Chapter 1 Section 2 Scientific Methods

What are Scientific Methods What do Scientists use scientific methods for? To answer questions and to solve problems What do Scientific methods require? Knowledge and Creativity Scientific Methods- A series of steps followed to solve problems

What are Scientific Methods What are the steps of the scientific method? 1)Asking a question 2)Forming a hypothesis 3)Testing the hypothesis 4)Analyzing the results 5)Drawing Conclusions 6)Communicating the results Scientists may not always use every step in the scientific method.

Asking a Question What does asking a question do? Helps focus the purpose of an investigation Observation- Is any use of the senses to gather information When can observations be made? At any point during an investigation What is a propulsion system? Propulsion systems are what make boats move. Most boats use propellers to move through the water

Forming a Hypothesis When do you form a hypothesis? After you have asked a question and made observations Hypothesis- Is a possible answer or explanation to your question What must a good hypothesis be? Testable If your hypothesis is not testable there is no way to show whether it is right or wrong

Forming a Hypothesis What do scientists often do before they test a hypothesis? Make predictions of what they think will happen

Testing the Hypothesis Why is it important to test your hypothesis? Testing your hypothesis tells you if your answer is reasonable and if your on the right track. What is a CONTROLLED Experiment? A controlled experiment compares results between two tested groups when all factors are the same except one. Data- Any pieces of information gotten through experimentation

Analyzing Results What make data and, or the relationship between information easier to see? Organizing data into tables and graphs. What will help you determine if your data was accurate? Repeated Tests When is data considered reproducible? When you get the same or similar data after many tests.

Drawing Conclusions At the end of your investigation, what will your conclusion determine? If your results support or don’t support your hypothesis What should you do if your hypothesis is not supported by your results? 1)Change your procedure 2)Gather more information 3)Ask new questions

Communicating Results What are 3 ways you can communicate your results? 1)Write a scientific paper 2)Make a presentation 3)Create a web site. Why is it important to tell others what you learned during your investigation? Sharing what you learned keeps science going and other scientists can conduct experiments based on what they learned from your results.