Designing an Experiment PAGE 34-42

Essential Question How do you conduct scientific inquiry?

Scientific Inquiry is conducted by gathering evidence about the natural world and proposing explanations based on this evidence

Scientific inquiry often begins with a question Once you’ve posed (asked) a question you should define a problem that can be tested

Using Reference Materials Check the copyright date to see how recent the source is Review the authors background and credentials Avoid personal and commercial (.com) web sites. Use sites.edu.org and.gov Evaluate a source to decide if it is relevant to your topic Use multiple sources to verify information

Developing a hypothesis Hypothesis – a possible answer to a scientific question Hypothesis should be testable Data either supports or fails to support a hypothesis

How do you test a hypothesis? You test a hypothesis by designing an experiment that follows reliable scientific principles The variable that is intentionally changed is called the independent variable or test variable The factor that changes in response to the test variable is the dependent or outcome variable

In a controlled experiment only one variable is changed at a time. Experimental bias is a type of error in experimental design that can affect the outcome

Data – facts figures and other information gathered through qualitative and quantitative observations Data tables are useful in collecting data

Interpreting data Diagrams graphs and models can help you interpret data

Conclusion – summary of what you have learned from the experiment Results either support or fail to support your hypothesis or may be inconclusive Repeated trial – repetition of an experiment

Communicating – Scientists share their ideas so that others can repeat their experiments Replication – is an attempt by a different group of scientists to conduct the same experiment

What is a Scientific Explanation? Scientific explanation is a generalization that makes sense of observations by using logical reasoning.

Summary Write a summary of what you have learned today.