Transcript Steps Of The Scientific Method

WHAT IS “SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH?”
WHY DO SCIENTISTS USE IT?
WHAT ARE THE STEPS OF THE
SCIENTIFIC METHOD?
RANGE OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH
COMPARATIVE DATA ANALYSIS
EXPERIMENTAL
DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH
Describing nature using
known physical biological or
chemical properties
Often used on things we can’t
work with in the lab
Ex- center of the earth
stars, galaxies
Linking two things together by
analyzing data
Ex- Smoking linked to lung cancer
Steps Of The Scientific Method
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State the problem (in the form of a question)
Research the subject
State a hypothesis
Design and perform an experiment
Record results and analyze
State your conclusion
1. PROBLEM STATEMENT
Asks a question based on an observation
2. RESEARCH THE SUBJECT
3. STATE A HYPOTHESIS
Answers the problem statement
If……….., then………. Statement
Use the same terms as in the Problem
Statement
4. EXPERIMENT DESIGN
Use two groups:
Experimental Group
Control Group
In Experimental Group –
Independent variable – what you change
Dependent variable – what responds to the I.V.
Constants/Controlled Variables– things that
remain the same
(You do not want “hidden variables”)
The Control Group - is for comparison, doesn’t
contain the independent variable
5. RECORD RESULTS AND ANALYZE
Quantitative Data- (the numbers)
Record data in chart, then graph
Analyze data for trends which answer problem
statement/hyp.
Qualitative Observations- relevant observations
listed
Quantitative or Qualitative?
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The dog is 42 pounds.
The dog is fat.
There are three trees in the field.
The trees are tall.
6. STATE YOUR CONCLUSION
Write a statement that answers the
problem statement, addresses your
hypothesis and mentions the data for
support. A conclusion is an INFERENCE
based on observations and prior
knowledge.
Observation or inference?
• The plant is green
• The plant is green thus
I believe it is alive.
• The woman is married.
Observation or inference?
• The woman is married.
• The woman is wearing a wedding band thus
I believe that she is married.
• Miracle Gro makes plants grow faster.
Observation or inference?
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The plant is green
The plant is green thus I believe it is alive.
The woman is married.
The woman is wearing a wedding band thus I
believe that she is married.
• Miracle Gro makes plants grow faster.
• Because the plants with m.g. were taller than the
plants w/o m.g., I believe Miracle Gro makes
plants grow faster.