Scientific Inquiry and the Scientific Method

1. Scientific Inquiry and the Scientific Method Understanding the World Around Us

2. Vocabulary Introduction • Observations/Facts you make with your senses that you know to be true. • Quantitative: numbers • Qualitative: descriptions that cannot be put in numbers

3. Vocabulary Introduction • A time-tested concept that makes predictions about the natural world. Once proposed, it must be tested over again. It may be thrown out or modified.

4. Vocabulary Introduction • If a theory survives many tests it becomes a law. It summarizes observed experimental facts.

5. Vocabulary Introduction • An explanation or interpretation of observations. • Inferences are based on reasoning, not random guessing

6. Vocabulary Introduction • A forecast of what will happen in the future • Based on past evidence or observations.

7. Vocabulary Introduction • Observations/Facts you make with your senses that you know to be true. • Quantitative: numbers • Qualitative: descriptions that cannot be put in numbers • A time-tested concept that makes predictions about the natural world. Once proposed, it must be tested over again. It may be thrown out or modified. • If a theory survives many tests it becomes a law. It summarizes observed experimental facts.

8. Vocabulary Introduction • An explanation or interpretation of observations. • Inferences are based on reasoning, not random guessing • A forecast of what will happen in the future • Based on past evidence or observations.

9. Steps of Scientific Inquiry • Uses senses to make observations. • Makes inferences or predictions based on observations. • Research the topic • Form a hypothesis • Design a controlled experiment to test the hypothesis • Perform the experiment and record data • Draw a conclusion Hypothesis is Accepted Hypothesis is Rejected Becomes a Theory Go back and redesign your hypothesis Accepted many times and proven mathematically Becomes a Law

10. Variable The one part of an experiment that is manipulated by the scientist Present in the experimental group, not present in the control group. Example: If you were testing the strength of different paper towels (like you did last year) the type of paper towel will be the variable.

11. A Controlled Experiment Has… Control Group • Setup according to “normal” conditions Experimental Group • Same as the Control Group, but with the variable Important Points: • They are exactly the same except for the experimental group having the variable(the one difference) • The larger the sample size, the more accurate the results

12. Hypothesis Formation If • The conditions you are setting up (like prongs in thesis statement/more than one) Then • Your predicted results. • (what you think will happen) Because • Your explanation for your predicted results. (why)

13. Steps of Scientific Inquiry