The Way Science Works
The process scientists use to answer their scientific questions.
What is the scientific method?
This man had a curious mind and didn't believe everything he was told about science. Instead, he spent countless hours experimenting and discovering the laws that govern forces and motion.
Who is Isaac Newton?
This simple machine has a rigid bar or board that pivots on a fixed point.
What is a lever and fulcrum?
This is a push or a pull.
What is a force?
When a tool makes a job easier for a person that person is said to have gained this.
What is a mechanical advantage?
It is the final step in the scientific method and needs to be supported by evidence.
What is drawing a conclusion?
Its what the first law of motion states.
What is "an object in motion and an object at rest stay in motion or at rest unless an unbalanced outside forces acts on it"?
It's a simple machine consisting of a rope or chain wrapped around a grooved wheel.
What is a pulley?
Ice skates glide over ice but don't glide over a carpet because of this force.
What is friction?
When using a lever and a fulcrum, you can lift a very heavy object with minimal force, but this is the trade off.
What is, you have to move the lever much further than the load will lift?
Not all questions are equal, these types of questions can be put to the test in order for a scientist to discover the answer.
What is a scientific question?
It's what the second law states.
If you want to move a heavy object to a higher surface with less effort without using a pulley or a lever, you might use this simple machine.
What is an inclined plane?
A parachute works because of this force.
What is drag or air resistance?
This is a combination of simple machines and can lead to excellent mechanical advantages for people.
What is a compound machine?
This hands-on step of the process is at the heart of the scientific method and it relies on the scientist identifying variables that may effect what they observe.
What is performing experiments or experimenting?
It's what the third law states.
What is, "every action has an equal and opposite reaction"?
This simple machine is an inclined plane wrapped around a cylindrical post. It's often used to hold things together.
What is a screw?
This type of force comes emanating out of the north and south poles.
What is a magnetic force?
When combining multiple pulleys to gain a mechanical advantage, we call the pulley system this.
What is block and tackle?
While observing the results of our experiments is of critical importance, we also need to do this so we can analyze our data after the experiment is complete.
What is recording our observations or data?
A spinning top is a good example of this law in action.
What is the first law of motion?
This simple machine consists of a round object connected to a smaller rod.
What is a wheel and axle?
This force increases as the mass of an object increases.
What is gravity?
With a pulley system that gives you a 16:1 ratio, how much rope would you need to pull in order to lift the load 3 feet?
What is 48 feet?