the scientific method.notebook
TRANSCRIPT
The Scientific Method.notebook
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August 19, 2011
Scientific Method
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August 19, 2011
Scientific Method
Scientific Method
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Scientific Method
–nouna method of research in which a problem is identified, relevant data are gathered, a hypothesis is formulated from these data, and the hypothesis is empirically tested.
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ProblemStep 1
State the Problem or ask a question. what you think will happen.
The scientific method starts when you ask a question about something that you observe: How, What, When, Who, Which, Why, or Where?
State in your own words exactly what you are trying to figure out by conducting this experiment.
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HypothesisStep 2
Make a Hypothesis (prediction) of what you think will happen.
A hypothesis is an educated guess about how things work:
"If _____[I do this] _____, then _____[this]_____ will happen."
Make a careful guess. You can accomplish this by thinking about what you already know and using common sense to make a careful
guess about the outcome of the experiment.
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Step 3Experiment
Do the Experiment.
To test a hypothesis, scientists do an experiment.
Follow all procedures carefully. Follow all safety rules. Collect data and record observations while conducting the experiment.
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A Good Experiment....
1. is testable
2. is repeatable
3. tests for only one variable
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Identifying and Controlling Variables
Independent Variable : the thing you change
Controlled Variable: the things that must not be changed if the experiment is to be a fair test
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Let's Practice Cups A & B are filled with the same kind of soil. A healthy lima bean is planted in each cup. Both cups are watered equally. Cup A is put by a sunny window. Cup B is put in a dark closet. The plants are checked after one week.
What are the controlled variables?
What is the independent variable?
same kind of soil, lima beans, water, equal time
light
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More Practice A student plans an investigation about plant growth. The procedure has four trials. The type of plant, type of soil, and amount of water remain the same in each trial. Each group of plants receives different amounts of light.
What are the controlled variables?
What is the independent variable?
type of plant, type of soil, amount of water
different amounts of light
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Step 4Analyze the DataMake Observations and record data.
Observations are only what you see, hear, or measure.
Determine what the data you collected means. In this step, you can compare, contrast, and classify information. You can put the
information into a chart, graph, or diagram, and then ask yourself what the data means.
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What do you think?Zachary is working through the scientific process. He states a problem, forms a hypothesis, does an experiment, and analyzes his data. He realizes that the data he gathers does not support his hypothesis. What should he do?
He should report his findings. In his conclusion, he will state that his hypothesis is wrong. It is okay for your hypothesis to be incorrect. He should NOT change his hypothesis.
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Step 5ConclusionState your Conclusion.
A conclusion is a summary that explains your data.
Tell if you are right or wrong. This last step involves looking back at the hypothesis,
determining if it was right or wrong. You will also figure out what you learned by conducting the experiment.
Report your findings.
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Click the beaker for aBrain Pop Movie on Scientific Method
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Mark's Soil ExperimentMark is doing an experiment to find out which type of soil soaks up the most water. He starts by getting three funnels and putting different types of soils into each. He then pours water into each funnel until water begins to drip from the bottom.
His experiment has some mistakes.
Describe TWO of the mistakes in the design of Mark's Experiment.Describe how Mark could correct the mistakes you described.
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Karen's ExperimentKaren has a group of objects. She wants to know which objects are magnetic and which are not. First, she makes a list of all her objects. Then she tests each object with a magnet. She writes "magnetic" or "nonmagnetic" after each object. When she is done, she looks at the list to see what all of the magnetic items have in common. Karen learns that all of the magnetic items are made of metal, while all of the nonmagnetic items are made of other materials. Do you think Karen has done a good experiment? Why?
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Flower PowerSpongeBob loves to garden and wants to grow lots of pink flowers for his pal Sandy. He bought a special Flower Power fertilizer to see if it will help plants produce more flowers. He plants two plants of the same size in separate containers with the same amount of potting soil. He places one plant in a sunny window and waters it everyday with fertilized water. He places the other plant on a shelf in a closet and waters it with plain water every other day.
What did SpongeBob do wrong in this experiment?