scientific method notes 2013
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The Scientific Method
`Awareness Test
http://youtu.be/Ahg6qcgoay4
What is the Scientific Method?
• An organized plan for gathering, organizing and communicating data
• The basic steps that scientists follow in uncovering facts and solving scientific problems ( a plan for solving a problem).
• Six or Seven Steps - depends on source
What is the Scientific Method?
• Make an Observation
• Ask a Question
• Complete Background Research
• Develop a Hypothesis
• Test your Hypothesis
• Analyze the Data
• Conclusion (Report and Share)
Step 1: Observation
• Everything starts with an observation
• What you perceive with your senses
What can you observe about a piece of paper?
Step 2: Forming a Question
• Based on your observations
• Develop a question or problem that can be solved through experimentation.
Can you form a question about paper folding?
• Usually a “How’ or “Why” question
Step 2: Forming a Question
How many times can you fold a
piece of paper in half?
Step 3: Complete Background Research
• Collect knowledge needed to know about the subject of the experiment
• It will be used to form a hypothesis
Step 4: Develop a Hypothesis
• Hypothesis = an educated prediction to the answer of the stated problem
• Based on research and prior knowledge
Not a W.U.G. !
(Wild
Uneducated
Guess)
Step 4: Develop a Hypothesis
• A proposed answer to your question
• There is no right or wrong hypothesis
Using our question lets develop a hypothesis.
Format of Hypothesis
• Two accepted formats:“I think…because…”
Or“If…then…because…”
• Both formats include the all important “because statement” used to justify your prediction.
Examples of Format of Hypothesis
“I think…because…” I think a paper can be folded in half __
times, because after that it is too thick to fold
“If…then…because…”If a paper is folded in half, then it can only be folded ________ times because it will become too thick to fold.
Step 5: Testing Your Hypothesis
• This is where you conduct an experiment (a situation specially set up to observe how something happens or to test your hypothesis)
• Develop a set of repeatable methods
• The goal is to test your hypothesis by collecting data
Step 5: Testing Your Hypothesis• Includes variables - a quantity that is
measured or changed during the experiment
Term Definition
Independent
Variable
What you are changing in the experiment
Dependent
Variable
The outcome caused by changing the independent variable, a measurement
Control Used for comparison in your experiment
Constant What stays the same from one experiment to the next
Step 6: Testing Your Hypothesis
What are our variables in the paper folding experiment?
independent variable cause
dependent variable effect
control comparison
constant unchanging
folding the paper how many
times it
actually is
folded
Step 6: Collect and Analyze the Data
• Interpret the data you gathered from your experiment
• Observations, information and data are collected from the experiment
• Organize the data and perform calculations
Step 6: Collect and Analyze the Data
• Construct charts, graphs, averages, percentages, etc.
Dependent Variable
on the Y-axis
Independent Variableon the X-axis
How would you graph the
paper folding experiment?
Step 7: Conclusion
• Does your data support your hypothesis?
You just made a scientific discovery.
YES
Revise or make a new hypothesis and
test again.
NO
Step 6: Conclusion (Sharing)
• A summary of results, the answer to your question.
• What were the possible sources of error?
• Does your data (answer) support your hypothesis? Why or why not?
What conclusion can you make about paper folding?We conclude that our hypothesis was supported or not
supported based on our data.
What about a huge sheet of paper?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRAEBbotuIE&feature=share&list=TLWRT4dnDchcU
Why use the Scientific Method?
• A logical way to problem solve - in all aspects of life.
• A way to share information that can be proved or disproved.
• A way to find new information