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Investigating Science

• Observing is an important skill in science.
• A safety triangle warns of a possible danger.
• A burning candle has parts which are a solid, a liquid or a gas.
• A Bunsen burner has three types of flame, air hole closed, (yellow flame), a half-open hole, for heating liquids and fully open hole for a very hot flame.
• When reading a scale always measure carefully to the nearest mark.
• A measuring cylinder measures volume in cm³.
• A thermometer measures temperature in ^oC.
• The mass of an object is measured in grams (g) or kilograms (kg).
• Timing the swing of a pendulum is more accurate if you time 10 swings then divide the total time by 10.
• interpreting means making sense of data.
• Things that can be seen are called observations. Things that have to be 'worked out' are called conclusions.
• Hypotheses are ideas about things always happen. They can be used to make predictions.
• Variables are things that change.
• To make a fair test you must control some of the factors so they do change.
• In a investigation you use the skills of: predicting, planning, observing, measuring, interpreting, drawing conclusions, communicating and evaluating.

You need to understand some of the skills that are important for a scientist to possess. Observation, recording and predicting (guessing with some prior knowledge). You will learn the safety rules for a laboratory and how to name and use some equipment (bunsen burners, top-pan balances and measuring cylinders to name a few!)

Another important element to this section is how to present your results. You will learn all about tables, graphs and charts and what information to present in which way. This is important for the rest of your time at school. These skills are needed by you at least until Year 11 and are good skills for life.

Some Laboratory Equipment

thermometer	bunsen burner	gauze	evaporating dish
test tube holder	filter funnel	beaker	measuring cylinder

What you should be able to do.......

• Remember to wear safety glasses
• Write a report about what you did and what you saw.
• Recognize unsafe things in the laboratory and say why they are unsafe.
• Observe a candle flame carefully.
• Light a Bunsen burner safely and adjust the flame correctly.
• Read a scale accurately.
• Use a measuring cylinder accurately.
• Use a thermometer accurately.
• Use a top pan balance correctly.
• Draw a bar-chart.
• Interpret a line-graph.
• Plot a line-graph.
• Plan an investigation to see if all metals are attracted by a magnet.
• Write a report or draw a poster to show what you did and what you found out.
• Plan an investigation to see how high a ball bounces on different surfaces.
• Plan an investigation to see how pulse rate depends on the amount of exercise.