G: Scientific Methods Flashcards
What do scientific explanations make sense of?
Natural phenomena
Examples include phases of the moon, hours of daylight, and precipitation.
What characteristic must scientific explanations have?
They must be testable (falsifiable)
Investigations can either support or contradict the explanation.
What are hypotheses?
Proposed scientific explanations developed prior to conducting an investigation.
On what basis are hypotheses developed?
Prior scientific knowledge and understandings.
What is used to support or contradict a hypothesis?
Evidence.
What can scientific explanations describe?
Natural phenomena such as phases of the moon, hours of daylight, and amount of rain or snowfall.
What do trustworthy scientific experiments require?
Objectivity and a high level of accuracy.
What is the purpose of scientific explanations?
To answer scientific questions.
How are scientific explanations constructed?
Using reliable, objective data and evidence.
What are the methods through which First Nations, Métis, and Inuit share explanations of natural phenomena?
• written texts
• traditional knowledge
• visual forms
• verbal presentations
These methods include stories and legends.
What types of texts can scientific explanations incorporate?
• visual forms (e.g., graphs, tables, flow charts, diagrams, models)
• written texts (e.g., research papers)
• verbal presentations (e.g., stories and discussions)
This highlights the diversity in scientific communication.
How can a scientific explanation be communicated?
In different ways depending on the audience.
This includes variations in vocabulary, level of detail, and methods of communication.
True or False: The needs of the audience do not influence how science is communicated.
False
Audience needs significantly affect communication styles.
Fill in the blank: Explanations of natural phenomena are communicated in _______.
[various ways]
This encompasses multiple forms and methods.
What is the purpose of further investigation in science?
To determine the validity of evidence and scientific explanations
Further investigation can lead to a better understanding of natural phenomena.
List some processes involved in further investigation.
- Continual collection of evidence over time
- Discussion and debate in the scientific community
- Conducting multiple investigations over long periods
- Using new technologies and methods that reveal new evidence
These processes help refine scientific explanations and enhance knowledge.
What has new evidence done to inaccurate scientific explanations?
Refined them
Examples include disproving the idea that the Sun revolves around the Earth.
What incorrect belief about taste detection has been refined?
The idea that different tastes are detected in different areas of the tongue
This misconception has been corrected through scientific investigation.
True or False: One conflicting study is enough to cause a scientific explanation to be refined.
False
A single study is not sufficient; multiple lines of evidence are needed.
What is science described as in relation to understanding the world?
A self-correcting way of knowing
This means that science evolves as new evidence emerges.
Fill in the blank: _______ can change understandings and explanations in science.
[New evidence]
This emphasizes the dynamic nature of scientific knowledge.
What was the previous belief about the eyes that has been refined?
The eyes are a source of light, allowing vision
Modern understanding clarifies that the eyes detect light rather than produce it.
