scientific method (inquiry)
DESCRIPTION
Scientific Method (Inquiry). What is the scientific method…. ?. process. The scientific method is a ______ for answering questions. SCIENTIFIC METHOD. A series of steps that scientists use to answer questions and solve problems. Is not a rigid procedure. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Scientific Method (Inquiry)
What is the scientific method…..
?The scientific method is a ______
for answering questions.process
SCIENTIFIC METHOD
• A series of steps that scientists use to answer questions and solve problems.
• Is not a rigid procedure. • Scientists may use all of the steps or just
some of the steps.• They may even repeat some of the steps. • The goal of the scientific method is to
come up with reliable answers and solutions to questions.
Scientific Method (Inquiry)Observation, Question or
Problem
Hypothesis
Experiment/Test
ResultsData/Analysis
Conclusion
Publish
Research
PurposeObservations/ Questions
• The scientific method starts with a question about something that is observed. (5 Senses)
• How, What, When, Who, Which, Why, or Where?
Research• Collect and
analyze information to increase your understanding of a topic or issue (question).
Hypothesis• A testable explanation for an answer to
an observation, question or problem.
If _ [I do this]__ then _[this]__ will happen___because_[why]__.
Experiment/Test• A procedure to test the
hypothesis.
• An experimenter changes one factor and observes or measures what happens.
Variables (Factors)• The factor that is changed
by the experimenter is known as the independent variable. (I do.)
• The factor that is measured or observed is called the dependent variable. (data)
A good or “valid” experiment will only have ONE independent variable!
Constants• The experimenter makes a
special effort to control all the factors in an experiment so that they will not effect the outcome. (false results)
• These factors are called control variables or constants.
Controls are NOT being tested Controls are used for COMPARISON
Results or Data-AnalysisData: Information collected
during an experiment.
QualatitativeQuanitative
Analysis- Data is evaluated.
Tables and graphs are often usedto organize and analyze the data.
ConclusionDiscussion-based on theanalysis of the data.Do the results support thehypothesis?
• Check for errors• Investigate again• Make a new hypothesis
Publish• Results are verified by
independent duplication and publication in a peer-reviewed journal
• Independent duplication = Two or more scientists from different institutions investigate the same question separately and get similar results.
• Peer-reviewed journal. = A journal that publishes articles only after they have been checked for quality by several expert, objective scientists from different institutions.
Scientific Theory vs. Law
Scientific Theory vs. LawTHEORYExplanation for an observation or
phenomena that is confirmed by a large amount of evidence or tests (experiments).
Example:
Germ theory of disease - Infectious diseases result from the action of microorganisms.
LAWA statement of a scientific principle
that appears to be without exception at the time it is made, and always works the same way under the
same conditions; A scientific rule. Example:
Newton's First Law of Motion (Law of Inertia) - every object either remains at rest or in continuous motion with constant speed unless acted upon by an outside force.
Treponema pallidum - ♪ (Trep-o-neemah pal-lid-um)
So, what's the difference?
A SCIENTIFIC THEORY
- are typically non-mathematical.
A SCIENTIFIC LAW
- are often mathematically defined
• Looking at things this way helps to explain, in part, why physics and chemistry have lots of "laws" whereas biology has few laws (and more theories).
• In biology, it is very difficult to describe all the complexities of life with "simple" (relatively speaking!) mathematical terms.