Understanding the Scientific Method in Astronomy

1. Lesson 8Astronomy and the Scientific method I- Gravity This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 710577. This work reflects only its authors’ views; the European Commission (Research Executive Agency) cannot be held responsible for any use of the information contained therein.

2. Framework of the lesson Aims and course of the lesson Aims and course of the lesson: • Which is the nature of the scientific method? • How can we apply the scientific method in order to derive physical laws and generalizations? This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 710577.

3. Storytelling Based on the storytelling and the images that you will see write down your questions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1jv7NkyYkA Το έργο αυτό χρηματοδοτείται από το πρόγραμμα Horizon 2020 της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης για την έρευνα και την καινοτομία με βάση τη σύμβαση χρηματοδότησης No. 710577

4. Framework of the lesson Einsteinquotedthatitis a miraclethatourworldiscomprehensible. It is comprehensible because the methods of science help us to understand it By Ferdinand Schmutzer - http://www.bhm.ch/de/news_04a.cfm?bid=4&jahr=2006 [dead link], archived copy (image), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34239518 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 710577

5. Framework of the lesson Science, Technology, and Mathematicshelpustounderstand the world. ttps://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2017/03/01/04/37/lab-2107510_1280.jpg https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2015/05/08/05/09/mathematics-757566_1280.jpg This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 710577

6. Questions by the students This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 710577

7. Questions of the lesson Which procedures does a scientist follow in his/her work? https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/12/27/06/38/albert-einstein-1933340_1280.jpg https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2017/02/13/11/53/einstein-2062443_1280.png This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 710577

8. Answers/Assumptions of the students This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 710577

9. What do scientists do? • Howdoscientistsoperate in ordertoformulatescientificlaws? 1. Theyobserve the phenomena This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 710577

10. What do scientists do? • Howdoscientistsoperate in ordertoformulatescientificlaws? • Whichis the time of revolution of the Eartharound the Sun? • Whichis the time of revolution of the Moonaround the Earth? • Fromwhichfactorsdepends the force of gravitybetweentwoplanets? • Does the gravitationalinteractionhold for allbodiesor for the plantesonly? 2. Theyaskquestions This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 710577

11. What do scientists do? • Howdoscientistsoperate in ordertoformulatescientificlaws? • The time of revolution of the Eartharound the Sunisconstant. • The time of revolution of the Moonaround the Earthisconstant. • The force of gravitydependsupon the masses and the relativedistancebetween the twoplanets • Does the force of gravityapply for allbodies with mass? • 3. Theymakeassumptions This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 710577

12. What do scientists do? • Howdoes a scientistoperate in ordertodiscover and formulate the scientificlaws? • Measure the time of revolution of the Earth • Measure the time of revolution of the Moon • Change the masses of the planets and observe the variation of the force • Vary the relativedistance of the planets and observe the variation of the force 4. They checks their assumptions, theyexperiment/collect measurments This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 710577

13. Conclusions/Laws • Howdoes a scientistoperate in ordertoformulatescientificlaws? • The time of revolution of the Earthis... • The time of revolution of the Moonis....Ο ….. • The force of gravityincreasesas the masses of the bodiesincrease. • The force of gravitydecreaseswith the increase of the relativedistancebetween the bodies 5. Theyderiveeconclusions-laws This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 710577

14. Conclusions/Laws • Howdoscientistsoperate? 6. Theyconcludemathematicalrelations F: the force m1, m2: the masses of the objects interacting r: the distance between the centres of the masses G: the gravitational constant G = (6.6742±0.001) . 10-11 N m2 kg-2 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 710577

15. Conclusions/Laws/Generalizations • Howdo a scientistsoperate in ordertodiscover and formulatescientificlaws? • Does the law of gravitationalinteractionhold for allbodies? 6. Theyformulategeneralizations This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 710577

16. Application of the scientific method What do scientists do after the discovery of scientific laws? Howmanyrevolutionsdoes the Moonmake around the Earth in 140 days? 7. Theyapply the conclusions in ordertopredictorexplain the phenomena This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 710577

17. Application of the scientific Method • What do scientists do after the discovery of scientific laws? Howdoes the force of gravitybetweentwoplanetsvaryifweincreasetheirrelativedistance? 7. Theyapply the conclusions in ordertoexplainorpredict the phenomena This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 710577

18. Application of the scientific method • What do scientists do after the discovery of scientific laws? Howdoes the force of gravitybetween a planet and a satellitevaryifweincreasetheirrelativedistance? 7. Theyapply the conclusions in ordertoexplainorpredict the phenomena This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 710577

19. Application of the scientific method • What do scientists do after the discovery of scientific laws? Whydoesanastronautweighless on the Moon? 7. Theyapply the conclusions in ordertopredictorexplain the phenomena This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 710577

20. Conclusions The scientists: • Observe the phenomena • Ask questions • Make assumptions • Perform experiments (measurements, processing of data) • Conclude • Generalize • Apply the genneralizations, and the laws, in order to explain and predict • The discovery of a scientific law was generated by a simulation This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 710577

21. Comparison of Answers-Conclusions Howdoscientistswork? This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 710577

22. Application/Extension Apply the inquiry method to the phenomenon of the revolution around the Sun by filling in the following table. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 710577

23. Application/Extension Fill in: Phenomenon: Questions: Assumptions: Testing the Assumptions: Conclusions: Application/Extension: This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 710577