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Thinking Like a Scientist:
Overview of the Scientific Method
Is a process for experimentation that is used to explore observations and answer questions.
Scientist use the scientific method to search for cause and effect relationships in nature and, to solve problems.
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Make an observation
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Steps of the scientific method:
Make an observation: the act of studying objects or events using your senses.
There are two types of observations that can be collected during an experiment:
-Qualitative observations
-Quantitative observations
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Qualitative observations:
Root word?
Quality
Qualitative observations are:
-descriptive
-involve characteristics that can’t easily
be measured.
-Obtained by using your senses.
-Example: color, texture, smell
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Quantitative observations:
Root word?
Quantity
Quantitative observations are:
expressed with numbers
obtained by counting or measuring.
Example: mass, volume, temperature, length
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2. Observations lead to questions
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7. Explaining and Interpreting Evidence
3. Scientist formulates hypotheses to answer these question.
A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for a set of observations. It must be testable.
-know an “Educated Guess”
Why?
-educated because it is based on prior knowledge or you did some background research on the fish.
-a guess because it can be proven true or false.
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8. Explaining and Interpreting Evidence
Best method of forming a hypothesis:
-it must be a statement
-it can not be a question
-BEST to use a If…………then……….. statement
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4: Scientist then set up and perform controlled
experiments
An experiment is the planned steps used to test whether your hypothesis.
-Test only one factor at a time
-uses 1 control group and one or more experimental groups.
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The control group gets NO experimental treatment. -it is the setup as close to normal conditions as possible/serves as a standard of comparison.
The experimental group(s) is the same as the control group except one factor, the experimental variable, is altered in each experimental group.
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5: Scientist collect data during the experiment. Both qualitative and quantitative observations can be made but qualitative observations hold more weight in an experiment -Qualitative observations use the SI units of the International System of Measurement or metric system.
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All qualitative observations use the “International System of Measurement” or SI units:
Examples of SI measurements we will collect in this classroom:
Measurement
SI label
Tool
Length
Mass
Temperature
Liquid volume
Solid volume
meter
metric ruler
balance
grams
Degrees Celsius
thermometer
liter
graduated cylinder
cm3 (LxWxH)
Metric ruler
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6. Scientist then analyze the data collect.
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7. Form a conclusion based on the data collected. 8. Hypothesis is not supported….go back to step 2. (and form a new hypothesis and setup a new experiment ) If the hypothesis was supported by the data ……then the scientist must……
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replicate their work and truthfully share their work and results by publishing/Report their results.
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16. EXAMPLE of a Controlled Experiment
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We came into the classroom and noticed that our healthy and young pet goldfish had died over night!!! We also noticed a that the aquarium heater was malfunctioning.
Our hypothesis: If the water in the tank was too hot then the fish would have died.
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Our controlled experiment will have four set ups Control group (as close to normal conditions as possible for a goldfish) and three Experimental groups (each identical to the control setup except for the one variable that is being tested). Our experimental variable will be temperature.
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Our Control setup:
As close to normal conditions as possible;
room temp (22 degrees Celsius) , 1 of the same type of plants
3 gallons purified water , 50 grams of stones
3 fish (same age and type), .5 grams of food each day,
14 hours of light , pH of 7
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Our three Experimental Setups:
tank 1 tank tank 3
12 degrees degrees degrees
In each tank: 3 gal purified water , 50 grams of stones
3 fish (same age and type), .5 grams of food each day,
14 hours of light , pH of 7 and 1 of the same type of plants
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21. If all the fish in experimental tank two and three died, what conclusion might you draw?
Our control group: Our three Experimental Setups:
tank tank tank 3
22 degrees degrees degrees degrees
In each tank: 3 gal purified water , 50 grams of stones
3 fish (same age and type), .5 grams of food each day,
14 hours of light , pH of 7,2 of the same type of plants
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Data collected from our goldfish experiment: Analyze the data Form a conclusion
12 degrees
22 degrees
32 degrees
42 degrees
Fish 1
Slow moving
Slow respiration rate
10 breaths/min
Faster moving
Faster respiration rate
32 breaths/min
Died after 30 min
Died after 1 min
Fish 2
12 breaths /min
40 breaths/min
Died after 45 min
Died after 3 min
Fish 3
15 breathes / min
35 breaths /min
Died after 22 min
Died after 2 min.
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23. Example of an UNCONTROLLED Experiment
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We came into the classroom and noticed that our healthy and young pet goldfish had died over night!!! We also noticed a that the aquarium heater was malfunctioning.
Our hypothesis: If the water in the tank was too hot then the fish would have died.
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Our Control setup:
As close to normal conditions as possible;
room temp (22 degrees Celsius) , 1 of the same type of plants
3 gallons purified water , 50 grams of stones
3 fish (same age and type), .5 grams of food each day,
14 hours of light , pH of 7
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Our three Experimental Setups:
tank 1
42 degrees
3 gal purified water , 50 grams of stones
3 fish (same age and type), .5 grams of food each day,
14 hours of light , pH of 7 and 1 of the same type of plants
tank 2
42 degrees
20 gal purified water , 200 grams of stones
2 fish (different types), .5 grams of food each day,
14 hours of light , pH of 7 and 3 of the same type of plants
tank 3
32 degrees
50 gal purified water , 500 grams of stones
10fish (different types), 10 grams of food each day,
14 hours of light , pH of 7 and 6 of the same type of plants
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Homer Simpson notices that his shower is covered in a strange green slime. His friend Barney tells him that coconut juice will get rid of the green slime. -Homer decides to check this out by spraying half of the shower with 10 ml of coconut juice. -He sprays the other half of the shower with 10 ml of water. -After 3 days of "treatment" there is no change in the appearance of the green slime on either side of the shower.
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Your boss thinks that a special juice will increase the rate in which his employees work. -He creates two groups of 50 workers. -Each group is given the same task to perform. -The task given to the workers is to staple a sets of papers. -Group A is given the 50 ml of a special juice to drink while they work. -Group B is not given the special juice, they are given 50 ml of water to drink.. -After an hour, your boss counts how many stacks of papers each group has made. -Group A made 1,587 stacks -Group B made 2,113 stacks
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