Chapter 1 Section 1

Life Science

Work of ScienceWhat makes popcorn pop?

How do microwaves work?

How do microwaves make things hot?

By asking question scientists find out information about things in the world and universe

Types of SciencePhysics

Energy and Matter

Life ScienceAnimals, plants, and other living things

Critical ThinkingYou don’t have to be a trained scientist to

be able to solve problems in your life

What type of problems do you solve every day?

Example:You go to turn your CD player on and it

doesn’t work.What do you do now?

Scientific MethodSteps

1.State the Problem2.Gather Information3.Form a Hypothesis

4.Perform an Experiment or Test the Hypothesis

5.Analyze the Data6.Draw Conclusions

Then the hypothesis is either supported or not supported

State the ProblemState what the problem is that you want to

research and experiment

In the book the vet tech wanted to find out whether different types of cat litter can cause an irritation to cat’s skin.

To test this problem she would have initially tried out 2 or 3 different litters to see if any of them irritated the cat’s skin

If irritation occurs then there is a problem to test!

Gather InformationObservations and experiments are ways to

gather information. Fieldwork which is observations or

experiments done outside the lab – observations in nature.

How else would you research and gather information?Online

Search enginesGoogle scholar

Reputable Books

Form a HypothesisOnce you have stated the problem and

have gathered your necessary information you can form a hypothesis.

Hypothesis:Explanation that can be tested

The Vet Tech hypothesizes that something in the cat litter is irritating the cat’s skin.

Test the HypothesisHow do we test a hypothesis?

Do an experiment

The hypothesis is tested using controlled conditions

If doing an experiment using animals make sure to get the appropriate approval

Test the HypothesisControl

Standard to which the outcome of a test is compared

VariableSomething in an experiment that can change

An experiment should have ONLY 1 variable. Besides the difference in the cat litter the cats should be treated the same

Analyze DataDuring the experiment you should be

recording some form of data. Ex. The height of the plantsHow often a cat scratches

Record the data in a journal

Use Excel to input your data and see your results

Draw ConclusionsThe answer to the problem that you stated

based upon observation and data

Is the hypothesis accepted or rejected?

If you reject the hypothesis then new experiments are most likely going to be necessary

The Vet Tech accepts her hypothesis but does not repeat the experiment due to ethical reasons

Report ResultsShare the information with the public

Write a paper and have it publishedWrite a story for the local newspaperThe Vet Tech let her client know that the cat

litter with deodorant caused the cats to scratch and lose their hair

Make sure to explain any changes you would make if you did the experiment again!

TheoriesTheory:

Explanation of things or events based on scientific knowledge

Result of many observations and experimentsNOT a guess or an opinionThe experiment has to have been tested more

than onceThe experiment should be repeatableIf the results are always the same then it can be

proposed to become a theoryYears later theories can be disproved with new

technology and findings

LawsLaw:

Statement about how things work in nature that seems to be true all the time.

Can be modified as new information becomes known

Less likely to change than a theoryExplain what till happen under certain

conditions but do not necessarily explain why it happened

There are a lot of hypothesis, few theories, and even fewer laws

Scientific UnitsWe use SI units as the standard system of

measurement in science

Look at Table 1

Distance = Meter

Mass = Kilogram

Time = Second

Applying ScienceRead the applying science article on page

11

Answer the solving the problem questions after you have read

Turn the answers to the questions into me