The Nature of Science What do scientists do?

Scientists…. Investigate by conducting experiments both in the laboratory and in the field Plan experiments before conducting experiments Observe results of experiments Test results by repeating experiments to see if they get the same results several times

Natural Science The study of the natural world and the interactions of everything in the natural world Areas of natural science are Earth Science – meteorology, geology, archeology, astronomy, etc. Life Science – zoology, botany, microbiology, ecology Physical Science – chemistry the study of matter and its interactions and physics the study of energy and forces

Social Science The study of people and their interactions Sociology, anthropology, history,

Technology vs pure science Pure science is learning about science for the sake of learning Technology is using scientific knowledge to make life better.

Scientific Law vs Scientific Theory A scientific law tells what happens The law of gravity says what goes up must come down. It doesn’t tell why something happens only tells what happens. Scientific theories explain why things happen the way they do. Evolution is a theory it explains how living things change over long periods of time. Theories and Law are always being tested and can be changed anytime new information proves they are wrong.

Mathematics can describe physical events Qualitative descriptions use words to describe physical events A ball will fall to Earth when you let go. Quantitative descriptions can be mathematical equations which describe an event with formulas or numbers A = l x w or the ball has a mass of 45 kg.

Scientific Models A representation of an object or event that makes it easier to study and understand Models can be 3 dimensional, they can be a diagram, a computer program, or a map or picture.