Transcript Models, Theories, and Law

Scientific Models
A SCENARIO
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Your teacher would like to teach you about
volcanoes. To help you learn more about
volcanoes, your teacher suggest using
baking soda, vinegar, and clay.
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How can this help you learn about
volcanoes.
Your Teacher Has Asked You
to Construct a Model.
A model is a description, picture, or idea
about something that cannot be viewed
directly. It is a representation of an object
or system.
Why do Scientist use
models?
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Models helps us understand the
natural world.
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Models aid scientist in explaining or
analyzing an object, system, or
concept in detail.
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Models can be used to represent
things that are too small or even too
large to completely see.
Physical Models
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Physical models are
models that you can
touch.
Model airplanes, cars, dolls
Physical models often look
like the real thing but
have limitations.
Mathematical Models
A mathematical model is made up of
mathematical equations and data.
Scientist can use mathematical models to make
more accurate predictions.
Time / s
Distance from
start / m
0
0
2
20
4
40
6
60
8
80
Conceptual Models
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Conceptual models are composed of
many hypothesis. Each hypothesis is
supported through scientific
methods.
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Some conceptual models are systems
of ideas and others make comparison
with familiar things to help illustrate
or explain an idea.
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Example: The big bang theory is an
explanation of the structure of the
universe.
Let’s Take A Look At What
We Know
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Science involves use of observations and
inferences.
An observation is information that is known
because it has been seen or experienced
directly.
WHAT’S NEW??????
Some observations have been made so many
times that they are accepted as always
being true. This is called a scientific law.
Scientific Law
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Explains what will happen, but not
why.
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An example is gravity. The law of
gravitation is a statement about the
observation that all objects attract
each other. The law doesn’t say
WHY objects attract each other, only
that they will.
Scientific Theory
A theory is a hypothesis
that has been tested
many times and still
explains the
observations.
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People once thought
that comets were
clouds of dust.
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After some
observations, a
scientist theorized that
comets were more like
dirty snowballs.
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When Haley’s comet
passed by, more
observations and tests
supported that theory.
How are
scientific laws
affected by
new theories?
Scientific laws aren’t affected
because scientific theories are
explanations for new observations.
Scientific laws
are
descriptions of
patterns in
nature, they do
not offer
explanations!
If a scientific law were
developed in one country
would it apply in a different
country?
YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!
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Scientific laws apply
everywhere. Scientific laws are
different from legal and political
laws, which apply only to
specific countries.
Review
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What are models and why do
we use them?
Can you name and describe
some types of models?
What are predictions and
inferences?
Scientific theory and scientific
law, are they the same or
different? Explain.