1. Scientific Inquiry

2. Scientific Inquiry: the strategy used for scientific investigations
Observation: using all of your senses and scientific instruments to describe a thing or event
Hypothesis: a prediction or proposed explanation that can be tested
Conclusion: the findings of your scientific investigation

3. Qualitative vs. Quantitative
Qualitative: information based on the qualities of something
Quantitative: information or data based on countable measurements of something
(Measurements have both a NUMBER and a UNIT. Don’t forget to include your units or you will lose points.)

4. Scientific Inquiry Steps
Step 1: Ask a question.
Step 2: Do background research.
Step 3: Make a hypothesis.
Step 4: Test your hypothesis with experiments and observations.
Step 5: Analyze results.
Step 6: Make a conclusion about your hypothesis
Step 7: Share your results!

5. Scientific Laws vs. Theories
Theory: a proposed explanation that has been extensively tested and is based on many observations
Explains WHY something happens
Law: like a theory, is based on many observations. Laws describe how something in nature behaves, but not necessarily why it behaves that way.
Describes WHAT happens under certain conditions
Example: Sir Isaac Newton and the law of universal gravitation