the scientific method Flashcards
study
what is the scientific method?
is a process of investigation in which probems are identified and their suggested explanations are tested out by carrying out experiments
what are the steps of the scientific method?
Making observations
formulating a hypothesis
designing a controlled experiment
collecting and interpreting data
Forming a conclusion
comparing the conclusion with existing knowledge
reporting and publishing the results
developing theories and principles
what is a hypothesis?
an educated guess based on observations. it must be testable
experiment?
is a series of steps carried out to test a hypothesis
data?
are measurements observations or
information gathered from an experiment
Replicate?
is a repeat of an experiment or procedure
theory?
a hypothesis that has been supported by many different experiments e.g the big bang theory
principle/law
arises when a theory has been to shown to be valid over a long period of time e.g law of segregation
variable
a factor that can change during an experiment
control
used to provide a standard or comparison against which the experiment can be judged
what should be experiments
important to ensure experiment is fair
this can be achieved by having
a large sample size
random selection to prevent bias
repeatable experiment
what is double blind testing ?
neither tester nor person being tested knows who’s receiving the treatment
where should results be published?
in a scienific journals
limitations of the scientific method?
the extent of our basic knowledge
our ability to interpet the results
changes in nature. antibiotics were originally thought to kill all bacteria.
there are now some resistant to them
accidental discoveries. one of the mmost famous being the discovery of penicillin
what does ethics mean?
refers to whether an issue/conduct is right or wrong.
