UNIT 1 - WHAT IS SCIENCE?

I.SCIENCE is the search for answers to questions about nature.
  A.How do scientists search for answers?
    1.By following the 8 steps of the SCIENTIFIC METHOD 
      a. Step 1: Make OBSERVATIONS
         1) Use 5 senses to collect facts about observations.
         2) Example: Heard an object in the shoebox.
       b.  Step 2: Ask a TESTABLE QUESTION
         1) What have your observations made you curious about?
         2) Question must be one we can do experiments to answer
       c.  Step 3: Form a HYPOTHESIS 
         1) Hypothesis - “educated” guess to your question
         2) Use “if... then” sentences to create experiments
       d. Step 4: Perform careful EXPERIMENTS 
         1) Experiments - tests performed to answer your question
            a) Examples: Slide/roll test, magnetic test, sound te
st
                  2) Remove Variables
                       a) VARIABLE - unwanted difference between
                                               2 objects that you are testin
g 
                       b) Examples: size of box, ear differences
                  3) Collect DATA - measurements from the experiment
              e. Step 5: Reach a CONCLUSION
                  1) Make a decision about the correctness of your hypothesi
s
                  2) Example: Changed hypothesis as a result of testing
              f. Step 6: REPORT RESULTS
                  1) Tell other scientists so your results are retested by 
others
                  2) Example: Told other class periods
              g. Step 7: FORM THEORY
                 1) Theory - Best current explanation for experimental resul
ts
                 2) Example: Placed answer on the 3x5 card
                 3) Good theories will make predictions that prove correct
             h. Step 8: REVISE THEORY
                 1) Change theory as new evidence is collected
                 2) Example: x-ray machine changed answer or certainty
     B. Science answers are a collection of 3 things:
         1. FACTS - answers all scientists agree with; supported by tons 
                        of evidence, and made many correct predictions
              a. Gravity and the make up of earth’s crust are facts 
              b. Example: Box 11
         2. THEORY - many scientists agree; some evidence 
              a. What’s inside the earth? and Earth’s creati
on are theories
              b. Examples: most of your boxes
         3. HYPOTHESIS - few scientists agree; little evidence
               a. example: Parallel Universes, Multiple Dimensions
    C. Science answers can change from one to another
        1. Fact to Fiction
            a. Flat earth to sphere
            b. Geocentric to heliocentric
            c. Number of planets
        2. Fiction to fact
            a. Black holes
            b. Parallel Universe?