L02 and L04- Logic and Evidence & Scientific Method

Question 1

What are the 7 steps to the scientific method?

Answer 1

1. making observations
2. purpose
3. reasearch
4. hypothesis
5. experiement
6. analysis
7. conclusion

Question 2

What is purpose?

Answer 2

• the problem/ question

Question 3

What is research?

Answer 3

asking questions about the topic

Question 4

What is hypothesis?

Answer 4

• educated guesses on the outcome based on previous experiments or own knowledge of theory, which can be proven wrong unlike scientific laws, or observation of initial data collection or research about the topic
• IF/ THEN statement
• MUST be testable

Question 5

What in general are theories?

Answer 5

• conglomeration of current observations

Question 6

What is an experiment?

Answer 6

• done to test a hypothesis (gathering qualitative or quantitative data)

Question 7

What are the 3 parts of an experiment? Explain each part.

Answer 7

• independent variable: what we manipulate; the thing being tested; the IF part of hypothesis (cause)
• dependent variable: the result of/ response to the manipulation of the independent variable; the thing being measured; the THEN part of hypothesis (effect)
• control/ constant variable: NEVER changes; everything BUT the independent variable and dependent variable - 2 types: positive and negative

Positve control: things we know will effect the outcome (verifies the experiment is set up properly) ie. normal things we think of to keep constant b/w treatment groups ie. amount of sunlight, temperature (if not the independent variable)
Negative control: typically a placebo, which verifies that the variable has NO effect on the outcome
(ie. sugar pill) in a drug trial along with the treatment/ experimental group and control group (no tx)

Question 8

What is analysis

Answer 8

• analyzing the results of an experiment (looking for a cause and effect relationship)
• compare results with published results
• draw logical conclusions from results
• apply knowledge of theory and results to create a logical experiemental design
• ie. statistical analysis to look for what effects are significant (ie. fit curves)

Question 9

What is conclusion?

Answer 9

• form a conclusion from results and compare the hypothesis to the conclusion
• summary of results
• either accept or reject the hypothesis –> if reject, then come up with a new hypothesis and redesign the experiement

Question 10

What are some things needed for a good/ reliable experiment so that we can draw more ___ and ____ conclusions

Answer 10

• valid and strong conclusions
• good design
• data reliability
• design to be able to replicate the data
• large sample size
• repeated trials
• accurate data collection, so have to have measurable data and put it into a data table
• placebo group to minimize intentional or unintentional bias
• control group (control everything BUT independent variable)

Question 11

What is done in an experiment to try to avoid bias?

Answer 11

insert a placebo

Question 12

What is the independent variable?

Answer 12

• the thing we are manipulating
• thing being tested
• IF part of hypothesis (cause)

Question 13

What is the dependent variable?

Answer 13

• the result/ response to manipulation of independent variable
• the thing being measured
• THEN part of hypothesis (effect)

Question 14

Why are control groups used in experiments?

Answer 14

to minimize the effect of variables that are NOT the independent variable

This is done by comparing measured data to the control group, which has many fixed variables.