The Scientific Method & Scientific Inquiry

The Process of Science SCIENCE is a way of exploring the natural world Science DOES NOT attempt to answer questions about: – Supernatural phenomena – Ethical or moral dilemmas – Social or political issues

Scientific Inquiry Science is a process of thinking critically, using observations, inferring, comparing, contrasting and looking for cause and effect Minds on, hands on

Science is accomplished through: – Observation and collection of data Qualitative – descriptions rather than measurements Quantitative – recorded measurements (numerical) – Proposing testable and falsifiable hypotheses Prediction of an outcome – Making unbiased conclusions based on the data – Compiling conclusions into theories backed by repeated experiments

The Scientific Method

Variables Independent – manipulated by the experimenter Dependent – measured, counted, or observed in response to the independent variable Constants – held constant between groups – ensures differences measured are due only to manipulation of independent variable

Controlled Experiments Control Group – treated just like the experimental group EXCEPT they are not exposed to the independent variable; – the group with which the experimental group can be compared Experimental Group – exposed to the independent variable

Analysis & Conclusion Evidence-based What do the results MEAN????

Practice Smithers thinks that juice will increase the productivity of workers. He creates two groups of 50. Group A is given the juice, Group B is not given the juice. Both groups have the same task. After an hour, Smithers counts how many stacks of papers each group has made. Group A made 1,587 stacks, Group B made 2,113 stacks. Hypothesis? IV? DV? Exp & Con grp? Constants? Analysis?