SCIENTIFIC OBSERVATION
What is Science?
Science is people, fun, observations,
explanations, exploration, properties,
inferences, questions, technology, and
everywhere.
Science is knowledge about the natural
world that is received by observations
and experiments.
Life Science
Biology – The study of living things
Branches of Biology
1.
2.
3.
4.
Ecology – The study of the environment
Zoology – The study of animals
Doctor – Human anatomy
Botany – The study of plants
Earth Science
Earth Science(Geology)– The study of the Earth
Branches of Earth Science
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Oceanography – Study of the Ocean
Volcanology – Study of volcanoes
Seismology – Study of earthquakes
Meteorology – Study of the weather
Astronomy – Study of space
Physical Science
Physical Science – Study of both matter and energy
Branches of Physical Science
1.
2.
3.
4.
Chemistry – The study of all forms of matter
Physics – The study of energy
Astronomy – Movement of objects in space
Oceanography – Study of the waves and tides
BELLRINGERS
1. Define the word SCIENCE?
2. Get out a piece of paper and tear it in half. Give half
the sheet to your neighbor. List the 6 steps of the
scientific method in order.
WHAT DOES THE WORD SCIENCE MEAN?
Science is an organized body of
knowledge explaining the natural
world by making observations and
experimenting. Once a scientist has
made observation, they have to
make decisions about what they
saw.
The Scientific Method
The scientific method is a process for experimentation
that is used to explore observations and answer
questions. Scientists use the scientific method to
search for cause and effect relationships in nature.
In other words, they design an experiment so that
changes to one item cause something else to change
in a predictable way.
1. Make an Observation
What is an OBSERVATION?
Being a good scientists involves making great
observations and then asking questions. Several
people can observe the same event but have
different explanations.
Describe what you observe in this picture. DO NOT discuss it
with your neighbors.
Observations vs. Inferences
An OBSERVATION is something we do with our eyes; when
we see something, we observe it. However, all five of our
senses can be used to make observations: sight, hearing,
taste, touch, and smell.
An INFERENCE is an assumption or conclusion based on an
observation. It is a logical interpretation based on
observations and prior knowledge.
Name 2 observations and 2
inferences
Name 2 observations and 2
inferences
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD – a step by
step way scientists solve problems.
STEP 2: Problem Statement – always written in
questions form
The scientist then raises a question about what (s)he sees
going on!!!
•Question: Where do the flies at the butcher shop really come
from? Does rotting meat turn into or produce the flies?
•Question: Is there indeed a “life force” present in air (or
oxygen) that can cause bacteria to develop by spontaneous
generation? Is there a means of allowing air to enter a
container, thus any life force, if such does exist, but not the
bacteria that are present in that air?
Step 3: Hypothesis – a possible answer to the
problem statement.
Always written as an IF > THEN statement.
If I give 2 cups of water to a tomato plant, then it
will grow better than plants given more or less water.
This is a tentative answer to the question: a testable
explanation for what was observed. IT IS NOT ALWAYS
CORRECT!
Write a hypothesis for the picture below.
Procedure
Step 4: Procedure – a numbered step set of directions
that explains the experimental setup. Includes materials
list.
Variable – what is being tested, what is different in
the experiment (the amount of water given to the plants)
•Independent Variable – The independent variable
is the variable that is manipulated by the researcher.
* Dependent variable – factors affected by the
independent variable.
•Control – all the things you keep the same
(same # of plants in a container, same amt
of sunlight, same amt of dirt, same amt offertilizer)
What is the Dependent and Independent
Variable?
Data and Analysis
Step 5: Data and Analysis – explanation of what
happened in the experiment. All data collected should
be displayed on a data table or on a graph.
DATA:factual information gatehred in the
experiment.(information or numbers from experiment)
What is some data you could collect from these pics?
There is two types of data researchers can collect:
1. Qualitative data: factual description that do not
use numbers. For example, describing the
behavior of animals, color of eyes, how
mothers react to their young, etc.
2. Quantitative data: factual information that
uses number. For example, counting the
number of young, measure how tall something
grow, etc.
Qualitative or Quantitative?
Qualitative or Quantitative?
Step 6: Conclusion – the answer to the problem
statement based on the data you collected.
Was the hypothesis correct or not and identify
any errors that might have occurred in the experiment.
Abiogenesis vs. Biogenesis
Abiogenesis(spontaneous generation): People believed life came from
abiotic materials. Ariostotle believed fish came from mud and worms
came from rain.
Biogenesis: Theory that states that living things can only come from
Living things.
Francesco Redi
Italian Physician challenged abiogenesis
Hypothesis: If there are maggots present, then
they did NOT come from rotting meat.
Variables: Open meat vs. not open meat
Conclusion: Only maggots on the open meat
so maggots came from flies.
Redi’s Second Experiment
• They argued that the flies were coming
from the air.
• He added a third set of jars that had mesh.
• This proved that the flies came from
maggots.
John Needham
• He believed in abiogenesis.
• Hypothesis: If you boiled broth, living
organisms still grow from nonliving broth.
• Experiment: He boiled broth and bacteria
still grew a few days later.
Lazzaro Spallanzani
• Italian priest and biologist
• Hypothesis: If you boiled the broth hotter,
then there would not be any bacteria.
• Experiment: He boiled the broth, sealed
them. Then boiled again to make sure killed
the bacteria.
• Conclusion: No spontaneous generation.
Louis Pasteur
• French Chemist – Solved NO abiogenesis!
• Hypothesis: If the broth is exposed to air
with dust, then there will be more bacteria.
• Experiment: Exposed broth to different
amounts of dust.
• Conclusion: More dust ; more bacteria
Enzymes in Your Body
• In the mouth, the first area where the food
enters, there are enzymes which emulsify
and help to break down the food into a soft
liquid mass which then easily slides down
the esophagus and enters the stomach where
further enzymes dilute the food mass and
are responsible for changing the pH of the
food so that it can more easily be absorbed
into the cells from the intestines.
Enzymes
• There are enzymes which are responsible
for digesting fats, carbohydrates, and
proteins. All of these enzymes work in
concert together to insure a smooth working
and active digestive system. If the food
molecules are not totally digested and
broken down via these enzymes, they can
sometimes pass through the intestinal
barrier into the cells in large particles which
then cannot be efficiently utilized by the
body. This is one way that food allergies
can develop.
Enzymes in detergent
• Enzymes provide the superior cleaning
performance needed to attack stains. Each
of these enzymes is able to attack a specific
type of stain or soil. Accordingly, the
inclusion of multiple enzymes in a detergent
allows the product to tackle a much broader
profile of soil types. What's more, multiple
enzymes can work in concert to remove
tough stains or soils made up of a variety of
substances.
• For example, a food stain might typically
contain protein, lipid (fat) and starch,
necessitating the combined actions of
protease, lipase and amylase for its
complete elimination.