Science as Inquiry

1
Science as Inquiry

• Science is a way of knowing.

2
Observations and Data

• Observation is the use of the senses to gather
  and record information.

• Recorded observations are called data.

3

• Quantitative observations are measurements.

• Qualitative observations are descriptive.

4
Inferences in Science

• A logical conclusion based on observations is
  called an inference.

5
Generalizations in Discovery Science

• Scientists put together many observations to
  reach a general conclusion, or generalization.

6
Forming and Testing a Hypothesis

• Hypothesis is a suggested answer to a
  well-defined scientific questionan explanation
  on trial.

• A hypothesis is often based on past experience
  or knowledge gained from other sources.

7

• Suppose your flashlight stops working during a
  camping trip. That is an observation. Propose a
  hypothesis to explain it.

• How could you test your hypothesis?

8
Designing a Controlled Experiment

• A condition that can differ within the experiment
  is called a variable.

• An experiment that tests the effect of a single
  variable is called a controlled experiment.

9
Scientific Method

• Observation
• Question
• Hypothesis
• Prediction
• Experiment
• Conclusion