The Scientific Method

The Scientific Method (Holy Grail Style)

What is the Scientific Method? A systematic approach to help us understand the world around us A way for scientists to communicate their ideas in verifiable ways

Observations Gathering information Qualitative: Quantitative: Describes color, odor, shape or some physical characteristic Quantitative: Measured values (pressure, temperature, volume, etc.) Leads to a question or problem to solve (e.g. Why do apples fall downward?)

Hypothesis A tentative explanation for what has been observed What you believe to be the reason but hasn’t been supported with any data Can be in the form of an “If… Then…” statement

Experimentation A hypothesis has little value without data to support it An experiment is a set of controlled observations to test a hypothesis Independent Variable: The variable being changed intentionally by the experiment Dependent Variable: The variable that changes as a result of the independent variable Control: A standard for comparison

Conclusions First you must analyze the data observed in your experiment to see if it makes sense and if conclusions about your hypothesis can be drawn. A hypothesis cannot be “proven” but the evidence may support that it may be true. If further evidence does not support a hypothesis, it must be discarded or modified.

Hypothesis vs. Theory A Theory is an explanation that has been supported by many, many experiments. If it can be used to make predictions that are true, the theory is thought to be successful. Hypothesis

Scientific Law If the same conclusions are drawn about relationships in nature after many experiments and there are no exceptions.

This time look for the scientific method steps being used!