Science is the present day equivalent of what used to be called “Natural Philosophy.” Natural philosophy was the study of unanswered questions about nature. Natural Philosophy

Science today branches into the study of living and non-living things:

Physical Science helps us understand and explain the world around us It’s about the nature of basic things such as: MOTION FORCES ENERGY MATTER HEAT SOUND LIGHT and THE INSIDES OF ATOMS

Physics – the study of matter and energy and how they interact Chemistry - the study of the properties of matter and how matter changes Physical science - the study of matter, energy, and the changes they undergo

The Scientific Method is a systematic testing of: The Scientific Method ideas inferences predictions hypotheses

Think of it as a cycle…a series of steps…a way to develop our sense of wonder…

A hypothesis is not: a question?? A hypothesis is: a possible explanation for a set of observations an answer to a scientific question What’s a hypothesis?

Dependent Variables responding variable variable expected to change due to the manipulated variable Independent Variables manipulated variable variable purposely changed Variables – factors that can change in an experiment

Facts, figures, and other evidence gathered through observations – like charts, graphs, or even written observations DATA

Scientific LawScientific Theory A well tested explanation for a wide range of observations or experimental results It’s not just some wild guess or unsubstantiated point of view, remember “WELL TESTED!” Statements that describe what is expected to happen every time under a certain set of circumstances Describes an observed pattern in nature A law of nature Law vs. Theory