Method of Science

What is science?

• a method for studying the natural world

• testable statement that is usually written as an "if/then" statement or it can be a "may" statement; educated guess

• in-depth explanations of observations that are supported by a large body of data and widely accepted

• Simple, basic observations that have been shown to be true

statement about what happens in nature that seems to be true all the time; does not explain why or how something happens

• Scientific Theory

• Scientific Law

• Observation

• Inference

Which of the following are ways to investigate?

• observation and recording

• set up experiments

• copy someone else's work

• use models

A scientific idea can be ___ as new information is gathered

• eliminated

• modified

• forgotten

• ignored

Changes in scientific theories can be contributed to an advancement in ___

• bias

• people's interest

• technology

• inference

Which of the following would be categorized as life science?

• cats

• rocks

• maple tree

• Mars

• dolphin

Which of the following would be categorized as Earth and Space?

• stars

• weather patterns

• atoms

• volcanoes

• forces

Which of the following would be categorized as Physical Science?

• coral reef

• matter

• energy

• penguin

• forces

In this cartoon, the scientist intentionally throws away a sample because he does not like the results. This is an example of what?

• bias

• inference

• fairness

• getting the best data

Which of the following is NOT an example of science changing the way people view the world?

• smoking use to be considered good for you and now it is known to be bad for your health

• people thought the earth was flat and now know it is round

• scientists proved the heliocentric model of the solar system and no longer believe the earth is the center of the universe

• People use to live in a black-and-white world until color was invented