Scientific Method:

Scientific Method: sequential series of steps used to solve scientific inquiry

            Reasons to utilize the scientific method:

1.      Repeatable: can be conducted by other people

2.      Reliable: dependable

3.      Valid: repeated more than once or has been repeated by others garnering the same results.

Steps: as with any method, the scientific method has a series of steps that must be followed to ensure that the results garnered are reliable.

1)      Problem: reason why the experiment is being conducted.  What is the purpose of the research? The problem statement should include the dependent and independent variables.  This can be accomplished by saying: The dependent variable is and the independent variable is.

                                                                                       i.      Dependent variable is the variable that changes as a result of what you change.  In other words, it depends on the independent variable

                                                                                     ii.      Independent variable is the variable that you change.

2)      Research: conduct background searches to see what other information is available that may help with the experiment, and to make sure the experiment has not already been done.

3)      Hypothesis: an educated guess in the form of an if then statement

                                                                                       i.      If independent then dependent

4)      Procedure: set of steps that are used to ensure that the experiment is repeatable.

                                                                                       i.      Should include a materials list

                                                                                     ii.      Should include the amounts of materials used

                                                                                    iii.      Should include the way in which the dependent variable is measured

                                                                                   iv.      Should include the experimental setup (how the equipment is arrange)

                                                                                     v.      Should control variables and include a control group

5)      Conduct experiment and Collect Data

6)      Organize and analyze data

                                                                                       i.      Make chart

                                                                                     ii.      Make graph

7)      Conclusion and Comments:

                                                                                       i.      States whether or not your results are valid

                                                                                     ii.      States whether or not your hypothesis is correct or incorrect and why

                                                                                    iii.      Must include support for conclusions from results section

Qualitative: a quality of an object, such as color, texture, smell (something without a defininte qunatity)

Quantitative: having an absolute value: such as distance, time, mass, volume

Procedure: Making a Peaunut butter cracker sandwich

Observations: Periwinkle Laboratory

Measurements Used in Biology:

The international language of scientists is the S.I. System:

            S.I. stands for International System of Units (metric)

            Based on powers of 10. 

            A system that is very easy to convert from one measurement to another.

The Basics:

            It is similar to money:

                        1 dollar = 100 pennies

                        100 dollars = 10000 pennies

            Length:

                        Used to measure the distance from one point to another

                        The unit is known as the meter

                        Like a dollar, it can be divided into ten smaller units called the decimeter.

                        Decimeters can be divided into ten smaller units called centimeters.

                        Centimeters can be divided into ten smaller units called millimeters.

                        1000 meters can be grouped together to form a kilometer

            Volume:

                        The amount of space a substance occupies is its volume

                        The metric unit for volume is a liter

                        One liter is a little more than one quart

                        The milliliter is 1/1000 of a liter

            Mass:

                        Gram is the metric unit for mass.

                        Mass is different from weight:

                                    Weight is the gravitational pull of an object

                                    Mass is the measure of the amount of matter an object has

                        Common units for mass would be the gram (g) and the kilogram (Kg)

            Time:

                        The metric unit for time is the second (s)

            Temperature:

                        The metric unit for temperature is the degree Celcius ( C)

Metric Conversions:

            The process of converting from one unit to another.

            Prefixes:

                        Kilo (K) = 1000 units                             deci (d) = 1/10^th a unit

                        Hecto (h) = 100 units                          centi (c) = 1/100^th a unit

                        Deka (Dk) = 10 units                         milli (m) = 1/1000^th a unit

So in one meter, there is one thousand millimeters or one hundred centimeters or ten decimeters.

Or, one meter is only one thousandth of a kilometer or one hundredth of a hectometer, or one tenth of a dekameter.

A couple examples:

            3.2 meters = ? mm

                        1m = 1000mm  so, 3.2 meters would equal 3,200 mm

            3.2 meters = ? km?

                        1m = .001 km so, 3.2 meters would equal .0032 km

Do you get it?