Science & Technology: Chapter 1 Section 2

1. Science & Technology: Chapter 1 Section 2 • Learning Targets: • 1. I can explain what the scientific inquiry involves. • 2. I can describe how to develop a hypothesis and design an experiment. • 3. I can distinguish between manipulated and responding variables.

2. Scientific Inquiry (Scientific Method) • Scientific inquiry refers to the diverse ways in which scientists study the natural world and propose explanations based on the evidence they gather. • Steps in Scientific Inquiry or Scientific Method • 1. Posing Questions – Find a topic • 2. Develop Hypothesis • 3. Design an experiment • 4. Experiment • 5. Collect/Record and Interpret Data • 6. Drawing Conclusions

3. Posing Questions • Scientific inquiry often begins with a problem or question about an observation. • Ex. – Does air temperature affect the chirping of crickets? • Scientific inquiry cannot answer questions about personal tastes or judgements.

4. Developing A Hypothesis • A hypothesis is a possible explanation for a set of observations or answer to a scientific question. • A hypothesis is not a fact. • A hypothesis must be testable. • Therefore, researchers need to be able to carry out tests and gather information that will either support or disprove the hypothesis. • Many trials are needed before a hypothesis is accepted.

5. Designing An Experiment • A variable is any factor that can change an experiment. • In designing an experiment all variables must be kept the same except for the one being tested. • Ex. – Kind of crickets, type of container, thermometer, etc. • Variables that are kept the same are called constants. • A manipulated variable (independent variable) is the one variable that is purposely changed to test the hypothesis • Ex. - Temperature

6. Designing An Experiment • The factor that may change in response to the manipulated variable is called the responding variable (dependent variable). • Ex. – Cricket Chirps • A controlled experiment is an experiment in which only one variable is manipulated at a time

7. Collecting and Interpreting Data • Data are facts, figures, and other evidence collected through observations • A data table will provide an organized way to collect and record your observations. • Once all of your data has been collected, a useful tool to help interpret the data is a graph. • Bar Graph, Line Graph, Pie Graph, Etc.

8. Drawing Conclusions • A conclusion is a summary of what you have learned from your experiment. • In concluding, you should ask the following questions: • 1. Does the data support the hypothesis • 2. Did you collect enough data • 3. Did anything happen during the experiments that may have affected the results • Scientific inquiry will usually lead into another one with new questions, hypotheses, and experiments. • Inquiry is a process with many possible paths, not a rigid sequence of steps.

9. Scientific Theory and Scientific Laws • A scientific theory is a well tested explanation for a wide range of observations or experimental results. • A theory is only accepted when there is a large body of evidence that supports the theory. • Future testing can prove an accepted theory to be incorrect. • The theory may then be modified or discarded.

10. Scientific Laws • A scientific law is a statement that describes what scientists expect to happen every time under a particular set of conditions. • Unlike a theory, a scientific law describes an observed pattern in nature without attempting to explain it. • A scientific law then can be thought of as a rule in nature.