Scientific method

The Process of Science

 Biology – the study of living organisms and their
interactions with one another and their
environments
 Very broad definition because the scope of biology is vast
 Biologists may study anything from the microscopic or
submicroscopic view of a cell to ecosystems and the
whole living planet
 The Process of Science
 Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning “knowledge”) –
knowledge that covers general truths or the
operation of general laws, especially when acquired
and tested by the scientific method
 the application of the scientific method plays a major
role in science
 a systematic and logical approach to discovering how
things in the universe work
 knowledge accumulated through the discoveries about all
the things in the universe

 Science may be better defined as fields of study that attempt

to comprehend the nature of the universe
 The Process of Science
 Scientific method – a method of research with defined
steps that include experiments and careful observation
 testing of hypotheses by means of repeatable experiments
 Although using the scientific method is inherent to science, it
is inadequate in determining what science is
 This is because it is relatively easy to apply the scientific method to
disciplines such as physics and chemistry, but when it comes to
disciplines like archaeology, psychology, and geology, the scientific
method becomes less applicable as it becomes more difficult to
repeat experiments
 Hypothesis – a suggested explanation for an event,
which can be tested
 Hypothesis may become a verified theory
 Theory – a tested and confirmed explanation for
observations or phenomena
 Natural Sciences
 Science includes:
 Astronomy
 Biology
 Computer sciences
 Geology
 Logic
 Physics
 Chemistry
 Mathematics
 Those fields of science related to the physical world and its
phenomena and processes are considered natural
sciences
 Natural Sciences
 For some experts, the natural sciences are astronomy,
biology, chemistry, earth science, and physics
 For other experts, the natural sciences divide into life
sciences, which study living things and include biology, and
physical sciences, which study nonliving matter and
include astronomy, geology, physics, and chemistry

 Some disciplines such as biophysics and biochemistry build

on both life and physical sciences and are interdisciplinary
 Natural Sciences
 Natural sciences are sometimes referred to as “hard
science”, because they rely on the use of quantitative
data!!!

 Social sciences that study society and human behavior are

more likely to use of qualitative data (assessments) to
drive investigations and findings
The scientific method
 The process by which
scientists, collectively and
over time, endeavor to
construct an accurate
(that is, reliable,
consistent and non-
arbitrary) representation
of the world
 The Process of Science
 Why scientific method and standard procedure?

 Recognizing that personal and cultural beliefs

influence both our perceptions and our
interpretations of natural phenomena, we aim
through the use of standard procedures and criteria
to minimize those influences when developing a
theory
 Steps of the Scientific Method
 Purpose/Question

 What do you want to learn?

 An example would be, "What doorknob in school has the
most germs ?" or "Do girls have faster reflexes than
boys?" or "Does the color of a light bulb affect the growth
of grass seeds?"
 Steps of the Scientific Method
 Research

 Find out as much as you can

 Look for information in books, on the internet, and by
talking with teachers to get the most information you can
before you start experimenting
 Steps of the Scientific Method
 Hypothesis

 After doing your research, try to predict the answer to the

problem
 Another term for hypothesis is 'cause and effect’
 Be sure your hypothesis is testable and includes the
independent and dependent variable
 Also back up your hypothesis with scientific explanation
 This is usually stated like " If I...(do something) then...
(this will occur)"
 An example would be, "If I grow grass seeds under
yellow light bulbs, then they will grow faster than plants
growing under red light bulbs"
 Steps of the Scientific Method
 Variables

 The things that are changing in an experiment

 A variable is any factor, trait, or condition that can
exist in differing amounts or types
 An experiment usually has three kinds of
variables:
 Independent
 Dependent

 Controlled
 Steps of the Scientific Method
 Independent Variable
 This is the part of your experiment that you will test (vary)
to answer your hypothesis
 In the example above, the independent variable would be
the different colors of the light bulbs

 Dependent Variable
 This is what occurs in response to the changing
independent variable
 In our example, the dependent variable is how much the
grass seeds grow
 Steps of the Scientific Method
 Control Variable
 Controlled variables are quantities that you want to
remain constant, and you must observe them as
carefully as the dependent variables

 Control
 The control should be the part of the experiment where
you do not include the Independent Variable
 In our example, grass seed that is growing under the
white (uncolored) bulb would be your control
 The control lets you compare your results in the
experiment
 Steps of the Scientific Method
 Experiment

 The fun part!

 Design a test or procedure to find out if your hypothesis is
correct
 In our example, you would set up grass seeds under a
green light bulb and seeds under a red light and observe
each for a couple of weeks
 You would also set up grass seeds under regular white
light so that you can compare it with the others
 If you are doing this for a science fair, you will probably
have to write down exactly what you did for your
experiment step by step
 Steps of the Scientific Method
 Analysis

 Record what happened during the experiment

 Also known as 'data'
 Steps of the Scientific Method
 Conclusion

 Review the data and check to see if your hypothesis was

correct
 If the grass under the green light bulb grew faster, then
you proved your hypothesis, if not, your hypothesis was
wrong
 It is not "bad" if your hypothesis was wrong, because you
still discovered something!
START HERE!
 Scientific method
Independent Investigation
Guidelines
 Step 1: Create a Question
➢ What do you want to find out?
 ➢ Does your question relate to the topic?
 ➢ Can you develop an experiment to answer your
question?
 ➢ Does your question make sense? Is it confusing?
Independent Investigation
Guidelines
 Step 2: Hypothesis
➢ What do you think will happen?
 ➢ BE SPECIFIC!
 ➢ Use complete sentences.
Independent Investigation
Guidelines
 Step 3: Procedure
➢ What steps will you follow to find an answer?
 ✓ BE SPECIFIC! Label your steps using 1, 2, 3, etc.
 ✓ Would someone else be able to follow your directions?
➢ How will you collect your data?
 ➢ How will you ensure reliable results?
 ➢ What safety issues need to be addressed?
Independent Investigation
Guidelines
 Step 4: Experiment & Data
➢ Be sure to display your data in an organized
manner. Use a table or chart to help you show your
results. Don’t forget to label!
 ➢ Include enough data to prove or disprove your
hypothesis.
Independent Investigation
Guidelines
 Step 5: Analysis/Conclusion
➢ What happened during your experiment?
 ➢ Did your results support your hypothesis?
 ➢ Write a summary of what you learned during your
experiment and address your results.
 ➢ Explain any unexpected results.
 ➢ Are your results reliable?
 ➢ Did you use complete sentences?