To understand scientific thinking

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Objectives

1. To understand scientific thinking
2. To illustrate scientific thinking
3. To describe the method scientists use to study
   nature

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A. Solving Everyday Problems

• Scientific thinking helps us solve all types of
  problems we confront in our lives.
• Scientific thinking involves
• observations
• defining a problem
• construction of explanations
• evaluation of possible explanations or solutions
  to the problem

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B. Using Scientific Thinking to Solve a Problem
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B. Using Scientific Thinking to Solve a Problem
David and Susan have symptoms of lead poisoning
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B. Using Scientific Thinking to Solve a Problem
No other customers have symptoms lead is not
from food
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C. The Scientific Method

• The scientific method is a procedure for
  processing the information that flows from the
  world around us in which we
• Make observations
• Formulate hypotheses
• Perform experiments to
• test our hypotheses

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C. The Scientific Method
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C. The Scientific Method

• Observations Are Not Hypotheses

• An observation can be witnessed and recorded.
• A hypothesis is an interpretation a possible
  explanation of why something happens.

Write down three observations and three related
hypotheses
Write down three quantitative and three
qualitative observations
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C. The Scientific Method

• Theories Are Not Laws

• A natural law is a summary of behavior.
• A theory is our attempt to explain why it
  happens.

• Theory or Law?
• Metals are more dense than gases
• Gravitational forces make a pen drop to the
  bench
• Hydrogen atoms are usually found in pairs
• Gas burns because the methane combines with
  oxygen and gives off heat and light