Ch. 1 - The Nature of Science  Defining Science  Problem-Solving  Scientific Method  Experimental Design

A. Defining Science 1-1 p6  Pure Science  research that adds to the body of scientific knowledge  has no practical (little everyday) use  Applied Science (Technology)  the practical application of scientific knowledge  makes pure science practical

A. Defining Science PURE  human genetics  polymer science  atomic theory  study of the human ear APPLIED  curing disease, forensic science  rubber, spandex, plastics, composites  nuclear weapons, electrical power, MRI  hearing aids, cochlear implants

A. Defining Science  Life Science  the study of living organisms  biology, A&P, botany, microbiology, histology, zoology, entomology  Earth Science  the study of Earth and space  geology, meteorology, astronomy, oceanography  Physical Science  the study of matter and energy  chemistry and physics

B. Problem-Solving 1-2 p10 1. Identify the problem.  What do you know?  What do you need to know? 2. Plan a strategy.  Look for patterns.  Break the problem into smaller steps.  Develop a model.

B. Problem-Solving 3. Execute your plan. 4. Evaluate your results.  Did you solve the problem?  Is your answer reasonable? Identify - Plan - Execute - Evaluate

C. Scientific Method p16  Hypothesis - testable prediction  Theory - explanation of “why”  based on many observations & experimental results  highest level of scientific explanation  Scientific Law - prediction of “what”  describes a pattern in nature

C. Scientific Method Theories and laws are very well- accepted by scientists, but... They are revised when new information is discovered. Rely on specific scrutiny, logic & reason. THEY ARE NOT SET IN STONE!

C. Scientific Method 1. Determine the problem. 2. Form a hypothesis. 3. Test your hypothesis. 4. Analyze the results. 5. Draw conclusions.

C. Scientific Method 3. Test your hypothesis. How could we test our hypothesis? 4. Analyze the results. What happened during our test? 5. Draw conclusions. Was our hypothesis correct? Is further testing necessary?

D. Experimental Design  Experiment - organized procedure for testing a hypothesis  Key Components:  Control - standard for comparison  Constants - experimental controls  Single variable - keep other factors constant  Repeated trials - for reliability

D. Experimental Design  Types of Variables  Independent Variable  adjusted by the experimenter  what the experimenter varies, the focus of the experiment  Dependent Variable  changes in response to the independent variable  what you measure for results

D. Experimental Design  Hypothesis: Does Miracle Grow ® improve plant growth?  Control: Plant grown without Miracle Grow ®.

D. Experimental Design  Single variable: Miracle Grow ® (a prescribed amount)  Constants: Soil Amount of water Sunlight exposure Location

D. Experimental Design  Independent Variable: Miracle Grow  Dependent Variable: Measured plant growth

D. Experimental Design  As a table improve or change this design…  How could we modify or improve this experiment to be appropriate for EPS? Find the optimum amount of miracle grow for plant growth. Compare different plant fertilizers.

Density Lab Heads Up  Inquiry Experiment  Design Experiment - Student developed procedure  Must be approved  Process over Product!  Graphing