Flashcards on The Scientific Method and Scientific Models
The Scientific Method and Scientific Models: A Student Guide
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Scientific Method
12 cards
Card 1
Question: What is the first step scientists take when using the scientific method?
Answer: Observe something they don't understand and try to explain it.
Card 2
Question: What is a hypothesis?
Answer: A possible explanation for an observation.
Card 3
Question: After forming a hypothesis, what do scientists do next?
Answer: Make a prediction based on the hypothesis and test it by gathering evidence from investigations and experiments.
Card 4
Question: How does evidence from experiments affect a hypothesis?
Answer: If evidence backs up predictions, the hypothesis is supported; if experiments produce contradictory results that are reproducible, the hypothesis may
Card 5
Question: What is peer review and why is it used?
Answer: Peer review is when other scientists check results and explanations before publication to ensure experiments and reasoning are sensible; it helps dete
Card 6
Question: Why do multiple scientists test the same hypothesis?
Answer: So they can base their own predictions on it, carry out independent experiments, and try to reproduce original results to confirm or refute the hypoth
Card 7
Question: What happens if all evidence from many experiments supports a hypothesis?
Answer: The hypothesis becomes accepted and is often referred to as a theory, having survived repeated testing.
Card 8
Question: Can an accepted theory ever become indisputable fact?
Answer: No. Theories remain open to revision: new evidence that can't be explained may restart hypothesising and testing.
Card 9
Question: What is a representational model and give an example from atomic theory?
Answer: A simplified description or picture used to explain observations and make predictions; e.g., the Bohr model of an atom showing electron arrangement.
Card 10
Question: What are computational models used for?
Answer: They use computers to simulate complex real-life processes with many variables and can be changed easily to incorporate new data (e.g., climate change