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The skills of scientific inquiry and problem solving are at least as important as physics facts and knowledge. The scientific method is the process of posing questions about how things work, proposing hypotheses to explain physical phenomena, and continually testing and refining hypotheses by comparison with observational scientific evidence. Scientific evidence must be objective, which means it must describe only what actually occurs. Popular or historical opinions and interpretations do not qualify as evidence. Scientific evidence must also be repeatable, which means others must be able to make the same observations and get the same results. Experiments are controlled situations specifically set up to collect scientific evidence. 
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hypothesis, theory, objectivity, reproducibility, experiment, scientific method
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Review problems and questions |
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- Which of the following three questions cannot be answered by science?
- What is the age of planet Earth?
- What is the maximum speed of a cheetah?
- Are humans entitled to use all the natural resources of Earth?
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Answer (c) cannot be answered by science, because “entitled” refers to a personal opinion. 
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- Identify whether each of the following is scientific evidence. Give reasons for your choices.
- The speedometer on a car reads 57 miles per hour.
- A photograph shows the planet Venus at a specific position in the evening sky.
- A newspaper headline announces the discovery of a previously unknown fundamental particle.
- You notice that the temperature outside is 27ºC.
- A teacher tells you that the atomic mass of carbon is 12.0 grams per mole.
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- This is scientific evidence, because it is a measurement of the speed of a car using an instrument (the speedometer).
- This is scientific evidence, because it shows the position of a planet on the sky (relative to other landmarks or stars). It might be improved if the date, time, and location of the photograph were also known.
- This is not scientific evidence, because it is reporting on somebody else's conclusion. Newspapers have been known to publish stories about space alien abductions and the like, too!
- This is scientific evidence, because it is a measurement of the temperature at a particular location (presumably) using an instrument (a thermometer).
- This is not scientific evidence, because it is somebody else telling you a fact (or what that person might believe to be a fact!).
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- Suppose you want to invent a better device for catching a mouse. List five different qualities or capabilities your invention must have. For each one, list one possible solution for how your device might achieve that quality or capability.
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Answers may vary. Some possible ideas: - More sensitivity to pressure, so that it can catch smaller mice. This might require a lighter weight trip.
- Less likely to snap closed when a person is setting the trap. May require an improved design for the setting mechanism.
- Automated setting mechanism so it can be set more quickly. Would require additional levers and catches.
- Improved bait that is more likely to attract mice. May require peanut butter!
- More likely to kill the mouse when tripped. Will require a stronger spring.
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- Is a scientific theory or hypothesis a more reliable explanation of how the physical world works?
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A scientific theory is a much more reliable description of how the physical world works, as it has been tested many times and been found to be true, whereas a hypothesis may not have been tested at all.
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- Describe the control that could be used in each of the experiments described below.
- A drug company tests the effectiveness of a new pill for treating headaches.
- NASA tests various seeds to determine which types of grain germinate best in a weightless environment.
- Acousticians test the effectiveness of sound barriers of varying heights and materials in blocking highway noise.
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- As a typical control, one group of headache sufferers would be given a placebo (a sugar pill with no active ingredients).
- Each type of seed would be grown under conditions identical to those of the weightless environment (light, moisture, air, and soil), but with normal Earth gravity.
- The control would test the same noise source under identical conditions (distance, temperature, etc.), but with no barrier present.
- Write one paragraph (of three to five sentences) that defines science. Your paragraph should include the concept of theories, hypotheses, and observational evidence.
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Science is the process of formulating hypotheses based upon natural phenomena and processes, testing these hypotheses using the scientific method, analyzing the results of experimental and observational testing, and then combining the correct hypotheses into well-tested theories that describe the natural world. Science is limited to the physical, testable, and observable world, and it can only explain phenomena using natural explanations.
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