Scientific Inquiry

Observation Light People Technology device Water Ground Pointing technology device at the sky. It's dark You are observing what is literally there and everyone would agree on – facts.

Inference Light is the moon It's night time People may be star watchers and using an app on their phone to find a constellation. People may be stranded and trying to get a cell signal. They are at the beach at night trying to locate an object in the sky using an app on their phones. Etc. You are trying to explain what is going on using your knowledge base.

Question Example Inquiry Question: How does drinking a lot of soda affect your teeth?

Hypothesis Example Inquiry Hypothesis: If you drink an enormous amount of sodas, then your teeth will __________, because ______________________________________.

Experimentation Example Inquiry Experiment Design: To set up this experiment we would need a volunteer to drink an excessive amount of sodas (independent variable) each day. We would need control variables such as: Number of sodas to drink per day. Type of sodas to drink per day. Number of times to brush teeth per day. Before photos and examination of teeth. After photos and examination of teeth Set period of time for experiment. Can you think of any variable we would need to keep constant?

Because there are a variety of ingredients in soda that can affect the quality of your teeth, we would probably have more than one dependent variable. Discoloration Weakening of enamel Cavities Can you think of any other variables that would change?

Data Example of Qualitative Data: The teeth are getting more dull in color as the months go by. The subject complains that teeth are getting more sensitive. Can you think of any other examples?

Data Example of Quantitative Data: The subject had 1 cavity at the end of the second month. The subject had 4 total cavities at the end of the test period. Can you think of any other examples?

Types of Graphs Line – two sets of numbers that can make (x,y) coordinates.

Bar - nouns and numbers.

Pie – nouns and percentages

Histogram – range of data sets and numbers Histogram – range of data sets and numbers. Bars touch because the number sets flow from one range set to the next.

Example Inquiry Graph: Which type of graph do you think would fit the data we would collect on our example inquiry about soda and its affects on your teeth? Explain your choice.

Conclusion Example Inquiry Conclusion: We investigated how excessive soda drinking can affect your teeth. In my hypothesis I stated that if you drink enormous amounts of soda then your teeth will become weaker because of all the acid contained in the soda. The data we collected showed that over a period of one year, the subject's teeth became more sensitive to hot and cold liquids. These sensitivities were reported to the dentist monitoring the subject's teeth. This supports my hypothesis because the enamel protects liquids from seeping into the tooth and hitting the nerves in the tooth. If the enamel is weakened the teeth become more sensitive.