SCIENTIFIC OBSERVATION

What is Science?

Science is people, fun, observations, explanations, exploration, properties, inferences, questions, technology, and everywhere.

Science is knowledge about the natural world that is received by observations and experiments.

Life ScienceBiology – The study of living things

1. Ecology – The study of the environment2. Zoology – The study of animals3. Doctor – Human anatomy4. Botany – The study of plants

Branches of Biology

Earth Science

Earth Science(Geology)– The study of the Earth Branches of Earth Science

1. Oceanography – Study of the Ocean2. Volcanology – Study of volcanoes3. Seismology – Study of earthquakes4. Meteorology – Study of the weather5. Astronomy – Study of space

Physical SciencePhysical Science – Study of both matter and energy

Branches of Physical Science

1. Chemistry – The study of all forms of matter2. Physics – The study of energy3. Astronomy – Movement of objects in space4. Oceanography – Study of the waves and tides

BELLRINGERS

1. Define the word SCIENCE?

2. Get out a piece of paper and tear it in half. Give half the sheet to your neighbor. List the 6 steps of the scientific method in order.

WHAT DOES THE WORD SCIENCE MEAN?

Science is an organized body of knowledge explaining the natural world by making

observations and experimenting. Once a

scientist has made observation, they have to

make decisions about what they saw.

The scientific method is a process for experimentation that is used to explore observations and answer questions. Scientists use the scientific method to search for cause and effect relationships in nature. In other words, they design an experiment so that changes to one item cause something else to change in a predictable way.

The Scientific Method

1. Make an ObservationWhat is an OBSERVATION?

Being a good scientists involves making great observations and then asking questions. Several people can observe the same event but have different explanations.

Describe what you observe in this picture. DO NOT discuss it with your neighbors.

Observations vs. Inferences

An INFERENCE is an assumption or conclusion based on an observation. It is a logical interpretation based on observations and prior knowledge.

An OBSERVATION is something we do with our eyes; when we see something, we observe it. However, all five of our senses can be used to make observations: sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell.

Name 2 observations and 2 inferences

Name 2 observations and 2 inferences

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD – a step by step way scientists solve problems.

STEP 2: Problem Statement – always written in questions form

The scientist then raises a question about what (s)he sees going on!!!

•Question: Where do the flies at the butcher shop really come from? Does rotting meat turn into or produce the flies? •Question: Is there indeed a “life force” present in air (or oxygen) that can cause bacteria to develop by spontaneous generation? Is there a means of allowing air to enter a container, thus any life force, if such does exist, but not the bacteria that are present in that air?

Step 3: Hypothesis – a possible answer to the problem statement.Always written as an IF > THEN statement.If I give 2 cups of water to a tomato plant, then it will grow better than plants given more or less water.

This is a tentative answer to the question: a testable explanation for what was observed. IT IS NOT ALWAYS CORRECT!

Write a hypothesis for the picture below.

Step 4: Procedure – a numbered step set of directions that explains the experimental setup. Includes materials list.

Variable – what is being tested, what is different in the experiment (the amount of water given to the plants)•Independent Variable – The independent variable is the variable that is manipulated by the researcher. 

* Dependent variable – factors affected by the independent variable.

•Control – all the things you keep the same (same # of plants in a container, same amt

of sunlight, same amt of dirt, same amt offertilizer)

Procedure

What is the Dependent and Independent Variable?

Step 5: Data and Analysis – explanation of what happened in the experiment. All data collected should be displayed on a data table or on a graph.DATA:factual information gatehred in the experiment.(information or numbers from experiment)

What is some data you could collect from these pics?

Data and Analysis

There is two types of data researchers can collect:

1. Qualitative data: factual description that do not use numbers. For example, describing the behavior of animals, color of eyes, how mothers react to their young, etc.

2. Quantitative data: factual information that uses number. For example, counting the number of young, measure how tall something grow, etc.

Qualitative or Quantitative?

Qualitative or Quantitative?

Step 6: Conclusion – the answer to the problem statement based on the data you collected. Was the hypothesis correct or not and identify any errors that might have occurred in the experiment.

Abiogenesis vs. Biogenesis

Abiogenesis(spontaneous generation): People believed life came fromabiotic materials. Ariostotle believed fish came from mud and worms came from rain.

Biogenesis: Theory that states that living things can only come from Living things.

Francesco RediItalian Physician challenged abiogenesis

Hypothesis: If there are maggots present, then they did NOT come from rotting meat.

Variables: Open meat vs. not open meat

Conclusion: Only maggots on the open meat so maggots came from flies.

Redi’s Second Experiment• They argued that the flies were coming

from the air.

• He added a third set of jars that had mesh.

• This proved that the flies came from maggots.

John Needham

• He believed in abiogenesis.

• Hypothesis: If you boiled broth, living organisms still grow from nonliving broth.

• Experiment: He boiled broth and bacteria still grew a few days later.

Lazzaro Spallanzani• Italian priest and biologist

• Hypothesis: If you boiled the broth hotter, then there would not be any bacteria.

• Experiment: He boiled the broth, sealed them. Then boiled again to make sure killed the bacteria.

• Conclusion: No spontaneous generation.

Louis Pasteur• French Chemist – Solved NO abiogenesis!

• Hypothesis: If the broth is exposed to air with dust, then there will be more bacteria.

• Experiment: Exposed broth to different amounts of dust.

• Conclusion: More dust ; more bacteria

Enzymes in Your Body• In the mouth, the first area where the food

enters, there are enzymes which emulsify and help to break down the food into a soft liquid mass which then easily slides down the esophagus and enters the stomach where further enzymes dilute the food mass and are responsible for changing the pH of the food so that it can more easily be absorbed into the cells from the intestines.

Enzymes• There are enzymes which are responsible for

digesting fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. All of these enzymes work in concert together to insure a smooth working and active digestive system. If the food molecules are not totally digested and broken down via these enzymes, they can sometimes pass through the intestinal barrier into the cells in large particles which then cannot be efficiently utilized by the body. This is one way that food allergies can develop.

Enzymes in detergent• Enzymes provide the superior cleaning

performance needed to attack stains. Each of these enzymes is able to attack a specific type of stain or soil. Accordingly, the inclusion of multiple enzymes in a detergent allows the product to tackle a much broader profile of soil types. What's more, multiple enzymes can work in concert to remove tough stains or soils made up of a variety of substances.

• For example, a food stain might typically contain protein, lipid (fat) and starch, necessitating the combined actions of protease, lipase and amylase for its complete elimination.