Bellringer 9/9

• How do you conduct scientific research?

Study of living things

The goal of science is to understand the world around us.

3

UNIT 1 PART 1: THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

The SCIENTIFIC METHOD uses a series of steps to solve problems.

All scientists try to solve problems in the same way.

This allows experiments to be repeated and verified.

If your experiment can’t be repeated with the same results, it is not valid.

Characteristics of Living Things---highly organized

---1 or more cells

---use energy

---definite form + limited size

---limited life span

---grow

---respond to changes in the environment

---reproduce

---groups of living things change overtime

5

DESIGNING AN EXPERIMENT

1. Form a hypothesis

2. Define the variables

3. Describe the materials and conditions

Perform the experiment

4. Collect data

5. Interpret the data

6. Draw a conclusion

1.) Define the Problem

---question How does fertilizer affect tulips?

---look up info about the topic

2.) Hypothesis An increase in the amountfertilizer the larger the

---educated guess plant.

---can be wrong

3.) Experiment

---step by step listed

---can only change 1 thing at a time

Control---part of the experiment that has not changed

---can be used to compare

Variable--- the part of the experiment that has the change

Plant 1 45 g. soil

50 mL H2O

Sun Med. Pot

0 Fert

Plant 2 45 g. soil

50 mL H2O

Sun Med. Pot

2mL

Fert

Plant 3 45 g. soil

50 mL H2O

Sun Med. Pot

5mL

Fert

Plant 4 45 g. soil

50 mL H2O

Sun Med. Pot

7mL

Fert

4.) Observations and Analysis

----organize information

---- Data Tables and Graphs

Day 0 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3

Plant 1

3 cm 3.3 cm

3.5 cm

3.7 cm

Plant 2

3 cm 3.2 cm

3.6 cm

3.8 cm

Plant 3

3 cm 3.4 cm

3.7 cm

3.9 cm

Plant 4

3 cm 3.4 cm

3.8 cm

4.1 cm

5.) Conclusion

--- summary of if the hypothesis was correct and why

--- describe if anything went wrong during the experiment

--- New hypothesis and new experiment ideas

6.) Repeat the work

Bellringer 9/9

• I want to see how a new pain medicine works compared with Advil. I have 500 people with lower back pain who volunteered to be in my study. Half of them are given the new drug and half are given Advil.

• What are 3 things that should be controlled for in both groups?

Dependent variable:

•the data (info) you measure (take)------height of tulip

Independent variable

•the part that causes the change-----amount of Fertilizer

•What I changed in the experiment

DE

PE

ND

EN

TINDEPENDENT

Theories:

•Explanations that apply to a broad range of phenomena and are supported by experimental evidence

•Attempts to explain everything about a phenomenon including its cause

– Cell Theory

Law

•does not explain how or why something happens only that it does

– Law of Gravity

THEORIES AND LAWS CAN CHANGE