Scientific InquiryScience used as a body of knowledge to

understand how the world worksScientific explanations result from a

combination of observations and what people already know about the world

Ask questions!Leads to experiments, collecting data,

drawing conclusionsScientific knowledge subject to change and

modification

The Scientific Method*Making observationsAsking questionsDeveloping a hypothesisDesigning an experimentCollecting dataMaking inferencesResults (peer review)

Observation*def. - the process of obtaining information

by using the sensesExamples:

A bottle of seltzer water is sitting in a ice bath.There is salt in the ice bath.The unopened seltzer water is in liquid form.The bottle is cold to the touch.(After opening the bottle, the seltzer water

freezes.)

Question/ProblemBased on what is known and observed, what

question or problem do we want to solve in order to better understand the scientific world?

Example:What will happen to the bottle of seltzer water

when opened?(Why did the seltzer water in the bottle freeze

after it was opened?)

Hypothesis*def – a theory or explanation that is based

on observations and that can be tested

*The “if-then” hypothesis“I think that if…, then…”

Why is the hypothesis so important to scientific inquiry?

Hypothesis continued…Examples:

“I think that if a bottle of seltzer water from an ice bath is opened, then the bottle will explode.”

“I think that if a bottle of seltzer water from an ice bath is opened, then the water inside will freeze.”