1 / 17

The Scientific Method

The Scientific Method. What is the Scientific method?. Steps taken in a specific order to get an answer to a posed problem Steps include: Observation State the Problem Research Hypothesis Experiment Results Conclusion. Why do we use the scientific method?.

makara
Télécharger la présentation

The Scientific Method

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Scientific Method

  2. What is the Scientific method? • Steps taken in a specific order to get an answer to a posed problem • Steps include: • Observation • State the Problem • Research • Hypothesis • Experiment • Results • Conclusion

  3. Why do we use the scientific method? • To organize experiments so others can repeat it and validate it • To communicate results effectively

  4. Observation • Process of gathering information about events or processes in a careful, orderly way • Scientists collect data and use data to form inferences • Inference – a logical interpretation based on prior knowledge or experience

  5. Problem • Something you are trying to solve • The question that is being asked • Must be testable with measurable results • Example: Are the boys or girls in this class taller?

  6. hypothesis • Prediction based on inference from observation • Testable solution to a question or problem • Can be written as an IF/THEN statement

  7. If I get out of my seat and dance around the room, I will get in trouble with the teacher. The sky is Blue. Because there is a football next to the broken window, someone playing football must have broken my window.

  8. It must have rained because there are many puddles outside. The car is moving at 45 mph. If I touch the hot handle on the pan, then I will likely burn my hand.

  9. If the Heritage football team practices real hard all week, then they will win the next football game. Wow! It really smells funny in here today. Fall must be on its way because I am already back in school.

  10. The bird likes to fly. The tree by the pond is dead. The drink is a Pepsi.

  11. Experiment • Way of testing your hypothesis • Setup of lab should be clear enough that anyone would be able to follow the steps to do the experiment • Often requires collaboration – Scientists working together or building upon each others work

  12. Experiment terminology • Independent Variable: the thing in the experiment that you change (manipulate) • Dependent Variable: The thing that is observed and changes in response to the independent variable • Controlled Variable: The things that you do NOT change (you are not testing the impact of these) • Controlled Experiment: Experiments in which only one variable at a time is changed

  13. Famous experiments discrediting theory of spontaneous generation late 1700s 1862 1668

  14. Results • Data collected during an experiment • Can be in the form of a chart or graph • Can be in the form of illustrations or observations • Quantitative – measureable data • Qualitative – observable data

  15. Conclusion • Hypothesis is supported or refuted (we NEVER prove or disprove) • Explains how the experiment can be applied to real life • Future Experiments • Identifies any sources of error – How can the experiment be improved if we did it again?

  16. Scientific theory • A general statement of why things work based on hypotheses that have been tested many times • Theories are used to explain and predict the outcome of other experiments • Sometimes they are wrong and must be modified or discarded

  17. Scientific law • A statement of what happens in a certain event based on verified observations and experiments • A basic scientific theory that is no longer tested and is generally accepted as true (Newton’s Law of Gravity)

More Related