Introduction to ScienceCHAPTER 1

The Nature of Science

• Key Ideas

• How do scientists explore the world?

• How are the many types of science organized?

• What are scientific theories, and how are they different from scientific laws?

SECTION 1.1

How Does Science Take Place?• Science is used to describe the universe by using

basic rules that are found by careful study.

• Science follows a particular process:

• Investigation

• Experimentation

• Observation

• Confirmation of Results

The Branches of Science• Science is broken down into

two main branches.

• Natural science deals with our universe.

• Social science deals with individual or group human behavior.

• Physical science is a branch of natural science.

Natural Science

Biological Science Physical

Science

Earth Science

Chemistry

Physics

Ecology

Zoology

Botany

Astronomy

Geology

The Branches of Science (cont’d)• Each branch of science

is not totally isolated from the others.

• Some branches are actual blends of other branches.

• These branches are interconnected and cooperate.

Technology

• As a result of their important research into the world around us, scientists help to create newer forms of doing everyday tasks.

• Technology improves our way of life.

Scientific Laws & Theories• Eventually scientists try to explain

the natural world and to describe how things work.

• A scientific theory is different from a scientific law.

• Theories explain why something happens. Laws describe how things work.

Theoretically Speaking…• Theories are mostly a group of ideas that are

used to try and explain natural phenomena.

• Theories are always questioned and must pass several tests.

• The explanation that a theory gives must be consistent.

• Experiments done to test the theory must be able to be repeated.

• Results from these experiments must be able to be predicted. *Theories cannot be proven absolutely.

Law Abiding Scientists• Laws are offered as a result of

repeated observation.

• Laws are different from theories because laws describe how a particular process occurs with certainty.

• Like theories, laws are tested with repeated experiments. Results of these experiments are not predicted, but expected.

• Laws are accepted to true statements and constant.

Modeling Is Hard Work• Ultimately, scientists try

to get everyone to understand a particular idea by creating a model.

• Models can be physical, mathematical, or conceptual.