1. Lilly-Environmental Science
Science Skills

2. Safety

3. Science Tools

4. Steps of the Scientific Method
State the _________________ in the form of a question.
Example: What type of additive will make ice melt the fastest?
_______________ the topic by using a variety of different resources. Try to answer the question before you begin.
Problem
Research

5. If I do this, then this will happen.
Hypothesis
3. Develop a _________________________________
Different from a prediction because it is testable
“If….then…” statements work the best
Must include the independent and dependent variables of the experiment
Independent variable: _________________________________
Dependent variable: __________________________________
If (independent), then (dependent)
Example: If salt, sugar, and sand are placed on ice separately, then salt will make the ice melt at the fastest rate.
Manipulated variable
Responding variable
If I do this, then this will happen.

6. Design and perform an ___________________
experiment
Design and perform an ___________________
Must include a ____________ group along with several experimental groups
A control group contains all the controlled variables or ________________________ but lacks the independent variables
A control group’s purpose is to show what would happen if nothing was manipulated. It is there for comparison.
Several trials will validate results and provide evidence of erred data.
Example: Ice would be allowed to melt on its own with no additives for a control group. The same size ice cube would be used for all groups (constant). All ice cubes (additives or none) would be allowed to melt in the same location (constant). Each additive would be tested 3 or 4 times and an average would be calculated.
Control
constants

7. _____________ results Analyze
Look for ___________ in the data
Do not ignore any data….you will introduce ________
___________ help an experimenter analyze results by providing a visual representation of data.
Analyze
trends
bias
Graphs

8. Different types of graphs are used for different sets of data
Line graphs are used to show how one variable relates to the other variable
always used if time is involved
if both variables are numerical values
Direct relationship: if one goes up, the other goes up
Indirect relationship: If one goes up, the other goes down
Bar graphs are used when data is collected by _______________________________
If only one variable is a numerical value
counting

9. conclusion State a _______________________________________
Restate hypothesis
______________________ or _______________________ the hypothesis
Provide evidence from the data to backup your decision of acceptance or rejection.
Use background research to verify why the results turned out the way they did
State possible errors in collection of data or in procedural process
Example: I accept the hypothesis that the addition of salt to ice allowed it to melt at a faster rate than sugar, sand or pepper. The data showed that salt made the ice melt on average in 10 seconds versus the 30 seconds when sugar was added, the 20 seconds when sand was added, the 35 seconds when pepper was added and the 25 seconds when no additive was added. According to my research, salt was supposed to increase the melting time of ice due to it’s ability to dissociate into several particles and disrupts water’s ability to crystallize. It is possible that the data is erred based on the subjective (biased) nature of the actual melting of the ice cube.
Accept
Reject