The Scientific Method

Quick Questions (in class)

The Scientific Method

notes (homework)

I. THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD IS…

a. The process of solving problems

and making discoveries.

A. Ask a Question:

B. Do Background Research/Observations

C. Construct a Hypothesis

D. Test with an experiment

E. Collect and Analyze Results

F. Draw conclusion

G. Report you results and revisit hypothesis.

II. THE STEPS OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD ARE…

i. Before you can start any

experiment you must first

identify the problem and

ask a question that aims to fix it.

ii. This gives you a purpose for conducting your

experiment.

III. EXPLAINING THE STEPS OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD A. ASK A QUESTION

i. Background research:

a) Helps scientist gather any data already collected by

other scientists

ii. Preliminary Observations:

a) These observations of often what led you to ask the

question in the first place

III. EXPLAINING THE STEPS OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD B. DO BACKGROUND RESEARCH AND PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

BB. OBSERVATION VS. INFERENCE

i. What is an observation?

a) -information you can gather using your five senses:

touch, see, smell, hear, taste.

b) these are fact based. They are NOT opinion or

guesses

BB. OBSERVATION VS. INFERENCE

ii. What is an inference?

a. an explanation of the things you have

observed.

b. often based on past experience.

c. can change based on more observations

iii. Be sure that while working with the scientific

method you are using OBSERVATIONS and

not INFERENCES

i. a prediction based on observations.

a) In other words, what do you expect to happen?

b) Often written as an “If….then…” statement.

ii. A hypothesis must be testable and repeatable

III. EXPLAINING THE STEPS OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

C. CONSTRUCT A HYPOTHESIS

III. EXPLAINING THE STEPS OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

D. TEST WITH AN EXPERIMENT

i. Design an Experiment

a) The experiment is designed to test the hypothesis

b) An experimental design alone is not the scientific

method; it is only part of the scientific method.

ii. The Design Includes

a) Title

b) Hypothesis

c) Procedures

A list of all the steps needed to conduct the experiment

d) Materials

All the supplies you need to conduct the experiment

e) Observations/Data

A table/chart to collect the results of the experiment

D. TEST WITH AN EXPERIMENT

iii. For a complete

experiment’s design you

need to identify…

a) Independent Variable

The variable that is purposefully

changed by the experimenter.

b) Dependent Variables

The variable that is being

measured – this variable

responds to the manipulated,

independent variable.

Variables are things that vary and change

D. TEST WITH AN EXPERIMENT

Investigating how different weights

affects the length of an elastic band.

You decide the weight to apply,

so: Weight is the independent variable.

You measure the resulting length

of the elastic band, so:

Length is the dependent variable.

iii. For a complete experiment's Design you need to

identify…

c) Constants

Factors that the experimenter hold the same

throughout the experiment so it is “fair.”

d) Controls

The standard for comparing experimental effects –

this is what you would “normally” see.

e) Repeated trials

The number of experimental repetitions

D. TEST WITH AN EXPERIMENT

Constants: use the same elastic band

all the time, the same scale (ruler)

etc., so it is a fair test.

Investigating how different weights

affects the length of an elastic band.

Control: the length of the elastic band

without any weight

i. First! COLLECT THE DATA a) Record this data in the table/chart you already designed

ii. ANALYZE THE DATA

a) This involves the interpretation of the data including the use of tools such as graphs or statistical calculations

Identifying trends

Comparing experimental trials

III. EXPLAINING THE STEPS OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

E. ANALYZE RESULTS TO

DRAW A CONCLUSION FROM

i. CONCLUSION a) logical deduction of the data.

b) In other words, what does the data show how do you explain your results in summary?

c) Identify whether your hypothesis is supported or not.

III. EXPLAINING THE STEPS OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

F. DRAW CONCLUSIONS

III. EXPLAINING THE STEPS OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

G. REPORT RESULTS AND REVISIT HYPOTHESIS

i. Did the data or evidence support the hypothesis?

ii. If so, you accept the hypothesis and publish results.

iii. If the data or evidence does not support the hypothesis, (even if a part of the data supports the hypothesis) the hypothesis must be rejected.

iv. What happens if the hypothesis is rejected? Is a scientist done if the hypothesis is accepted?

v. Start Again!