UNIT 0Scientific method

SCIENTIFIC METHOD• What is the “scientific method”?The scientific method is used to explore observations and answer questions.

• Does this mean all scientists follow exactly this process? No. Some areas of science can be more easily tested than others. When direct experimentation is not possible, scientists modify the scientific method. In fact, there are probably as many versions of the scientific method as there are scientists! But even when modified, the goal remains the same: to discover cause and effect relationships by asking questions, carefully gathering and examining the evidence, and seeing if all the available information can be combined into a logical answer.

STEPS OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

1. ASK A QUESTION• The scientific method starts when you ask a question about something that you observe: How, What,

When, Who, Which, Why, or Where?

• eg. Galileo Galilei was interested about the variables that could influence in the time taken by an object in free fall motion.

• For your science project: the question should be something you can measure, preferably with a number! (eg. What´s the boiling point of ethanol? Which is denser, oil or water, is air considered as matter?…)

2. CONSTRUCT A HYPOTHESIS

• A hypothesis is an answer in advanced, which is presented as a possible explanation to a problem which arises when trying to explain a phenomenon

• eg. Galileo Galilei thought that the mass of an object did not influence in the time taken by an object in free fall motion .

• For your science project: Construct a hypothesis in order to answer the initial problem (eg. If air were matter, it should have mass and volume. If I could demonstrate it has these properties, I would have answered the initial question …)

3. EXPERIMENTATION• Test your hypothesis by doing an experiment: Your experiment tests whether your prediction is accurate and thus your

hypothesis is supported or not. It is important for your experiment to be a fair test. You conduct a fair test by making sure that you change only one factor at a time while keeping all other conditions the same. You should also repeat your experiments several times to make sure that the first results weren't just an accident.

• eg. Galileo Galilei threw different balls (made of lead, wood…) from the top of the

leaning Tower of Pisa so that he could measure the time of the fall.• For your science project: Construct a hypothesis in order to answer the initial problem (eg. By blowing up a balloon, I can

demonstrate the air inside the balloon occupies volume. With a scale I can measure if there is any difference between the mass of the empty balloon and the mass of the balloon with air. The difference between them will be the mass of the air. Otherwise, if both masses were identical, I would prove air cannot be considered as a type of matter …)

4. DATA ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION

• Analyze your data and draw a conclusion: Once your experiment is complete, you collect your measurements and analyze them to see if they support your hypothesis or not. Scientists often find that their predictions were not accurate and their hypothesis was not supported, and in such cases they will communicate the results of their experiment and then go back and construct a new hypothesis and prediction based on the information they learned during their experiment.

• eg. Galileo proved that the time taken by the balls

was the same, so he concluded that, in absence

of atmosphere (as nearly occurs on the moon),

different objects, like a hammer and a feather, will

take the same time when falling from the same

distance.

4. DATA ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION

• For your science project: Analyze your data and draw a conclusion (as I have proved air has volume and mass, I conclude it can be considered matter)

• To complete your science project you will communicate your results in a final report. Professional scientists do almost exactly the same thing by publishing their final report in a scientific journal!! In the report, include photos, diagrams, graphs, drawings or whatever you need. You can type it and send the task by email (mmoranbayon@gmail.com ) or do it by hand. You will hand it in next week.

Try to be creative and

to think in a scientific way!!!!!

SIGNIFICANT FIGURES AND ROUNDING RULES

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdZ00OFAfaQ