Vocabulary+to+help+understand+the+scientific+method

This short list of vocabulary will make it easier for you to understand how the scientific method works and understand the differences between "what we think"; "what we think we know" and "what we know"! It is important to understand that all sorts of people who are not scientists use the scientific method... media type="custom" key="23510178" In fact, you yourself probably spent a large part of your summer using the scientific method without knowing it.... media type="custom" key="23510186"

Hypothesis, Theory or Fact? Sometimes this is confusing; maybe this will help! media type="custom" key="23512558" Hypothesis- A hypothesis occurs when a person creates a possible answer to a question that they have observed. It based on background research and is not a speculative wild guess. Theory- A theory is a hypothesis that has been proven correct repeatedly but has never been disproven. It answers a question about why nature behaves the way that it does. Law A scientific law is the result of observable conditions in nature. It describes the way "things" behave under certain conditions. Here is a great video about how natural laws are "discovered". The man speaking is Richard Feynman, a physicist who was involved with the Manahatten Project. Fact- A fact is derived from the observation of an event. It is an explanation of how some "thing" occurred at a particular point in time and in a particular place. Experiment-An experiment is the way that a hypothesis is tested. After repeated experiments, a hypothesis can be become a theory.

Here is a chance for you to try out the scientific method. This is an on-line version of a great board game that I had a LONG time ago. [|Mastermind] is a game where you have to determine which colored pegs are in which position. You can look at the steps of the scientific method before you play, or you can just play and realize that using the method will lead to the fastest finish!