BIOLOGY 11 NOTES ON THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Thinking like a scientist is not hard, you have to put yourself into a process. To think like a scientist you must use the SCIENTIFIC METHOD.

BIOLOGY 11 NOTES ON THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Controlling Variables: • Controlled Variables: The conditions that remain unchanged in an

investigation. (temperature, light, etc.) • Variable: The condition that is changed to be tested.

Example: Did the fertilizer work? How do you know?

Control AZOTOVIT Fertilizer

BIOLOGY 11 NOTES ON THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Observing: • Quantitative Observations: Measurable. THINK #’S • Qualitative Observations: Observations which cannot be measured include

colour, taste, clarity, and state of matter. THINK QUALITIES Spot the 8 differences

How many can you find (16)

BIOLOGY 11 NOTES ON THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

1 2 3

4 5

6

Measuring: • Measuring is the most important part of doing science. The most common

units are length, mass, volume, temperature. • Units for Measuring length: mm,

cm, m, km • Units of Volume: L, mL, cm3 à when measuring the volume of a liquid, you use a graduated cylinder or beaker. You have to look at the meniscus. The meniscus is the curvature of the beaker level of water. Measuring Mass: Mass is the amount of matter in an object. The units of mass are grams (g), milligrams (mg) kilograms (kg) and metric tones (t) Scientists use balances to measure mass. Triple-beam balance Classifying: When you classify things you sort them into groups based on similarities and differences. This is a Sea Sponge. What is it? Plant, Animal, Fungus, Bacteria, etc…

BIOLOGY 11 NOTES ON THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Inferring: An inference is a possible explanation of something you observe. It is an educated guess based on your experience, knowledge, and observations.

What do you see? Which way is the bus moving? Answer: ________ Why? ______________________________

BIOLOGY 11 NOTES ON THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Communicating: Scientists present their data in charts, tables, or graphs and in written reports. We will talk more about this part later. Creating Models: A scientific model is an idea, illustration, or object that represents something in the natural world.

Model of the Atom Model of the Water Cycle