Understanding the Scientific Method: A Comprehensive Guide
Exploring the scientific method and principles of scientific investigation, this guide covers the mindset of a scientist, steps in the scientific method, and key components like formulating questions, conducting research, creating hypotheses, performing experiments, and analyzing results. It emphasizes the importance of curiosity, honesty, open-mindedness, and skepticism in scientific inquiry.
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Presentation Transcript
SCIENTIFIC METHOD CONDUCTING AN INVESTIGATION
THINKING LIKE A SCIENTIST Successful scientists possess important attitudes such as curiosity, honesty, open-mindedness, and skepticism. An important attitude that drives scientists is their curiosity. Successful scientists are eager to learn. Good scientists are honest. They always report their observations and results truthfully. Scientists need to be open-minded, or capable of accepting new and different ideas. Open-mindedness should always be balanced by skepticism, which is having an attitude of doubt.
SCIENTIFIC METHOD A means of acquiring knowledge scientifically; the system of advancing knowledge by formulating a question, collecting data about it through observation and experiment, and testing a hypothetical answer.
STEPS IN THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD Question Research Hypothesis Experiment Data analysis Conclusion (report results) Retest
QUESTION Observations are gathered through your senses A scientist observes something interesting in the natural world The scientist formulates a question
RESEARCH The scientist gathers information about the question through research and more observation.
HYPOTHESIS Based on his research, the scientist predicts an answer to the question A hypothesis is sometimes called an educated guess A hypothesis must be testable A hypothesis is often written as an If Then statement
EXPERIMENT An experiment is a procedure (usually written in steps) that will prove or disprove the hypothesis.
EXPERIMENT Variable Any factor in the experiment that can change
EXPERIMENT An experiment is good or valid if the scientist changes only ONE variable at a time!
EXPERIMENT The scientist changes one variable and then observes or measures what happens as a result.
EXPERIMENT The variable that is purposefully changed in the experiment is called the independent variable.
EXPERIMENT The variable that responds to the change is called the dependent variable. This is what is being measured in the experiment.
EXPERIMENT All other variables must be kept exactly the same so that they will not affect the outcome of the experiment. These are called control variables. They are used for comparison.
EXAMPLE OF CONTROLS & VARIABLES An experiment was done to see if rotted leaves added to soil had an effect on tomato production. One tomato plant was grown in each of four large tubs. The following amounts of rotted leaves were added to the tubs: Tub A had 15 kg added, Tub B had 10 kg added, Tub C had 5 kg added, and Tub D had no rotted leaves added. Each tub had the same type and amount of soil, got the same amount of sunlight, and was watered the same amount. The total mass (in kg) of tomatoes produced by each plant was measured and recorded for three months. What is the independent variable? The rotted leaves The total mass of tomatoes produced by each plant What is the dependent variable? What are the control variables? Type and amount of soil, amount of sunlight, amount of water, time
EXAMPLE OF CONTROLS & VARIABLES James wondered if music had an effect on plant growth. To answer the question, he placed 25 bean plants into each of two identical greenhouses. He played music constantly in one greenhouse and not at all in the other greenhouse. The greenhouses were kept at the same temperature, and all plants received the same amount of sunlight, fertilizer, and water. At the end of two weeks, the height of all the plants was measured. What is the independent variable? What is the dependent variable? What are the control variables? What is the scientific question? What is a possible hypothesis?
DATA Data - Facts, figures, and other observations gathered during an experiment; often organized into tables or graphs Quantitative data comes from observations that can be measured in numbers or amounts (length, time, mass, temperature, etc.) Qualitative data comes from observations that can t be measured (color, shape, taste, etc.) Both types of data are important to scientists!
For extra practice! Qualitative vs. Quantitative Data http://www.regentsprep.org/Regents/math/AL GEBRA/AD1/qualquant.htm http://regentsprep.org/regents/math/algebra/ ad1/dataprac.htm
CONCLUSION A summary of what was learned based on the data obtained during the experiment. It should answer the scientific question. The conclusion may: support the hypothesis or prove it to be false
RETEST In order to verify the results, experiments must be REPEATED!
SCIENTIFIC METHOD 1)Ask a Scientific Question 2) Make Observations and do Research about the question 3) Form a Hypothesis predicting the answer (if then ) 4) Design an Experiment to test the hypothesis 5) Collect and analyze Data 6) Form a Conclusion 7) Retest
