Nature of Science and Technology - Chapter 1, Section 2 - "Scientific Inquiry"

1. Scientific Inquiry Chapter 1, Section 2 – The Nature of Science & Technology

2. Scientific inquiry refers to the diverse ways in which scientists study the natural world and propose explanations based on the evidence they gather. What is scientific inquiry?

3. Scientific inquiry often begins with a problem or question about an observation Some questions CANNOT be answered by scientific inquiry Questions dealing with personal tastes or judgments Posing Questions

4. A hypothesis is a possible explanation for a set of observations or answer to a scientific question IS NOT a fact MUST be testable Developing a Hypothesis

5. Designing an experiment requires several steps: Controlling variables Controlling the Experiment Forming “Operational Definitions” On the next few slides we will look at these steps in further detail…… Designing an Experiment

6. A variable is a factor that can change in an experiment The one variable that is purposely changed to test your hypothesis is the MANIPULATED VARIABLE (or independent variable) The factor that MAY change in response to the manipulated variable is the RESPONDING VARIABLE (or dependent variable) Controlling Variables

7. An experiment in which only one variable is manipulated at a time is a CONTROLLED EXPERIMENT Why is it important to control your experiment??? Controlling the Experiment

8. An operational definition is a statement that describes how to measure a particular variable or define a particular term Forming operational definitions

9. Data are the facts, figures, and other evidence gathered through observations Keep track of data in a data table Then make a graph of your data…. Collecting and Interpreting Data

10. A conclusion is a summary of what you have learned in an experiment Points to consider in your conclusion: Does the data support the hypothesis? Did you collect enough data? Did anything happen that may have affected the results? Address these points in your summary Drawing conclusions

11. An important part of the scientific inquiry process is communicating your results Communicating is the sharing of ideas and experimental findings through writing and speaking Communicating

12. A scientific theory is a well-tested explanation for a wide range of observations or experimental results A scientific law is a statement that describes what scientists expect to happen every time under a particular set of conditions Scientific Theories and Laws