The Scientific Method
How can we know something is true?
Outline
•	Ways of knowing.
•	Some assumptions about the world.
•	Observation
•	Hypothesis
•	Measurement
•	Analysis 
•	Prediction and Validation

Making sense of the world
•	Language
•	Numbers
•	Conceptual models
•	Faith
•	Philosophy
•	Science
•	What is the Language of the Universe?
The Western view of the world
•	The world is knowable.
•	The universe is governed by discernible laws.
•	Physical laws are universal
•	Physical laws are eternal
•	Physical laws are true.
•	We can find those laws by asking the right questions.

Scientific Observation
•	Pay attention to what is going on around you!
•	Develop tools for making ever more careful observations. 
•	Look for relationships.
•	Develop an hypothesis and identify the variables.

Numbers--the alphabet of science
•	Counting numbers: 1,2,3,…
•	Ratios           5:3 = 1.66666….
•	Big numbers
•	2,000 = 2 x 103 = 2 K (kilo)
•	2,000,000 = 2 x 106 = 2 M (mega)
•	Small numbers
•	0.002 = 2 x 10-3 =  2 milli-
•	0.000 000 2 = 2 x 10-6 = 2 micro-

Measurement: Turning observations into NUMBERS
•	Units – a standard value.
•	“It is cold outside.” OR “It is -15°F outside!”
•	“Shaq’s feet are big.”  OR “Shaq’s feet are size 23!”
•	“Mt Everest is tall.” OR “Mt Everest is 29,000 feet high.”
•	Numbers with UNITS give us a way of making absolute comparisons, but --- watch out for errors!

Unit Conversions
•	Length
•	L = 10 inches
•	L = 25.4 cm

•	1 inch = 2.54 cm
•	Time
•	T = 2 hour
•	1 hour = 3,600 sec.

•	T = 7,200 sec.

A sample experiment
•	“When I heat up a cup of water in the MW, it seems to take the same amount of time to boil each time.”
•	Hypothesis: A certain time in the MW will produce a certain rise in temperature.
•	Units of Temp. --- °C
•	Units of heat from MW – seconds of operation.

Data table
Graph
Analysis
•	The temperature rise is proportional to the time spent in the MW.
•	Test with other amounts of water or other MW ovens.
Insight into nature
•	The MW is adding something to the water in a fixed amount per time that is causing its temperature to rise in a fixed way.
•	I’ll call that something – Energy!