Scientific Investigation

The Scientific Method

The Scientific Method interactivityBiology is an experimental science. Scientists follow a process with steps known as the scientific method. This method takes place so that experiments can be shared and repeated across the world. Learn more about the scientific method by viewing this interactivity. Click the player button to begin.

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Observations and Inferences

wet grassObservation Icon

Making observations is key to becoming a good scientist. An observation is something that you see or notice. An observation is sometimes confused with an inference, which is something you think or believe to be true from what you see. To observe something, you must see it. For instance, you may observe that the grass is wet. From that observation you may infer that it had rained recently. Or you may infer that the grass was recently watered. You did not directly observe these events occur; however, based on your prior knowledge and your observation, you can logically make these inferences.

Hypothesis vs. Theory vs. Law

Often, there is confusion between a hypothesis, a scientific theory, and a scientific law.  Use your cursor to roll over the images below and learn more about the differences between acids and bases.

The nature of a hypothesis is that it must be rejected or revised, if when tested, it is not supported by the data. A hypothesis predicts what is expected to happen in an investigation, and gives a reason why a particular outcome is expected. Rather than being a tragedy, the practice of proposing, testing, and revising hypotheses expands scientific knowledge and helps to explain events that occur in the natural world.A law is a generalized statement of fact. Laws describe what will happen under a specific set of conditions. For example, on Earth, every time you throw a pencil in the air, the pencil will fall back down. The law of gravity tells you how gravity will work on the pencil, but it does not explain why. The action the law describes is accepted as true, and can be expected to happen every time it is tested.

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A common misconception is that with enough proof a hypothesis will become a theory, and with even more proof, a theory can become a law. However, these concepts do not differ in their amount of proof; they differ in the breadth of their explanation. There is no hierarchal relationship between these concepts. Hypotheses do not become theories, and theories do not become laws.

 

Scientific Investigation Review

Scientific Investigation ReviewSelf-Check iconNow that you have explored scientific investigation, review your knowledge in this non-graded activity. Examine the scenario provided to you at the beginning of the activity. Read each statement and drag and drop the term which best matches the statement. Then, click SUBMIT to check your responses. Click the player button to get started.