1. What is Science?

2. Science means “having knowledge”
Science means “having knowledge”. It involves trying to solve problems or determine a hypothesis.

3. Scientists use the scientific method to test a hypothesis or answer a question.

4. Steps in the Scientific Method
Identify a Problem
State Observations about the Problem
Form a Hypothesis
Design an Experiment
Data Collection
Form a Conclusion
Retest

5. IDENTIFY THE QUESTION/PROBLEM
What question is being answered, problem solved, or hypothesis tested.

6. Description of objects, events
Observations
Description of objects, events
May include data from all five senses (touch/texture, smell, taste, sight, sound)
Could be drawings, diagrams, written words
Do not include opinions.

7. Hypothesis An educated guess about the results Must be testable
Predicts an outcome to the problem
Always support your idea with a reason!
(If….then…)

8. Experiment
Design a controlled experiment to test your hypothesis and collect data
Develop a well planned series of procedures
Establish the control group and the experimental group
Identify your variables

9. Experiment
Control Group: the part of the experiment that is left alone or “natural”. Used to compare back to.

10. Experiment
Experimental Group: the part of the experiment in which a factor or variable is changed.

11. Variables are parts of an experiment

12. Controlled variables (constants):
factors in an experiment that are NOT changed.

13. Manipulated (independent) variable:
Variables
Manipulated (independent) variable:
factors in an experiment that are changed.
Good experiments have only ONE manipulated variable.

14. Responding (dependent) variable: the factor that you are measuring.
Variables
Responding (dependent) variable:
the factor that you are measuring.

15. Data All the information gathered while performing the experiment.
May be quantitative (numbers) or qualitative.
Can be organized into charts, graphs, or tables

16. Conclusion Results/Conclusions:
Analyze your data to determine the final outcome of the experiment
What do you NOW believe as a result of the experiment or observations?
Restate your hypothesis (or at least relate your findings to it)
Support your claim with at least 2 pieces of data
Use good explanatory language

17. Share your results:
Publish your findings so that others may benefit from your work.

18. Verified multiple times by detached groups of researchers.
THeories
Explanation of a set of related observations or events based upon well tested hypotheses.
Verified multiple times by detached groups of researchers.
One scientist cannot create a theory, he/she can only create a hypothesis.
Examples: The theory of evolution

19. Examples: The law of gravity
laws
A statement of fact meant to explain, in concise terms, an action or set of actions.
Generally accepted to be true and universal, and can sometimes be expressed in terms of a single mathematical equation. Scientific laws are similar to mathematical postulates. They don’t really need any complex external proofs; they are accepted at face value based upon the fact that they have always been observed to be true.
Examples: The law of gravity