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Transcript 
SCIENTIFIC METHOD
PROCESSES OF SCIENTIFIC
INQUIRY
5/25/2017
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH AN
OBSERVATION?
INDUCTIVE REASONING
 DEDUCTIVE REASONING

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INDUCTIVE REASONING
PROCESS OF GENERALIZING
FROM SPECIFIC
OBSERVATIONS
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EXAMPLE
The average mass of cows in
Vermont is 450kg therefore the
average mass of all North
American cows must be 450kg
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DEDUCTIVE REASONING
START W/ VALID GENERALIZATION
 REASON FROM IT
 ARRIVE AT SPECIFIC CONCLUSION

5/25/2017
EXAMPLE
YOU DEDUCE THAT IF THE
AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF
AFRICAN LIONS IN THE WILD IS 10
YEARS THEN THE AVERAGE LIFE
EXPECTANCY OF LIONS IN KENYA
IS 10 YEARS
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SCIENTISTS GO FURTHER THEY TEST IDEAS
WILL OBSERVATIONS MADE
FROM DIFFERENT
LOCATIONS SHOW THAT THE
AVERAGE MASS OF COWS IS
450kg?
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STEPS TO
SCIENTIFIC METHOD
MAKE OBSERVATIONS
 FORM QUESTIONS BASED ON
OBSERVATIONS
 FORMULATE A HYPOTHESIS
 TEST HYPOTHESIS - REPEAT TESTS
 ANALYZE RESULTS
 CONCLUSION

5/25/2017
IN SCIENCE THERE ARE NO
ABSOLUTE TRUTHS
AN IDEA IS CORRECT WITHIN
THE FRAMEWORK OF
OBSERVATIONS & TESTS
WHICH IT IS DERIVED
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THEORY


PRINCIPLE
Set of ideas that
form a general
frame of reference
for further study
Explanations have
high probability of
being valid
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

Evidence is so overwhelming that the
explanation is
further elevated
fundamental
doctrine on which
other concepts are
based objectivity
WHAT IS A HYPOTHESIS?
A tentative explanation
 To be scientific must be testable
 Constructed to provide framework for
stating the results of an experiment
 Must be more specific than problem

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TESTING THE HYPOTHESIS
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE
 DEPENDENT VARIABLE
 CONTROLLED VARIABLE

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INDEPENDENT VARIABLE
THE CONDITION OR EVENT
UNDER STUDY
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DEPENDENT VARIABLE
Variables that can possibly
change because of the
presence of or change in an
independent variable (What is
measured in an experiment)
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CONTROLLED VARIBLES
(CONSTANTS)
Conditions that could affect the
outcome of an experiment but
do not because they are held
constant
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RANDOM SAMPLING
Subjects are randomly assorted
into either experimental group or
control group (ensures both
groups are representative
samples of the original
population)
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SAMPLING ERROR
When a test group is not
equivalent to a natural
population, a sampling error is
introduced to the experiment
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SYSTEMATIC ERROR

ERROR THAT
OCCURS IN THE
SAME DIRECTION
EACH TIME AND IS
ALWAYS EITHER
TOO HIGH OR TOO
LOW
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ORGANIZING TEST RESULTS
DATA TABLES
 GRAPHS

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Example: Annual and Seasonal
Black Bear home ranges in km2.
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Bear #19
Bear #81
Bear #14
Spr./Sum.
Fall
Annual
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Comparison of annual and
seasonal home range estimates
Bear #
Annual
Spr./Sum
.
Fall
14
19
48
81
x
46.9
34.4 -------- 38.1
39.8
27.4
27.6
33.7
28.4
38.0
27.4
-------- 27.5
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31.0
25.0
Statistical tests
determine if differences between
experimental data and control
data are significant or likely due
only to chance.
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GENERALIZING FROM TEST
RESULTS
Hypothesis is accepted or rejected on
basis of conclusions drawn
 Statement is written about new insights
gained
 Apparent trends are noted
 Further problems and
hypotheses are posed

5/25/2017
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