THE BLACK BOX INFERENCE SCIENTIFIC METHOD SCIENTIFIC THEORY

THE BLACK BOX INFERENCE SCIENTIFIC METHOD SCIENTIFIC THEORY

How do scientists come up with a scientific theory? s Using indirect evidence! s Indirect evidence is evidence that is gathered indirectly without having seen the object being investigated. s Gathering indirect evidence allows a person to make inferences.

What inferences can you make from these two photos? An inference is a logical judgment based on circumstantial evidence. s 2 PM 1 PM

In this lab you will use indirect evidence to make inferences about items in a black box. You will then use these inferences to draw a diagram of the items in the box and your own scientific theory.

Purpose s To use indirect evidence and the scientific method to investigate properties of items in a black box.

Hypothesis s Make an educated guess. What do you think is inside the black box?

Materials s s Black box A, B, C, D Lab sheet Writing utensil Your observation skills ruler

Procedure 1. Locate the appropriate black boxes. 2. Use your observation skills to investigate the black boxes. 3. Record your data and observations. 4. Discuss your observations with your group.

Data/Observations s Include the following in 3 inferences in your diagram: 1. shapes - sphere, cylinder, square, irregular 2. number of items - either 1, 2, 3, 4, or between 5 and 10, or more than 10 3. size - less than a mm or between a mm and a cm or between 1 -5 cm or larger than 5 cm s Draw and label a diagram of each black box.

Conclusion s What is your theory of the contents of the black box? s How is this experiment similar to what scientists do to develop a scientific theory?