What is Science?What is Science?

Science vs. LegendScience vs. Legend

Humans have always sought to Humans have always sought to explain the events of the worldexplain the events of the world

The legends of Native Americans The legends of Native Americans and other peoples have long used and other peoples have long used legends to explain natural legends to explain natural phenomenaphenomena

Science explains the world we see Science explains the world we see but it is based on what we can but it is based on what we can observe with our five sensesobserve with our five senses

ScienceScience

The goal of science is to investigate and The goal of science is to investigate and understand nature, to explain events, understand nature, to explain events, and to use those explanations to make and to use those explanations to make useful predictionsuseful predictions Science only deals with the natural worldScience only deals with the natural world Collects and organizes information in a Collects and organizes information in a

specific mannerspecific manner Proposes explanations that can be tested Proposes explanations that can be tested

using evidence collected in a scientifically using evidence collected in a scientifically approved mannerapproved manner

How it worksHow it works

All scientific evidence is based on All scientific evidence is based on observationobservation Uses on or more of the five sensesUses on or more of the five senses Quantitative: uses numbers to describe Quantitative: uses numbers to describe

the evidencethe evidence How many mice are in a square meter.How many mice are in a square meter.

Qualitative: more descriptive, cannot be Qualitative: more descriptive, cannot be easily measuredeasily measured What color are the fishes spots.What color are the fishes spots.

How it worksHow it works

Observations are followed by Observations are followed by inferencesinferences A logical interpretation based on prior A logical interpretation based on prior

knowledge and experienceknowledge and experience I can use prior experience to infer that you I can use prior experience to infer that you

will all be on your best behavior for about will all be on your best behavior for about another weekanother week

Inferences can also be called hypothesesInferences can also be called hypotheses Can be tested and proven wrongCan be tested and proven wrong Can never be proven correctCan never be proven correct

Scientific MethodScientific Method

A series of steps used to work on A series of steps used to work on problems or answer questionsproblems or answer questions

By following the steps you can eliminate By following the steps you can eliminate errors that could give false resultserrors that could give false results

When the same steps are used by When the same steps are used by someone else they should be able to come someone else they should be able to come up with the same resultsup with the same results

Can be used in every aspect of your life Can be used in every aspect of your life and most of you do it with out realizing and most of you do it with out realizing what you are doingwhat you are doing

Step 1Step 1

Identify a problem or question you Identify a problem or question you want to answerwant to answer

Step 2Step 2

Gather background information on Gather background information on the subjectthe subject

It is possible someone has already It is possible someone has already done the research for youdone the research for you

Step 3Step 3

Form a hypothesisForm a hypothesis A hypothesis is an educated guess A hypothesis is an educated guess

based on prior knowledge and the based on prior knowledge and the research done in step 2research done in step 2

Step 4Step 4

Test your hypothesis by designing an Test your hypothesis by designing an experimentexperiment Test only one variable (or thing) per Test only one variable (or thing) per

experimentexperiment The thing you are controlling or adjusting is the The thing you are controlling or adjusting is the

independent variableindependent variable The thing that is responding to the independent The thing that is responding to the independent

variable is the dependant variablevariable is the dependant variable If possible set up a second experiment If possible set up a second experiment

where everything remains the same – this is where everything remains the same – this is called a controlcalled a control

Step 5Step 5

Record you data and graph your Record you data and graph your resultsresults Tables and graphs allow you to see Tables and graphs allow you to see

patterns and draw conclusionspatterns and draw conclusions When you graphWhen you graph

The dependant variable is graphed on the y-The dependant variable is graphed on the y-axisaxis

The independent variable is graphed on the The independent variable is graphed on the x-axisx-axis

Step 6Step 6

Draw a conclusion based on the Draw a conclusion based on the results of your experimentresults of your experiment Did the results of the experiment agree Did the results of the experiment agree

or disagree with your hypothesisor disagree with your hypothesis What did you learn by doing your What did you learn by doing your

experimentexperiment Did the experiment raise any new Did the experiment raise any new

questionsquestions

Publishing and Publishing and RepeatingRepeating

All scientific experiments are All scientific experiments are repeated to ensure that the results repeated to ensure that the results were not a random thingwere not a random thing

Often experiments are repeated by Often experiments are repeated by other scientistsother scientists

A theory is a group of hypotheses that A theory is a group of hypotheses that have been repeatedly tested and so have been repeatedly tested and so far have not been proven wrongfar have not been proven wrong Allow scientists to make predictions Allow scientists to make predictions

about new situationsabout new situations