Scientific Method

Question 1

What is the scientific inquiry process?

Answer 1

Make an observation followed by an inference

Ask a Testable Question

Form a Hypothesis

Design an Experiment to Test Your Hypothesis

Identify Independent/Dependent/Control Variables / List of materials/ Procedure

Collect & Display Data (observations table)

Analyze & Discuss Results (sources of errors)

Make a conclusion: data supports or does not support hypothesis

Question 2

What is Science?

Answer 2

how we learn about what is happening around us, how things work and why things happen!

Science is not only the knowledge you read in textbooks.

Rather, it is the process used to “generate” this knowledge.

Question 3

The Scientific Inquiry Process

Answer 3

Make an Observation

Ask a Question

Form a Hypothesis

Conduct an Experiment

Accept Hypothesis OR Reject Hypothesis

Question 4

Science Relies on _____ & ______

Answer 4

Science involves observation and inference.

Question 5

What is an observation?

Answer 5

Observation: refers to using the five senses to gather information.

(touch, smell, taste, sound, sight)

Question 6

What is an inference?

Answer 6

Inference: making explanations from observations, prior knowledge and reasoning (often involves things that are not directly observable)

Example: When you entered the room, you most likely inferred that the individual in the front of the room is the teacher.

Example: subatomic particles

Question 7

What is Empirical evidence?

Answer 7

CLUES!! Empirical evidence refers to both QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE data that science relies on

Question 8

What is Quantitative Data?

Answer 8

Measurable or countable

Examples:
height of plants in cm
voltage across a resistor
time to run 100m

What you measured!!

Question 9

What is Qualitative Data?

Answer 9

Describable, not measurable

Examples:
Strawberry tastes sweet
The glass is very brittle
Roses are red

What you heard, smelled, felt or saw!!

Question 10

What Makes A Good (Testable) Question?

Answer 10

Good questions are formed from accurate observations

A testable question is one that can be answered by designing & conducting an experiment

With a focus on changing one thing to see what the effect is on another thing

Question 11

Testable question formats

Answer 11

Does changing ______________ effect ______________?

How does changing ______________ effect ______________?

If I change ______________, will it effect ______________?

(In a scientific experiment, we call the 2 blanks VARIABLES)

Question 12

What is a variable?

Answer 12

any factor that can affect the results of an experiment; a factor that can change or have a number of different values

Question 13

What are the three types of variables?

Answer 13

Independent, Dependent & Controlled Variables

Question 14

What is a INDEPENDENT variable?

Answer 14

Independent variable: one that is deliberately changed or selected by the investigator

The variable that you (the experimenter) purposely manipulate

A good experiment tests only one independent variable at a time

Question 15

What is a DEPENDENT variable?

Answer 15

Dependent variable: one that changes in response to the independent variable, but is not directly controlled by the investigator

The dependent variable is the variable that is being measured

The values obtained from the dependent variable vary with the changes in the independent variable

The purpose of an experiment is to study the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable

Question 16

What are controls/controlled variables?

Answer 16

Controls/controlled variables: factors that are kept the same in a controlled experiment.

Question 17

Types of Relationships: Cause & Effect

Answer 17

When I change variable X (independent variable), it causes a change in variable Y (dependent variable)

X is DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE for the change in Y

Question 18

What is the cause in variables?

Answer 18

cause - independent variable

Question 19

what is the effect in variables?

Answer 19

effect - dependent variable

Question 20

Types of Relationships: Correlation

Answer 20

Variables X & Y are related to each other BUT X DOES NOT cause Y (at least, we aren’t sure that it does)

Question 21

What does a positive correlation look like?

Answer 21

(positive slope)

Question 22

What does a negative correlation look like?

Answer 22

(negative slope)

Question 23

What does no correlation look like?

Answer 23

(scattered)

Question 24

How to make a question a testable question?

Answer 24

Think of a CAUSE and an EFFECT related to the question.

Identify possible INDEPENDENT VARIABLES (things you can manipulate/change)
- Amount of water, Amount of sunlight, Soil type

Identify the possible DEPENDENT VARIABLES (things you can measure)
- Height of plant or Speed of growth

Question 25

What is a hypothesis?

Answer 25

hypothesis is a prediction of the outcome of an experiment.

predicts the effects that the independent variable will have on the dependent variable

Question 26

What three words would you use in your hypothesis?

Answer 26

If…then…because…

After the word “If”… explain what will change in the investigation.

After the word “then” …write what you predict will happen as a result of that change

After the word “because” …explain why you think the result will happen

Question 27

What is the experiment procedure

Answer 27

Write a step-by-step procedure to test the hypothesis.

Usually written in past passive tense
Example: 4.5g of copper was weighed on an electronic balance using a scoopula.

An experimenter changes one factor and observes or measures what happens.

Complete at least 3 trials for each independent variable.

Question 28

How many trials should be completed for each independent variable?

Answer 28

atleast 3 trials per each independent variable

Question 29

Data collection

Answer 29

Record the results (qualitative or quantitative observations) of the experiment.

Can be organized into charts, tables, or graphs

Question 30

Analysis

Answer 30

Interpret the general patterns/trends of your results (use words like increasing, decreasing, remains stable, clustered, evenly distributed etc)

Explain how the results relate back to your testable question

Question 31

Discussion

Answer 31

Describe the sources of errors.

What improvements would you make to your experiment the next time.

Question 32

Conclusion

Answer 32

Summarize the most important findings in a sentence or two.

Accept or reject the original hypothesis.