Scientific Methods

1
Scientific Methods
2
DEFINITION
3

• A series of organized steps that scientists use
  as a guide for answering a question or solving a
  problem
• Provides a strategy or guide for seeking answers
  and solving problems

4

• Not confined to the lab
• Done in everyday life

5

• SINCE there is no single way to approach and
  answer every question, there is no single
  scientific method

6

• General
• Format

7
Whats the Correct Order?

• Form Hypothesis
• Analyze Data
• Make Observation
• Draw Conclusion
• Conduct Experiment
• Ask Question

8

• Make Observation
• Ask Question
• Form Hypothesis
• Conduct Experiment
• Analyze Data
• Draw Conclusion

9

• Make
• An
• Observation

10

• A scientist notices something in
• their natural world
• Gathered
• through
• their senses

11
Example

• While sitting by a pond, you NOTICE that the
  salamanders have curved, not straight, tails.

12

• Ask
• A
• Question

13

• Triggered by an observation
• One that is precise and can be answered through
  observation, measurement, testing, or analysis or
  information and research
• AKA scientific or testable questions

14
Example

• Does a salamanders environment cause its tail to
  curve?

15

• Form
• A
• Hypothesis

16

• Possible answer or tentative solution for a
  question
• Predicted answer AND explanation
• More than an educated guess

17
Example

• Salamanders have curved tails due to a pollutant
  in the moist soil where they live.

18

• Conduct An
• Experiment

19

• Procedure designed to test the validity of a
  hypothesis
• AKA scientific investigation

20

• Analyze
• the
• Data

21

• Examine the
• observations made
• information collected
• during the experiment

22

• Data can be quantitative (numerical) or
  qualitative (non-numerical descriptive)
• Found on tables, charts, graphs

23

• Draw
• A
• Conclusion

24

• Form an answer to
• the hypothesis based
• on the data obtained
• analyzed from the
• experiment

25

• Make Observation
• Ask Question
• Form Hypothesis
• Conduct Experiment
• Analyze Data
• Draw Conclusion

26
LetsReview
27
1.

• Which is an example of a good scientific
  question?
• A. Is green a nicer color than yellow?
• B. Do beagles make better pets than poodles?
• C. What is the average height of a beagle?
• D. How big is a dog?

28

• Which is an example of a good scientific
  question?
• A. Is green a nicer color than yellow?
• B. Do beagles make better pets than poodles?
• C. What is the average height of a beagle?
• D. How big is a dog?

29
2.

• Which statement represents the correct sequence a
  scientist may follow as part of a scientific
  inquiry?
• A. form a hypothesis, make an observation, ask
• a question
• B. make an observation, ask a question, form a
• hypothesis
• C. ask a question, form a hypothesis, make an
• observation
• D. make an observation, form a hypothesis, ask
• a question

30

• Which statement represents the correct sequence a
  scientist may follow as part of a scientific
  inquiry?
• A. form a hypothesis, make an observation,
• ask a question
• B. make an observation, ask a question, form
• a hypothesis
• C. ask a question, form a hypothesis, make an
• observation
• D. make an observation, form a hypothesis,
• ask a question

31
3.

• The purpose of conducting an
• experiment is to
• A. Answer a question
• B. Collect data
• C. To prove a hypothesis is correct
• D. To test a hypothesis

32

• The purpose of conducting an
• experiment is to
• A. Answer a question
• B. Collect data
• C. To prove a hypothesis is correct
• D. To test a hypothesis

33
4.

• There is only one way to do a scientific method.
• False
• True

34
False

• since there is no single way to approach and
  answer every question, there is no single
  scientific method

35
5.

• Data collected during an experiment can be
• qualitative quantitative
• qualitative only
• quantitative only
• None of the above

36

• Data collected during an experiment can be
• qualitative quantitative
• qualitative only
• quantitative only
• None of the above