CHAPTER 1 INSIDE THE SCIENTIST'S MIND How do things work in our universe Why do they happen People have always asked questions like these especially scientists Science is the search for knowledge about the universe and all that is in it Scientists look for natural explanations for things For any problem they see they try to understand understand the cause so they can come up with a solution solution By learning what causes a disease for example scientists can work to control its spread that science has solved problems What are some ways 4 THINK ABOUT IT
Scientific method ask question collect information make observations form a hypothesis record and analyze data draw conclusions conduct experiment develop new hypothesis try again experiment supports hypothesis experiment does not support hypothesis communicate results 2013 Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc To solve problems scientists use something something called the scientific method They start by asking ques This diagram shows how scientists tions and finding out work through the scientific method as much as possible about a topic or 5 VOCABULARY a problem Then they make a hypothesis A hypothesis is an attempt An experiment is the steps carried out to to explain a problem test a hypothesis They test the hypothesis with an experiment
Scientists in many fields rely on the scientific method in their experiments experiments This scientist works in a plant science lab If the experiment does not support the hypothesis the scientists scientists think about the problem again and develop a new hypothesis They then test that hypothesis with a new experiment If the experiment supports the hypothesis other scientists repeat the experiment experiment to make sure they get the same results If they do get the same results the hypothesis will be accepted as true until it can be proven false Scientists use the information they learn from testing many hypotheses to develop scientific 6
Students learn the scientific method by creating and performing performing actual experiments like those that scien tists do theories A theory is a much broader explanation than a hypothesis Scientists Scientists consider theories to be the best explanations for why certain things happen in the natural world A theory may be changed if scientists discover new information about a topic Anyone can be a scientist All you need is a curious mind the willingness to ask a question and look for an answer and some training Using the scientific method is a way to satisfy your curiosity curiosity about the world around you 7
