Nature of Science

Scientific Process SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS The things that scientists do when they study and investigate problems The intellectual skills that students use to solve scientific problems The basic process skills: -Observation -Classification -Measurement -Prediction -Communication -Inference

Science- a body of knowledge and the methods of gaining more knowledge. 3 Main Branches: 1. Life science: biology, zoology, botany, psychology, genetics 2. Earth science: geology, meteorology, astronomy, oceanography 3. Physical science: physics, chemistry, electricity

Nature of Science 5 Objectives: Public- everyone is able to share, debate, scrutinize, and criticize the knowledge sources, where it can be found, which make it public: books, labs, internet, TV, radio, magazines, museums, newspapers, technology, seminars, universities Historic- looks at the past to figure out the present & predict the future Past info present  future

5 objectives con’t. Replicable- repeatable will get similar results if performing same experiment Tentative- subject to change Probabilistic- predictable, results are likely to occur, chances, statistics

Scientific Method An organized systematic way of thinking, the process for seeking a solution to a problem 6 Steps: 1.) Purpose- question, problem 2.) Research- go & find out information 3.) Hypothesis- educated guess, predicts an answer to the problem 4.) Experiment- design a test to prove or disprove your hypothesis 5.) Analysis- collect data & analyze it 6.) Conclusion- decide if hypothesis is correct,“possible” answer based on evidence If hypothesis proves incorrect, then go back to #1 Examples: cake, car

Definitions Independent variable = factor that is manipulated by the experimenter; x axis ex: time, days Dependent variable = factor that can change if the independent variable is changed; y-axis ex: height, weight Constant = does not change Control = shows results that are actually due to tested condition Model = idea, system, or math expression similar to idea being explained

Definitions con’t. Theory = based on many observations, repeated experiments, and makes testable predictions; can be changed with new info Law = basic fact that describes natural phenomenon. Cause of law may be unknown. “Law/rule of nature.”