Scientific Method Flashcards
Define Organism
Living thing
What are some principles of experimentation?
- Planning and design
- Experimental control
- Safety procedures eg. wear lab coat and safety glasses
What is the process of the scientific method?
- Observation - Looking at something
- Hypothesis - An educated guess based on an observation
- Design experiment - Designed to test your hypothesis
- Collect and interpret data - Set of results - numbers,facts or figures
- Conclusions - Data is interpreted to show a summary of the results of the experiment
- Compare to existing knowledge - Accept, reject, or change hypethesis. If hypothesis confirmed test further with new experiments. If hypothesis unconfirmed change it and test again.
- Publish - Write report so experiment can be repeated. Publish in scientific journal. Ideas can then be made available to all scientists and adds to growth of global scientific understanding. Can be developed into theory or law/principle
Define Biology
Study of living things
Define theory
Hypothesis supported by an experiment
Define placebo
A ‘fake’ drug or intervention used in an experiment to set up a control
Define variable
Factor that may change in an experiment
Define data
Set of results - numbers, facts or figures
Define observation
Looking at something using your senses
Define control
Used to provide comparison against which the actual experiment can be judged
Define Scientific Method
Process of investigation which involves observing, doing an experiment and finding answers
Define hypothesis
An educated guess based on an observation
Define placebo effect
When a person experiences a perceived improvement in their condition after receiving a treatment with no actual medical value, simply due to their belief in its effectiveness.
Define conclusion
Summary of the results of an experiment
What is the aim of an experiment?
Designed to test hypothesis
What are the three areas of biology?
Botany - Study of plants
Zoology - Study of animals
Microbiology - Study of small organisms
Define double blind testing
Both the investigator and participant are unaware of the nature of the treatment the participant is receiving
Define principal or law
A theory that is valid against long term testing
What are some possible sources of error of the scientific method?
- Using too many variables
- Not using a control
- Not repeating the experiment
- Human error
Define replicate
Repeat of an experiment
What are some limitations in the value of the scientific method?
- The extent of our knowledge
- Design of experiment is limited to observation method and instrument eg. discovery of viruses depended on the discovery of the electron microscope
- Human error eg. mistakes in recording
- Deilberate falsification of results
- Bias - confidence in hypothesis can affect accuracy of observation and interpretation of results
- Is limited by our ability to interpret results
- Accidental discovery
- Ethical and legal responisibilities
Define ethics
Moral conduct
How can experiments be made fair and why is this important?
- Random selection - To avoid bias. So that we don’t accidentally select a certain type of sample as this will mean the results are influenced by the factor that is selected. This ensures that the experiment applies to the whole population
- Replication - To verify your results. If it can be repeated, the results can be shown to be always true.
- Use a larger sample size - To ensure that the results was not only representative of a smaller amount of organisms. The larger sample size the less risk there is that the results are due to individual differences rather than being caused by the factor being investigated.
- Double blind testing - The tester cannot influence the experiment by consciously or unconsciously giving clues to the subject.
- Only change one factor at a time while keeping all other conditions the same - To ensure that the results of the experiment are due to the factor that is changed and not some other factor.
