Scientific Investigation
Did you know that you are already a scientist? You may not earn a paycheck for it, but any time you investigate to find the answer to a question through testing, you are really acting as a scientist. By asking a question, performing a test, and finding the answer for problems in your everyday life, you are using a form of the scientific method. The scientific method is a series of ordered steps used to find the answer to a scientific problem.
Professional scientists use a more detailed version of the scientific method, but the basic idea is the same. The scientific method is important because it allows scientists conducting similar experiences to compare findings. Communication is key in the worldwide scientific community. Individual scientists rely on others to confirm or refute their findings by repeating their scientific investigations. This peer review ensures that findings are free from any sort of bias. Throughout this course, you will conduct your own scientific investigations and compare your results to those of the scientific community at large and in your classroom.
The Scientific Method
The scientific method is a process with steps. 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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Implementing the Scientific Method
Now it is time to learn the proper way to set up an experiment. It is important to know this process, as all scientific experiments should be repeatable. While you are viewing this interactivity, take notice of the design, procedure, parts, and data collection. Click the player button to begin.
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Observations and Inferences
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. Look at the picture to the right and read the statements to differentiate between an observation and an inference.
Observations:
- The sky is clear.
- The climate is dry.
- There is little vegetation.
Inferences:
- Wind has weathered and eroded the rock.
- The rock appears to be sandstone.
- It rains very little in this area.
Scientific Theory vs. Scientific Law
An artists depiction of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe,
a satellite being used to further study the Big Bang Theory
Scientists search for connections or relationships in the natural world and work to explain them based on their observations and experimental data. Over a long period of time, these observations and data provide the necessary evidence to develop scientific theories. A scientific theory is an explanation for a natural phenomenon based on scientific evidence. This is generally accepted as true by the scientific community. Sometimes, the term theory is used to describe an idea or explanation about how something works, but a scientific theory is much more than that. Scientific theories are widely tested and have a great deal of evidence to support them. Scientific theories are strengthened and refined as new discoveries are made, but they are almost never proven wrong because they are so well-tested. Examples of scientific theories are the Theory of Plate Tectonics, and the Big Bang Theory. The Theory of Plate Tectonics explains the motion of the Earth’s crust over time as tectonic plates shift and move. Scientists have been adding evidence to further support and explain this theory since 1912. Another example of a scientific theory is the Big Bang Theory. The Big Bang Theory is a model of the development of the universe that explains the beginning of the universe. Scientists have a great deal of evidence to support this scientific theory. The Big Bang Theory is widely supported by data and generally accepted as true by the scientific community.
A scientific law is not the same as a scientific theory. A scientific law is simply a description of a pattern in nature. This is a physical law, something that can be observed, but not an explanation as to why it happens. A scientific law is a universal fact. One example is Newton's Three Laws of Motion. Isaac Newton studied the motion of objects and spent his life observing and experimenting. A summary of Newton's Three Laws of Motion:
- An object in motion remains in motion, and an object at rest remains at rest unless it is acted upon by an outside force
- Force equals mass times acceleration
- When one object exerts a force on another object, the second object also exerts an equal force
Scientific Investigation Review
Now that you have investigated the scientific method, review your knowledge. In this non-graded interactivity, read over the details of the experiment. Then, read each question and select the appropriate square on the table. Click the player button to get started.