1 / 13

Scientific Method, Research, and Laboratory Reports

Learn about the scientific method, research techniques, and how to write effective laboratory reports. This guide will provide step-by-step instructions and tips for making accurate observations, formulating hypotheses, analyzing data, and drawing conclusions. Improve your research skills and gain a deeper understanding of the scientific process.

jives
Download Presentation

Scientific Method, Research, and Laboratory Reports

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. Scientific Method, Research, andLaboratory Reports White Plains High School Science Department

  2. Why Research? • Most of what we know about science is the direct result of someone else’s research. (EX: solar system) • If these scientific problems have already been addressed, we can use these past experiences for our benefit.

  3. The Scientific Method • Set of steps used to answer a scientific problem. • There are many variations on the exact steps to the scientific method.

  4. The Scientific Method: Steps 1. Observations: Every question starts with observations of the world around you. This applies to science, too! 2. Question/Problem/Purpose: What question are you trying to answer? What problem do you want to solve?

  5. The Scientific Method: Steps 3. “Hypothesis”: • “a proposed scientific explanation for a set of observations” (Biology, p.5) • You make a scientific, educated guess to answer your opening question about your observations. • Can be based on: • Prior knowledge • Logical inferences (“logical interpretation based on prior knowledge or experience”) • Imaginative guesses

  6. Hypothesis • How have you been taught to write a hypothesis? • If _(this happens)______ then _(this will be the result) , because _(scientific reasoning_. • Null hypothesis: If (2 conditions), then there will be NO DIFFERENCE in (results) .

  7. Write a hypothesis for the question…. • What will happen if you are holding your book and you let go of it? (LAW! ) • What is the most popular favorite pet among my friends?

  8. The Scientific Method: Steps (cont.) 3. Materials/Procedures/Plan: • What materials did you use to perform the experiment? • Exactly what did you do? • Someone should be able to duplicate your results by following your step-by-step instructions recorded here.

  9. The Scientific Method: Steps (cont.) 4. Results/Data/Observations: • Record your observations from your experiment. • Results must be accurate, valid, and reliable. RECORD IT AS IT IS!!! (not as is “should” be) • Data can be analyzed easiest when it is in table, chart, and graph form.

  10. The Scientific Method: Steps (cont.) 5. Conclusion: • Did you prove or disprove your hypothesis? • “The data supported my hypothesis.” • “The data did not support my hypothesis, but I learned……” • Answer any post-lab questions.

  11. The Scientific Method: Steps (cont.) 6. Next Step/New Question: • How could you do this differently? • What new questions do you have now? • What could you do to get answers to those questions?

  12. All information and answers in this class should be written in complete sentences! • “Yes” –OR- • “Yes, a change in temperature indicates a chemical change.” • “Density and color” –OR- • “Density and color are size-independent properties because they don’t change when the size changes.”

  13. Assignments • A. LIST an OBSERVATION that could be made using each of your senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell. B. ADD at least one INFERENCE that could be made from each observation. • Read Section 1-2 (pp.8-15). Do the “Writing in Science” assignment found in the Section Assessment on p.15.

More Related