Observe Like a Scientist
Tell what you SEE from what you GUESS.
What this lesson covers
Why it matters
Two students watch the same experiment. One says the liquid turned blue. The other says it will definitely explode. Only one of them is really observing.
Predict first
A scientist writes: The liquid turned blue and the test tube felt warm. What kind of statement is this?
An observation records facts gathered with our senses, like colour, warmth or bubbles. It is not a guess or an opinion, and anyone repeating the experiment can check it.
- A guess about what might happen next
- An observation, because it reports what was actually seen and felt — correct
- An opinion about which colour is nicest
- A conclusion that cannot be checked
What you do
Sort each statement into what a scientist can OBSERVE, or what is only a guess or opinion.
Check yourself
What is an OBSERVATION in science?
An observation is a fact you gather with your senses during an experiment, like seeing bubbles or feeling warmth. It can be checked by anyone who repeats the experiment.
Which of these is a CONCLUSION rather than an observation?
A conclusion is the meaning we work out from our observations. Saying a reaction took place is reasoning based on the blue colour and warmth we observed.
Why do scientists repeat an experiment under the SAME controlled conditions?
Keeping conditions the same each time means any change in the result is due to the experiment itself, not to chance. This makes the observations reliable and repeatable.
- Something you notice using your senses, such as a colour change or bubbles — correct
- A guess about what will happen tomorrow
- Your personal opinion about the experiment
- A rule you memorised from a book
- The blue colour and warmth show a chemical reaction took place — correct
- The liquid turned blue
- Bubbles were seen rising
- The tube felt warm
- So the results are fair and can be trusted and checked by others — correct
- To make the experiment take much longer
- So each try gives a completely different answer
- Because the rules say colours must be pretty