Class notes
Biol 1103 Chapter 1 Notes
- Course
- BIOL 1013
- Institution
- Baton Rouge Community College
This is a comprehensive and detailed note on Chapter 1; process of science.
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Autumn HastingsFebruary 7. 2023
Biol-1013-M02
Chapter 1: Process of Science
Driving Question 1:
How is the scientific method used to test hypotheses?
Science is a process, a way of seeking answers to questions using observations and
experiments. Hypotheses are tested in controlled experiments or in observational studies,
whose results can either support or rule out a hypothesis. Hypothesis are supported by data
but cannot be proven absolutely, as future studies may provide new findings.
1. List, in order, the steps of the scientific method. Which, if any of these steps should be
repeated in order to increase the strength of the conclusion(s) that are made?
Make Observations, Form Hypothesis, Experiment, Analyze Data, Form Conclusion
The hypothesis and experiment step can be repeated within the scientific method to increase the
strength.
2. How are conclusions generated by rigorous scientific study similar to or different from those
generated anecdotally?
Anecdotal generated conclusions are often unreliable because they haven’t been systematically
tested unlike scientific studies which are reliable.
Review Questions
1. True or False: A question and a hypothesis are the same thing.
True
2. In a scientific experiment, which group would typically receive a placebo treatment?
A. experimental group
B. control group
C. everyone involved in the study
3. Once a scientific hypothesis has been tested and supported by one scientist in one study:
A. no more studies need be conducted; the hypothesis is now considered a fact.
B. it has no value at all until it has been tested by at least three other scientists in
independent investigations.
C. no more studies need be conducted; as long as the study is published in a peer-
reviewed journal, the scientific community will accept the hypothesis with great
confidence.
D. the same study must be repeated by the same scientist at least three times so that
his/her results can be published.
, E. the same hypothesis must be tested in different ways by different researchers, both to
refine it and to increase our confidence that it is the best explanation for the
observations in question.
Driving Question 2:
What factors influence the strength of the conclusions of
scientific studies and their relevance to humans?
Scientists rely on peer-reviewed scientific reports to learn about new advances in the
field. Peer-review helps ensure that the scientific results are valid as well as accurately
and fairly presented. Every experiment should have a control group- a group that is
identical in every way to the environmental group except for the independent variable.
The independent variable in an experiment is the one being deliberately changed in the
experimental group. The dependent variable is the measured result of an experiment.
Often the controlled group takes a placebo. The strength of the conclusions of a
scientific study depends on, among other factors, that type of study carried out and the
sample size.
1. Describe the experimental design of the cell phone radiation exposure study by answering
the following questions.
What was the independent variable?
The radiation is the independent variable within the scientific experiment.
What was the dependent variable?
The occurrence of cancer is the dependent variable within the scientific experiment.
How was the dependent variable measured? Was it measured differently in the control
and experimental groups?
The dependent variable is measured by the result of the independent variable. The difference
between the control and experimental groups is the experimental group receives radiation
while the control group receives a placebo.
Describe the significance of using good experimental design by answering the following
questions.
Could the same conclusions about the relationship between cancer and cell phone use
have been drawn if the experimental and control group differed in a trait such as age, sex,
ethnicity, or health status?
The conclusion drawn between cancer and cell phone use can draw different conclusions
if the experimental group and control group is different. The experiment is designed to
carefully decide which traits will have effects on the experiment.
Could the same conclusions have been drawn if the dependent variable was measured
differently in the control and experimental groups? Explain.
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