The Nature of Science

▪ A notes page is being handed out to you by our TA

▪ As we discuss the notes, please fill in the blanks

▪ Once completed, paste your notes into the next blank page of your science notebook

The Nature of Science

▪Science is the study of the natural world.

▪ There are different fields of science:–Biology or life science

–Geology or Earth science

–Physics or physical science

The Nature of Science

▪ Scientific knowledge is and probably always will be changing.

▪ Empirical evidence is all the measurements and data scientists gather in support of a scientific explanation.

▪ Evidence can be collected through experiments, fieldwork, and surveys.

Scientific Theory

▪ Scientific theory (HOW IT HAPPENS) – an explanation supported by a large amount of evidence, best explanation based on what we know, helps us understand scientific law

Scientific Law

▪ Scientific law (DESCRIBES WHAT HAPPENS) – a description of a specific relationship under given conditions in the natural world

Science and Society

▪ How does science impact society?–Improves quality of life (electricity,

refrigerators, medical equipment, computers, electronic communication)

–Meets the needs of society (medicines, transportation)

Models

▪ A model is a representation of an object or system.

▪ Models are used to study things that are very small, large, or too complex to study.