Method Review
worksheet

**TWO SUBMISSIONS! Any questions,


message or see Mrs. Smith**

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