1 / 29

Scientific Method

Scientific Method. Goal. What is the scientific method? Does the scientific method work? What is not a scientific argument. Does biology follow the scientific method?. Steps in the Scientific Method. Observation Hypothesis _____________ Experiment _____________ Conclusion

neveah
Download Presentation

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. Scientific Method

  2. Goal • What is the scientific method? • Does the scientific method work? • What is not a scientific argument. • Does biology follow the scientific method?

  3. Steps in the Scientific Method • Observation • Hypothesis • _____________ • Experiment • _____________ • Conclusion • _____________

  4. Everyday Science

  5. Everyday Science

  6. Observations • Gathered through your _________ • A scientist notices (wonders about) something in their ______________

  7. Observations • An exampleof a scientific observation might be noticing that many salamanders near a pond have curved, not straight, tails

  8. Hypothesis • A suggested solution to (reason for) the problem or observation • An ____________ • Must be ________ • Sometimes written as If…Then… statements • ___________an outcome

  9. Hypothesis • An example of a hypothesis might be that the salamanders have curved tails due to a pollutant in the moist soil where they live

  10. Experiment • An Experiment is a _________ set up to test the hypothesis.

  11. Experiment Variable – factor in the experiment that is being tested

  12. Experiment • A good (valid) science experiment tests a single variable that can be measured against a control.

  13. Experiment • Controlled experiments are situations where all factors are the same between two test subjects, except for the single __________ ______________

  14. Experiment The independent variable is the ____________ ____________ in the experiment

  15. Scientific Experiments Follow Rules • An experimenter ___________ ___________ andobserves or measureswhat happens.

  16. Variables • Remember, the factor that is changed is known as the _______________________. • The factor that is measured or observed is called the _______________________. • (What “happens” DEPENDS on what the experimenter changed!)

  17. What is the Purpose of a Control? • Controls are NOT being tested • Controls are used for COMPARISON

  18. Example of Controls & Variables • For example, suppose you want to figure out the fastest route to walk home from school. • You will try several different routes and time how long it takes you to get home by each one. • Since you are only interested in finding a route that is fastest for you, you will do the walking yourself.

  19. What are the Variables in Your Experiment? • Varying (changing) the route is the independent variable • The time it takes is the dependent variable • Keeping the same walker throughout makes the walker a control variable.

  20. One more thing… it is best to make several trials with each independent variable.

  21. Valid Experiments • Two groups are required --- the control & experimental groups • There should be only onevariable

  22. Data • Results of the experiment • May be quantitative (numbers) or qualitative

  23. Data • Must be organized • Can be organized into charts, tables, or graphs

  24. Conclusion • The answer to the hypothesis based on the data obtained from the experiment

  25. Retest In order to verify the results, experiments must be retested

  26. So?????? • A successful hypothesis eventually becomes a ScientificTheory.

  27. Theories • A theory is a highly successful hypothesis. • All hypotheses make predictions. • All theories make predictions. • All theories can be tested. • Result: Any scientific theory is subject to change as our ability to make tests, or make observations of a test’s results, improves with time.

  28. Non-scientific Theories • Make no predictions • Un-testable • Can’t be proven

  29. Non-scientific Theories • Car won’t work?  Aliens drained the battery. • Spaghetti is bland?  You were meant to eat bland food. • Car won’t work?  Gods must be angry. • Spaghetti is bland?  At the instant of tasting, the tongue is transported to alternate dimension where all flavors are rendered nullified. Happens instantaneously.

More Related