🎯

Learning Goal

Part of: What is Physics?2 of 3 chapter items

The Scientific Methods

1.2

"Scientists often say, 'Science is the process of making and testing models of the world.' We begin by observing the world to identify patterns in natural events. We then work to produce testable hypotheses or models to explain these patterns. We test these models by gathering further data, and use our data to revise our models, creating an iterative process." "In science, a law is a general term for a mathematical description of some aspect of nature. It is consistent with all experiments that have been performed to date, and has a range of applicability. A theory is a testable explanation for patterns in nature."

Show more

"Scientists often say, 'Science is the process of making and testing models of the world.' We begin by observing the world to identify patterns in natural events. We then work to produce testable hypotheses or models to explain these patterns. We test these models by gathering further data, and use our data to revise our models, creating an iterative process."
"In science, a law is a general term for a mathematical description of some aspect of nature. It is consistent with all experiments that have been performed to date, and has a range of applicability. A theory is a testable explanation for patterns in nature."

What you'll learn

  1. Describe the iterative steps of scientific inquiry and explain why it is a cycle rather than a linear sequence
  2. Distinguish between a hypothesis, a theory, and a scientific law
  3. Explain what makes an experiment controlled and why controls are essential
  4. Identify the role of peer review and reproducibility in validating scientific knowledge
  5. Recognize the difference between scientific and non-scientific claims

Slides

Interactive presentations perfect for visual learners • In development

Slides

In development

Not yet available • Check back soon!

Task-sets

Learning resource • 1 task-sets