What is Science? A process for determining whether the things we think are true about the world are supported by evidence The testing of ideas A generalized scientific method: 1. Make an observation 2. Develop a hypothesis 3. Collect data 4. Analyze results 5. Do it again… The Scientific Method Hypothesis- An initial prediction of what might explain the observation Must be testable and falsifiable Do an experiment, make measurements, more observations, etc. (Experiments are just one tool in science… Not always needed or possible) The Scientific Method Even if hypothesis is supported, keep testing it Scientists want to falsify hypotheses… especially other scientists’ hypotheses Science done poorly (mistakes, biases, bribery, etc.) will be fixed over time 1 The Scientific Method As a hypothesis continues to be supported, it becomes stronger and is more likely to be correct It eventually becomes accepted as a valid explanation... But new discoveries can always overturn old ideas Scientific Theory Theory is a “well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world that can incorporate facts, laws, inferences, and tested hypotheses” (National Academy of Sciences) Theory is the highest form of certainty in science Can Theory be wrong? Absolutely! When is Theory finally proven? Never… Science doesn’t prove things Science is the testing of ideas A hypothesis is supported or rejected, but is never proven SUPPORT! “PROOF” 2 Three Ways to Make a Rock Igneous Rocks Come from Volcanoes! (ex: basalt) Metamorphic Rocks Transformed from another rock by heat + pressure (ex: gneiss) Sedimentary Rocks Bits of older rocks stuck together (sediment) Basalt Vesicles (Air Pockets) Lava is full of gases (water vapor, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, etc.) (David Monniaux, Wikimedia Commons) Metamorphic Rocks Recrystallized from pre-existing rocks that have experienced heat and pressure (ie: deep underground) Gneiss- A common “banded” rock (gsw.edu) Banded Gneiss (Siim Sepp, Wikimedia Commons) 1 Cementing of Grains Rocks formed from loose sediment (small pieces of pre-existing rocks) Sediment is compacted and cemented Mineralized water fills space between particles Minerals grow and bond particles together (Petsche, 2015) Sedimentary Rocks Rocks Named by Sediment Size Verrrrry small (
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