The Scientific Method SE Bio 2.B

hypothesis An educated guess about how things work. Most of the time a hypothesis is written like this: "If _____[I do this] _____, then _____[this]_____ will happen." Write an example from your Vitruvian man lab. Your hypothesis should be something that you can actually test. Testable means you can measure both "what you do" and "what will happen."

theory A set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena. Example: Big Bang Theory

Science Use of evidence to construct testable explanations and predictions of natural phenomena, as well as the knowledge generated through this process.

Scientific Method A system of asking questions, developing explanations and testing those explanations against the reality of the world. Principles and procedures for the systematic pursuit of knowledge.

Steps to the Scientific Method

Parts of an Experiment Control – The part of an experiment that does not change. Variable – The part of an experiment that changes. Make sure you test only ONE variable for each experiment.

Variables Independent variable - the thing that is changed by the scientist. Dependent variable - what you measure in the experiment and what is affected during the experiment. Controlled variables - are quantities that a scientist wants to remain constant.

Observation Observations are recorded facts about what you see during the experiment. Quantitative – Results are numerical and have a unit. (ex: 5 meters, 45 seconds) Qualitative – Results are descriptive. . (ex: the litmus paper turned red)

Conclusion of an Experiment A brief statement about the results of the experiment. It states that the hypothesis was correct (proved) or incorrect (disproved).