Processes of Scienti?c Inquiry
sx07CAGr8_VPhyLab_01.fm Page 1 Thursday, July 19, 2007 8:43 AM
Name ___________________________
Date ___________________
Class ____________
Lab 1: Introduction to Scientific Inquiry
Introduction to Scientific
Inquiry
Purpose
To show how the processes of scientific inquiry can help you learn about the natural world
Background
Scientific inquiry is a way of learning about the natural world by gathering information and then trying to make sense of it. Scientific inquiry does not always occur in the same way, but certain steps are often involved. Some steps that scientists often use in their investigations are posing questions, developing hypotheses, designing experiments, collecting and interpreting data, drawing conclusions, and communicating ideas and results.
Skills Focus
Posing questions, developing hypotheses, designing an experiment, collecting and interpreting data, interpreting a graph, predicting, drawing conclusions, communicating Introduction
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
1. Posing Questions Have you ever observed how a gas in a balloon acts when heated? What did you see? What questions could you ask about how changing temperature affects the gas in a balloon? (Remember, the questions you ask should be questions that can be answered by making observations.)
__________________________________________________________________
2. Developing Hypotheses Scientific inquiry moves forward when ideas can be tested. Your first step is to develop a hypothesis. A hypothesis is a possible answer to a scientific question or an explanation for a set of observations. Your hypothesis is not a fact. It must be tested. Your observations may support your hypothesis or they may not. If they do not support your hypothesis, you have not wasted your time. You have learned that your hypothesis is not correct and that you must explore further. Write a hypothesis about the volume of a balloon when the temperature of the
Name ___________________________
Date ___________________
Class ____________
Lab 1: Introduction to Scientific Inquiry
Introduction to Scientific
Inquiry
Purpose
To show how the processes of scientific inquiry can help you learn about the natural world
Background
Scientific inquiry is a way of learning about the natural world by gathering information and then trying to make sense of it. Scientific inquiry does not always occur in the same way, but certain steps are often involved. Some steps that scientists often use in their investigations are posing questions, developing hypotheses, designing experiments, collecting and interpreting data, drawing conclusions, and communicating ideas and results.
Skills Focus
Posing questions, developing hypotheses, designing an experiment, collecting and interpreting data, interpreting a graph, predicting, drawing conclusions, communicating Introduction
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
1. Posing Questions Have you ever observed how a gas in a balloon acts when heated? What did you see? What questions could you ask about how changing temperature affects the gas in a balloon? (Remember, the questions you ask should be questions that can be answered by making observations.)
__________________________________________________________________
2. Developing Hypotheses Scientific inquiry moves forward when ideas can be tested. Your first step is to develop a hypothesis. A hypothesis is a possible answer to a scientific question or an explanation for a set of observations. Your hypothesis is not a fact. It must be tested. Your observations may support your hypothesis or they may not. If they do not support your hypothesis, you have not wasted your time. You have learned that your hypothesis is not correct and that you must explore further. Write a hypothesis about the volume of a balloon when the temperature of the