1.1: What is Science?

Science is not a collection of never-changing facts or beliefs, scientists can retest theories
Science is a way to explain and observe the natural world
Information is collected in an organised way
Explanations is based on evidence, not belief
Science includes the view that the physical universe is a system composed of parts and processes that interact
The goal of science is to explain the natural world
Scientific knowledge helps us understand and do important things
There is still much unknown about the world
Science rarely “proves” anything
Scientists have a method
We use the scientific method in everyday life
There is no set scientific method, everyone does it differently
The scientific method includes questioning, making inferences and hypothesising, experimenting, collecting and analysing data, and drawing conclusions
Scientific investigations begin with a observation
An inference is a logical guess based on known information
A hypothesis is a scientific explanation for a set of observations
Scientists perform controlled experiments, limiting the amount of variables
Data is information from experiments
Scientists use different tools to collect and interpret data, such as a meter stick
Charts and graphs help organise data
Error is very possible and scientists must try to avoid it
New data can prove or disprove a past theory or hypothesis
It is not always possible to perform an experiment, for logistics or ethics