Science 9 Unit 1: The Nature of Science and Scientific Inquiry

Studying Flashcards for The Nature of Science and Scientific Inquiry

science main goal

to understand the natural world

what is an observation

evidence gathered by the five senses (touch, smell, vision, taste, hearing)

quantitative

observations you have to figure out by searching to find answers, using instruments (microscopes, telescopes etc.) indirect

qualitative

observations that come to you immediately by using your 5 senses (touch, smell, vision, taste, hearing) direct

direct evidence (qualitative)

collected by the 5 senses (touch, smell, vision, taste, hearing)

indirect evidence (quantitative)

collected using instruments (microscopes, telescopes etc.)

inference

a tentative conclusion based on logic or reasoning

empirical knowledge

gained through experiences

hypothesis

a suggested answer or untested explanation

made prior to developing a theory

theory

an explanation of observations

can be modified or discarded if new experimental data is found

ethics

the study of what is right/wrong and affects behavior

the 3 types of scientific inquiry

observational study, correlational experiment, controlled experiment

1 observational study

a scientific inquiry made through observations of a subject or phenomenon in a structured manner that does not influence or interfere with the subject

ex. determining the migration patterns of whales by determining their location and the time of the year

2 correlational experiment

a scientific inquiry that indicates a relation between variables without purposely changing or controlling variables

ex. viewing test results of students and comparing them to the amount of time that they studied, to see if there is a relationship

positive correlation

shows a direct relationship

increasing one variable increases the other

negative correlation

shows an inverse relationship

increasing one variable decreases the other

3 controlled experiment

a scientific inquiry that involves an experiment with controlled variables

ex. changing the length of a string on a pendulum to see how it affects the swing rate

variables

any condition that can change in an experiment

independant variable

the cause

the cause of results you observe

dependant variable

the effect

the affected part of what you are testing

controlled variables

all variables in your control yet are kept constant

control

a setup that acts as a reference point that the results can be compared to

how many steps in the scientific method

10

first step in the scientific method

questioning how? why? what? where? when?

second step in the scientific method

hypothesizing a possible explanation that accounts for the observations that have been made

third step in the scientific method

predicting a statement of what would happen if..?

fourth step in the scientific method

planning plan to change one variable (independent), measure the effect on the other variable (dependent), and if possible keep all the other variables constant (controlled)

fifth step in the scientific method

conducting modifications should be recorded in case someone else wants to repeat the experiment

sixth step in the scientific method

collecting data making observations in both quantitative and qualitative ways

seventh step in the scientific method

analyzing interpret your recorded data (look at your data tables, graphs, observations etc.)

eighth step in the scientific method

evaluating reflect on what you did and why you did it

ninth step in the scientific method

synthesizing determining what can be done with the information from the investigation and decide where the investigation might lead

tenth step in the scientific method

communicating clearly and accurately share the information with people

4 main goals of scientific methods

to ask questions, to discover cause and effect relationships, to gather and examine information, to see if all information can be combined into a logical answer