Unit 1 – Scientific Method
Essential Questions – Sections 1.7 and 1.8
Brandon Goldstein – Biology Honors – Period 3-5
1. Why is it difficult to draw a conclusion from an experiment that does not have a control group?
It is difficult to draw a conclusion from an experiment that does not have a control group, because it leaves more possibilities about what could have actually occurred during the experiment.
This means that you may think you are right, but because you did not have a control group to eliminate extra possibilities there is actually a different solution to your problem and your solution is false. This is proven when the book states that without the control group of the artificial brown snakes then “the researchers would not have been able to rule out the number of predators in the different test areas as the cause of the different number of attacks on artificial snakes.” Therefor it is better to have a control group than not having a control group when conducting an experiment.
2. In general, what are the main steps of the scientific method used in hypothesis-based science? …show more content…
In the book there is a diagram of a woman whose flashlight is not working and using both the scientific method and hypothesis-based science she manages to solve her problem. The first thing she does is make an observation and a question, which is followed by her hypothesis. She then tests her hypothesis and discovers the solution to her problem. By looking at this example I am able to determine that making an observation, asking a question, making a hypothesis, and doing an experiment to see if your hypothesis is true or false are all steps in both the scientific method and hypothesis-based
Essential Questions – Sections 1.7 and 1.8
Brandon Goldstein – Biology Honors – Period 3-5
1. Why is it difficult to draw a conclusion from an experiment that does not have a control group?
It is difficult to draw a conclusion from an experiment that does not have a control group, because it leaves more possibilities about what could have actually occurred during the experiment.
This means that you may think you are right, but because you did not have a control group to eliminate extra possibilities there is actually a different solution to your problem and your solution is false. This is proven when the book states that without the control group of the artificial brown snakes then “the researchers would not have been able to rule out the number of predators in the different test areas as the cause of the different number of attacks on artificial snakes.” Therefor it is better to have a control group than not having a control group when conducting an experiment.
2. In general, what are the main steps of the scientific method used in hypothesis-based science? …show more content…
In the book there is a diagram of a woman whose flashlight is not working and using both the scientific method and hypothesis-based science she manages to solve her problem. The first thing she does is make an observation and a question, which is followed by her hypothesis. She then tests her hypothesis and discovers the solution to her problem. By looking at this example I am able to determine that making an observation, asking a question, making a hypothesis, and doing an experiment to see if your hypothesis is true or false are all steps in both the scientific method and hypothesis-based