Applying the Scientific Method

What’s the best way to find out about something?

ASK A QUESTION!!!!!!

HYPOTHESIS A statement that makes a CLAIM about how

2 things are related. Chocolate may cause pimples.

Salt in soil may affect plant growth. Plant growth may be affected by the color of the light.

Bacterial growth may be affected by temperature. Ultra violet light may cause skin cancer.

Temperature may cause leaves to change color.

HYPOTHESIS The 2 things are

VARIABLES. A change in one

VARIABLE causes a change in the other VARIABLE.

HYPOTHESIS The variable causing the

change is the INDEPENDENT VARIABLE (I.V.) or MANIPULATED VARIABLE.

The variable being changed is the DEPENDENT VARIABLE (D.V.) or RESPONDING VARIABLE.

“Exploding cars may cause injury”.

HYPOTHESIS LOOK AGAIN AT THE PREVIOUS

SENTENCES AND IDENTIFY THE I.V. AND THE D.V.

Chocolate may cause pimples. Salt in soil may affect plant growth.

Plant growth may be affected by the color of the light.

Bacterial growth may be affected by temperature.

Ultra violet light may cause skin cancer. Temperature may cause leaves to change

color.

HYPOTHESIS A statement that makes a CLAIM

about how 2 things are related. Chocolate may cause pimples.

Salt in soil may affect plant growth.

Plant growth may be affected by the color of light.

HYPOTHESIS A statement that makes a CLAIM

about how 2 things are related. Bacterial growth may be affected by

temperature.

Ultra violet light may cause skin cancer.

Temperature may cause leaves to change color.

HYPOTHESIS How do we know that it is the

Chocolate is causing the pimples? Temperature is causing the bacterial growth?

CONTROL Run the ENTIRE experiment WITHOUT the

INDEPENDENT VARIABLE See if pimples occur with NO CHOCOLATE

See if bacteria grow the same amount in ANY TEMPERATURE

EXPERIMENT A way to test an hypothesis. Provides PROOF that an hypothesis is

TRUE or FALSE.

EXPERIMENT The hypothesis determines the SET-UP

Materials and Procedures

METHODS OF SCIENCE

BUT FIRST!!!!!Let’s talk about FACTS,

LAWS & THEORIES

SCIENTIFIC FACT An agreement made by qualified

scientists about many observations of the same thing.

FOR EXAMPLE: “There are 9 planets in our solar system”. Facts or definitions may change. They’re human created.

SCIENTIFIC LAW A relationship that ALWAYS holds

TRUE.For example:

GravityThe earth rotating around the sun

SCIENTIFIC THEORY A way of relating observations,

laws, and facts. An explanation (hypothesis) of

how or why something happens which is TESTED again and again.

Basically, a well-tested hypothesis.

It CAN change.

MODELS OF SCIENCE A way to represent something that

cannot be seen easily or directly. MAPS ATOMS OTHER MENTAL MODELS