Oct
06
2009
I just have a quick question kind of like the one I asked in class today. I’ll use our feat practice response as an example, the one about moths population and how it’s affected acorn production.
Would I have been able to just OBSERVE the moth production once during the acorn autumnal season where there are a lot of acorns and then observe it again during the acorn season?
Im not specifically changing something my self, and I’m not sure if the two obaerations could be considered a controlled experiment.
Thanks!
Sep
10
2009
SCIENTIFIC METHOD
BASIC METHOD
- Start with question or problem
- Deal with background information before every lab
- Make a testable prediction (Hypothesis)
- Create a sound experiment with precision (The ability of a measurement to be consistently reproduced.) and accuracy (The ability of a measurement to match the actual value of the quantity being measured.)
Our labs mirror the scientific method but aren’t always reliable because…
- We often don’t reproduce the lab (we only have 45 minute periods)
- We don’t have a lot of peer review unless we do whiteboarding
So- WHAT can we know?
1. We know things we can disprove–science is proving relationships… hard to prove absolute truth (global warming? evolution?)
2. If relationships are casual or correlative
3. Theory–well tested hypothesis
4. Law–accurate description (close to fact)
HOW can we know?
Good Experimental Design
Controlled Exp.
Manipulative
CAUSITIVE
Observational Exp.
Pick two situations and compare
CORRELATIVE
