The Toolbox of Science

But First……... What is Science?

Science Science is a method of learning about our natural world. Science is also the collected knowledge that has been gained by studying our natural world.

Science Skills Making an Observation

Science Skills Making an Observation Classifying Data

Science Skills Making an Observation Classifying Data Data is information you collect as you observe something.

Science Skills Making an Observation Classifying Data

Science Skills Making an Observation Classifying Data Modeling and Simulation

Science Skills Making an Observation Classifying Data Modeling and Simulation What you’re doing (Toothpick bridge or Mousetrap Car)

Science Skills Making an Observation Classifying Data Modeling and Simulation Measuring

Science Skills Making an Observation Classifying Data Modeling and Simulation Measuring Analyzing Data

Science Skills Making an Observation Classifying Data Modeling and Simulation Measuring Analyzing Data Making a Prediction

The Scientific Method Making an observation. Collecting Data (Sometimes preceded by asking a question) Collecting Data Data are the facts, figures and evidence gathered through observation.

The Scientific Method Developing a Hypotheses. Or…making a prediction. - a possible explanation. Or…making a prediction.

The Scientific Method Designing and Experiment. Variable Factors that can be changed in an experiment. Manipulated Variable Variable that is changed to test a hypothesis. Responding Variable Variable that is changed as a result of the experiment

The Scientific Method Making a conclusion. Well…..What happened

Some Basic Skills Significant Digits All non-zero digits in a number are significant. 236.345 6 significant digits 23 2 significant digits

Significant Digits Zeros between other digits in a number are significant. 40006 5 significant digits 1.004 4 significant digits

Significant Digits Zeros at the end of a decimal number are significant. 40.100 5 significant digits 1.00000 6 significant digits

Significant Digits Zeros at the beginning of a number are NOT significant. 0.000001 1 significant digits 026 2 significant digits

Significant Digits What about these?? 13300 220 10 Who knows?

Significant Digits In any calculation, the number of significant digits in the answer can only be as large as the smallest number of significant digits in any one of the numbers in the calculation.

Examples: 0.3467 + 0.123754 + 0.64 = 1.110454 Not so fast! Using the significant digits rule: since 0.64 has only two significant digits, then the answer can have only two significant digits. The correct solution would be 1.1

Significant Digits A common sense exception… Let’s say I have 8 weights each with a mass of 5.000 grams. Simple math would suggest that you should just multiply 8 times 5.000 like so. 5.000 x 8 = 40……..But how many significant digits?? In this case, the 8 is a finite number with infinite significant digits. So the significant digits in 8 are ignored. It will be 40.00.

Scientific Notation To write a number in scientific notation: Put the decimal after the first digit and drop the zeroes. Let’s convert 2,340,000 So……….2,340,000 becomes 2.34

Scientific Notation Now count the spaces it took to get to the new decimal point. 6 spaces

Scientific Notation So, put it all together 2,340,000 becomes… 2.34 x 10 6

Scientific Notation To go the other way…… Let’s convert 0.0000000034 So………. 0.0000000034 3.4

Scientific Notation Now count the spaces it took to get to the new decimal point. 9 spaces

Scientific Notation So, put it all together 0.0000000034 becomes… 3.4 x 10 -9

Accuracy and Precision The quality of being near to the true value.

Accuracy and Precision The quality of being reproducible in amount or performance.