1. What is Physical Science?
Chapter 1 Section 1

2. What is Science? Science is a method for studying the natural world.
It is a process that uses observation and investigation to gain knowledge about events in nature
What is observation?
What is inference?

3. What is Science? Nature follows a set of rules.
Many rules, such as those concerning how the human body works, are complex.

4. What is Science? Other rules are much simpler.
Earth rotates about once every 24 hours.
Acceleration due to gravity on Earth is 32 feet per second.
Scientists ask questions to learn about the natural world.
Science is a way to explaining the rules and the natural world we observe.

5. Defining Science Life Science Earth Science Physical Science
the study of living organisms
Earth Science
the study of Earth and space
Physical Science
the study of matter and energy
chemistry & physics

6. Defining Science
Sometimes, a scientific study will overlap the categories.
One scientist, for example, might study the motions of the Human body to understand how to build better artificial limbs.

7. Investigations
Scientists learn new information about the natural world by performing investigations, which can be done in many different ways.
Some investigations involve simply observing something that occurs and recording the observations.

8. Investigations
Other investigations involve setting up experiments that test the effect of one thing on another.
Some investigations involve building a model that resembles something in the natural world and then testing the model to see how it acts

9. Think Like A Scientist Watch the Physics of Basketball Video
In your groups:
Share your favorite sport and the type of ball used for that sport.
Find a picture of 4 different balls from various sports.
Create a table and describe each one by its shape, texture, size, material, & weight. Do these balls bounce?
What other factors might be important for the ball?
How do these properties affect the ball’s movement and make it suitable for the sport?

10. Ball (Picture)
Shape
Texture
Size
Material
Weight
Bounce?
Why/Why Not

11. Scientific Methods
An organized set of investigation procedures is called a scientific method
Six common steps found in scientific methods are shown.

12. Scientific Inquiry
Chapter 1 Section 2

13. Problem-Solving Posing a Question Conduct Research
Ask a question that can be answered (not “Why?”)
Ask “What?” or “How?”
Can you think of an example?
Conduct Research
Gather information that will help you answer the question
Use all your resources: Library, Internet, Interviews
Formulating a Hypothesis
A prediction/educated guess about your questions
Must be able to be tested in an experiment
Based on observations, prior knowledge, and research.

14. Problem-Solving Design an Experiment
A step by step procedure to test your hypothesis
Independent Variable: The factor that is intentionally changed in an experiment…it is what you are testing!
Control: All of the factors that remain the same!
Controlled Experiment: An experiment where all factors except independent variable are kept the
Question: Which freezes faster, fresh water or salt water?
Hypothesis: IF I add salt to fresh water, THEN the salt water will take longer to freeze
Experiment:
Independent Variable: the salt that is added to the water
Control: the amount of water, temperature of water
Controlled Experiment: All factors, or potential variables are kept the same, such as temperature and amount of water

15. Problem-Solving Collect Data OBSERVATIONS
Qualitative: Observations that use descriptions
Ex: How an animal reacts to an event
Quantitative: Observations that use numbers
Ex: Measurements or counting
INFERENCE
To explain an observation
Is it always correct?
Ex: When you hear a dog barking. . .
you may infer that someone is at the door
Ex: When you see a someone yawn. . .
you may infer that person is tired

16. What is a possible inference?

17. What do you OBSERVE? What do you INFER?

18. What do you PREDICT will happen here?
Problem-Solving
Making Predictions
Sometimes changes your hypothesis
Making a inference about a future event based upon past experience of evidence.
Is it always correct?
What do you PREDICT will happen here?

19. Problem-Solving Analyze Data Communicate Results
Did your experiment support your hypothesis?
Were your results valid?
Do you need to do more research?
Communicate Results
Share those results Writing, writing, writing!
Can someone else use these results for their experiment?
Repeat, repeat, repeat! This is the only way a hypothesis is accepted as valid.

20. Scientific Method Hypothesis - testable prediction
Theory - explanation of “why”
based on many observations & experimental results
Scientific Law - prediction of “what”
describes a pattern in nature
Gravity is an example of a scientific law because no experiment has been done to disprove it.

21. THEY ARE NOT SET IN STONE!
Scientific Method
Theories and laws are well-accepted by scientists, but...
THEY ARE NOT SET IN STONE!
They are revised when new information is discovered.