Scientific Method (Inquiry)

What is the scientific method….. ? The scientific method is a ______ for answering questions. process

SCIENTIFIC METHOD A series of steps that scientists use to answer questions and solve problems. Is not a rigid procedure. Scientists may use all of the steps or just some of the steps. They may even repeat some of the steps. The goal of the scientific method is to come up with reliable answers and solutions to questions.

Scientific Method (Inquiry) Observation, Question or Problem Hypothesis Experiment/Test Results Data/Analysis Conclusion Publish Research

Purpose Observations/ Questions The scientific method starts with a question about something that is observed. (5 Senses) How, What, When, Who, Which, Why, or Where?

Research Collect and analyze information to increase your understanding of a topic or issue (question).

Hypothesis A testable explanation for an answer to an observation, question or problem. If _ [I do this]__ then _[this]__ will happen___because_[why]__.

Experiment/Test A procedure to test the hypothesis. An experimenter changes one factor and observes or measures what happens.

Variables (Factors) The factor that is changed by the experimenter is known as the independent variable. (I do.) The factor that is measured or observed is called the dependent variable. (data) A good or “valid” experiment will only have ONE independent variable!

Constants The experimenter makes a special effort to control all the factors in an experiment so that they will not effect the outcome. (false results) These factors are called control variables or constants.  Controls are NOT being tested  Controls are used for COMPARISON

Results or Data-Analysis Data: Information collected during an experiment. Qualatitative Quanitative Analysis- Data is evaluated. Tables and graphs are often used to organize and analyze the data.

Conclusion Discussion-based on the analysis of the data. Do the results support the hypothesis? Check for errors Investigate again Make a new hypothesis

Publish Results are verified by independent duplication and publication in a peer- reviewed journal Independent duplication = Two or more scientists from different institutions investigate the same question separately and get similar results. Peer-reviewed journal. = A journal that publishes articles only after they have been checked for quality by several expert, objective scientists from different institutions.

Scientific Theory vs. Law

THEORY Explanation for an observation or phenomena that is confirmed by a large amount of evidence or tests (experiments). Example: Germ theory of disease - Infectious diseases result from the action of microorganisms. LAW A statement of a scientific principle that appears to be without exception at the time it is made, and always works the same way under the same conditions; A scientific rule. Example: Newton's First Law of Motion (Law of Inertia) - every object either remains at rest or in continuous motion with constant speed unless acted upon by an outside force. Treponema pallidum - ♪ (Trep-o-neemah pal-lid-um)

So, what's the difference? A SCIENTIFIC THEORY - are typically non-mathematical. A SCIENTIFIC LAW - are often mathematically defined Looking at things this way helps to explain, in part, why physics and chemistry have lots of "laws" whereas biology has few laws (and more theories). In biology, it is very difficult to describe all the complexities of life with "simple" (relatively speaking!) mathematical terms.