1. U
can put the in
Sc ence I I

2. Science is about YOU
and the world around YOU

3. But we agree on one thing…
Scientists have come from many (very) different cultures
China
Italy
Greece
There’s a process.
Egypt
India
But we agree on one thing…

4. Some of the words even come from these cultures:
Observation
Hypothesis
Theory
(Galileo)
(Pythagoras)

5. Dude, I’ve been found out.
Here’s the Scientific Process:
Observation
Research
Conclusion
Question
Hypothesis
Experiment
Dude, I’ve been found out.
It can go on forever!
(That’s how come there are scientists)

6. OK, how do I do it?
0. (before the observation)
What do you like to do?
What have you noticed in doing that? Something that you’re curious about.

7. Observation I noticed that…. It’s something YOU saw
(or, ahem, observed)
Seems to happen a lot
Or maybe under certain conditions

8. Research How come??? Internet Libraries People who actually do things
Really smart people

9. Hypothesis Based on what I know…I think this will happen….
Have to be able to TEST it (with an experiment)
More likely to disprove than to prove
Means to prove it’s NOT true.
For example: I always get good grades.
hundredth
second
Getting good grades on the first test doesn’t prove this.
Getting a bad grade on just one test disproves this.

10. Experiment (1) Let the fun begin! Tests the Hypothesis
Produces data (which you collect)
Usually, if the experiment “succeeds” it doesn’t disprove the hypothesis (and it probably doesn’t prove it, either).
If the experiment “fails” it disproves the hypothesis
Should be controlled so it tests only one thing (the hypothesis).
Beware of other conditions that might affect the results
For example, if you’re testing batteries
- Are they fresh?
- What’s the temparature?

11. Experiment (2)
You must have MEASUREMENT and CONTROL to have an experiment
An “experiment” without MEASUREMENT is a demonstration
Example: building a baking-soda-and-vinegar volcano
An “experiment” without CONTROL is simply an observation
Example: writing down the temperature at 7 AM every day for a month
Note: These can still be scientific, but they’re not experiments

12. Conclusion Summarize the data (collected from the experiment)
Decide if you proved or disproved the hypothesis
Figure out what you can do better next time
Ask new questions
Means the fun can continue.
For grown-up scientists, this is how they get more money.

13. An example What do I like to do?
Well, when I’m bored, I like to throw balls through the railings
I notice that…the smaller the ball, the more likely it is to get through the railing
Hey, that’s the observation!

14. Research Total 4-3/8” Open space 3-5/8”
Measuring space between poles in railing
F-caliper measures ball diameter

15. Research-2 83% 3-5/8” ¾” sequence repeats Pole Pole ball ball
The smallest ball will get through 83% of the time

16. Research-3 65% ¾” 3/8” 2-3/8” 3/8” sequence repeats Pole Pole ball
A 2” ball gets through 65% of the time

17. Research-4 1% 1/32” sequence repeats ball Pole Pole
3-1/2” ball will probably be largest ball to get through 1/100 times

18. Hypothesis
The smallest ball won’t go through more than 83% of the time.
A 2” ball will go through 65% of the time
The largest ball that will go through 1 in 100 times is about 3.5” in diameter.
For other balls, the diameter determines how many times it will go through.
% going through
Ball diameter in inches

19. Experiment Measure the balls (figure out how large they are)
Throw them and record the number out of 100 that go through
Plot the data

20. Conclusion Better than expected Right on! Worse than expected
Need a way to make sure throws are not aimed (are random)
Poles are round, not square, and that might make a difference

21. What can U do? There are four basic areas: Biological Science
Consumer Science
Health and Behavioral Science
Physical Science
Here are some examples….

22. Biological Science Mold: Eeeeewww!
Observation:“I’ve noticed that bread grows mold after a while.”
Research: Why does mold grow on bread? How long does it take? What keeps mold from growing?
Hypothesis: “If I put bread in my closet, mold will grow on it.”
Hypothesis (advanced): “Mold will grow twice as fast on bread at room temperature compared to bread in the refrigerator”
Experiment: half a piece of bread in fridge and the other half of the piece in a cupboard.  State that both are dark places, and discuss why or why not the only difference is temperature (or humidity).

23. Consumer Science
Observation: I’ve noticed that some nail polish wears off faster than others.
Research: How can I measure how fast it wears off? How can I make sure I’m ONLY measuring how fast the nail polish wears off? (and not how people tend to use their thumbs or pointer fingers).
Hypothesis: expensive nail polish is better.
Hypothesis (advanced): The best nail polish will work the best for everyone.
Experiment: Get volunteers; put nail polish on randomly so use of a finger isn’t a factor; make sure volunteers all have clean nails so polish will stick. Take photos of all hands every few days. Make sure photos are detailed enough to assess afterwards. Measure size and number of areas where polish has flaked off.

24. Health and Behavioral Science
Observation: I’ve noticed that my heart beats faster when I exercise, and it slows down when I’m done.
Research: How does my heart know to beat faster? How does it know when it’s OK to slow down? Is it the same in everybody?
Hypothesis: People who exercise more have better heart rates.
Hypothesis (advanced): The quicker a person’s heart can accelerate in exercise and decelerate when exercise is done is related to how fast the person can run a mile.
Experiment: Me, mom, dad and my brothers exercise with a heart rate monitor. I write down the exercise, the time, and the heart rate. To figure out general fitness level, we each run a mile as fast as we can and I measure heart rates when done and every minute thereafter.

25. Physical Science
Observation: “I’ve noticed that some batteries last longer than others.”
Research: What are batteries made of? How do they work? What affects their lifetime?
Hypothesis: “Big batteries perform differently than small batteries.”
Hypothesis (advanced): for new batteries, if one battery is x times heavier than another, then it will last x times longer.
Experiment: establish “newness” of cells, weigh cells, see how long they last.  Need to control the load, probably switching loads between larger and smaller cells on successive runs.  Need to establish criteria for considering when the cell is worn out.

26. Now It’s up to U To Do Sc ence
Get it? The I—Eye in “Science”---eye…observation…Got it?