The Scientific Method Unit 1 What is Science

The Scientific Method Unit: 1

What is Science? • Science is an organized way of using evidence to understand the natural world. • What is the goal of science? – The goal of science is to better understand the world around us. • Improve the quality of life.

The Scientific Method • Has six steps: – 1. Observation (some sort of natural phenomenon). • What you see normally happening. (uses senses) – 2. Form a Hypothesis (educated possible guess) If…then… because.

The Scientific Method – 3. Test (create your own experiment to test your hypothesis). – Your test setup must have • Control group- A setup that shows the natural way your phenomenon was observed. • Experimental group- A setup that tests your hypothesis, contains the variable.

The Scientific Method • Variable- The factor which has changed from control to experimental, it’s what tests your hypothesis. – Independent variable- factor in an experiment that a scientist changes, also know as the manipulated variable – Dependent variable- factor that is measured or changes because of the Independent variable

The Scientific Method – 4. Record & Analyze Data- Record and organize data so that it can be determined if your hypothesis is true. • Two Types of Data – Quantitative ( numbers, measurements) – Qualitative (physical characteristics, changes) – 5. Form a Conclusion- Decide if your hypothesis is correct. State why or why not.

Scientific Method Cont. – 6. Repeat Work- Very important, helps to verify your results and your conclusion. *SHARE ALL results with others, the more your work is repeated the more reliable it becomes.

The Scientific Method • Theory- A time tested concept. – When your hypothesis has been tested to the point that it is unlikely to be disproved, it becomes theory. – The more a theory is tested (resulting in the same outcome) the more valid it becomes.