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“Facts are not science – as the dictionary is not literature” –Martin H. Fischer. If science is not facts, what is it?. The Scientific Method. Better than other methods. What is happening? Is there anything interesting?. Observation. What do you want to find out? What is your goal?.
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“Facts are not science – as the dictionary is not literature”–Martin H. Fischer If science is not facts, what is it?
The Scientific Method Better than other methods
What is happening? • Is there anything interesting? Observation
What do you want to find out? • What is your goal? Purpose
What do you think will happen? • What is the most probable outcome? • BE CAUTIOUS! Hypothesis
What will you do to test your hypothesis? • This should include an explanation of how you will use the materials • A well designed procedure will include multiple trials Procedure
The variable you are testing • What will you change? Independent Variable
What are you measuring? • What is the outcome – what units will your data be in? Dependent Variable
The things that do not change from one trial to the next • What might influence the independent variable that should be maintained? Constants
The standard to which you will compare your experiments Control
When you did the experiment, what happened? • What did you see, hear, smell, measure? Results
What did your results mean? • Was your hypothesis correct or incorrect? • Are further experiments needed? • What could have been improved? Conclusion
A scientific theory is the best fit explanation for a phenomenon that is repeatedly confirmed through observation and experimentation via the scientific method Scientific Theory
A theory must be falsifiable • A theory must fit a phenomenon with consistent accuracy • A theory is well supported by many independent strands of evidence, not just one Criteria for a scientific theory
A theory must fit previous knowledge or experimentation • A theory can be adapted to account for new evidence • A theory must be the simplest explanation – Occam’s Razor Criteria for a scientific theory
Quantum Theory • Cell Theory • Theory of Evolution • Climate Change • Plate Tectonics Examples of Scientific Theory
A law is an obvious generalization that describes a phenomenon • A theory attempts to explain why a phenomenon happens • Both can be disproven if and when new evidence is discovered So what’s the difference between a law and a theory?