Process Of Science

Question 1

What is the Scientific Method?

Answer 1

1. The way we learn about the world around us.
2. Systematic, Logical approach to study.

Key Steps:

1. Observation and Question
2. Hypothesis
3. Prediction
4. Testing
5. Analysis and Conclusions

Question 2

What is the Scientific Hypothesis?

Answer 2

Tentative mechanistic explanation of an observation that is TESTABLE and FALSIFIABLE.

• Must answer the question why?
• Always a “because statement”

Question 3

Circular Logic:

Answer 3

Explaining that X will happen because X will happen.

-Doesn’t provide a mechanistic explanation for why the event occurs.

Question 4

Prediction:

Answer 4

A statement of what will happen if your hypothesis is correct given a specific set of experimental circumstances.

“If hypothesis is correct, then…” template

-Outlines how to test the hypothesis by specifying the:
Independent Variables (Cause)
Dependent Variables (Effect)

Question 5

Variables:

Answer 5

Factors of interest to scientists that can change.

Ex. characteristics, number, or quantity that can be measured or counted. 
Age, sex, business income and expenses, country of birth, capital expenditure, class grades, eye colour and vehicle type.

Question 6

Independent Variables:

Answer 6

(Cause) aka Manipulated Variable

What the Scientist changes to understand the effects on the system.

Question 7

Dependent Variables:

Answer 7

(Effect)

How the scientist measures the systems response to the independent variable.

Question 8

Independent variable and Dependent variable.

Answer 8

The Cause and Effect

Question 9

A group that does NOT receive the treatment but is identical in all other ways to the treatment groups is?

Answer 9

Control group
Or
Baseline group

Question 10

Confounding Variables:

Answer 10

Factors that affect the results that were NOT controlled for.

Outside influence that changes the effect of a dependent and independent variable.

Ex. Weight, Sex, Height, Age, Sample size, Rest cycle, Lifestyle habits, and Family history.

Question 11

Why are Confounding Variables so important?

Answer 11

Confounding variables can ruin an experiment and produce useless results. They suggest that there are correlations when there really are not.

Question 12

Pseudo replication:

Answer 12

The exaggeration of the statistical significance of a set of results from a single experiment.
Or
Experiment appears replicated but is Not because samples are not truly independent of each other.

Ex. Test 1 mouse 20 times for each treatment group.
-Samples aren’t independent of one another.

Question 13

Analysis and Conclusion:

Answer 13

Scientific conclusions are based in EVIDENCE.

Tables/ Figures provide all the info needed to interpret relationship between dependent and independent variables.

Question 14

The P-word:

Answer 14

Prove.

Scientists never prove things.

Question 15

Conclusions:

Answer 15

Result from 1 EXPERIMENT that tested a single HYPOTHESIS.

May support or refute the hypothesis.

Question 16

Scientific Theories/ Theory:

Answer 16

• Unifies many ideas/hypothesis
• Broad in scope
• Extremely Highly Supported by evidence for many experiments
• Extremely high level of certainty

Question 17

Should we say, “I believe in science”?

Answer 17

• Not a great way to phase the scientific thought.
• Science is based on evidence.
• We don’t believe in facts-they are still factual no matter how we feel about them.

Question 18

A hypothesis SHOULD:

Answer 18

• Contain a “because” statement that provides an explanation.
• Contain Information about the initial observation.
• NOT include information about the specific experiment you will use to test it.
• NOT use circular logic as past of its explanation.

Question 19

A prediction SHOULD:

Answer 19

• Include Information about the specific experiment you will use to test it.
• Include the dependent and independent variable
• NOT contain a “because” statement that provides an explanation.

Question 20

Top hat Question-A hypothesis should:

Answer 20

Contain a mechanistic explanation of an observation.

Question 21

Top hat Question- A prediction should:

Answer 21

Two of the above are correct.

Include independent and dependent variables.
And
Relate directly to the hypothesis.

Question 22

Top hat Question- Which of the following is the dependent variable for the study described?

Answer 22

Number of chores forgotten.

Question 23

Top hat Question- What additional information about the procedure that is not included in the article would you need to assess the validity of these results.

Answer 23

Confounding Variables.
Ex.
Sex,
Weight,
Height,
Rest cycle.

Question 24

Top hat Question-What possible confounding variables would the scientists need to control for?

Answer 24

Ex.
Sex,
Weight,
Height,
Rest cycle.

Question 25

Top Hat Question-Which of the following is the best hypothesis given the information in the article?

Answer 25

Beta-Amyloid is associated with memory loss because the proteins degenerate brain cells associated with memory.

Question 26

Top Hat Question-Which of the following is the best prediction given the information in the article?

Answer 26

If my hypothesis is correct, then mice injected with beta-amyloid will forget chores they have previously been taught.

Question 27

Top Hat Question-Imagine that this study was repeated 1,000 times and the scientists controlled for every possible confounding variable. If the scientists found that beta-amyloid was linked with memory loss in all of the 1,000 repetitions of the experiment, would they be able to form a scientific theory using their results

Answer 27

No.