Observations

Before you conduct an experiment, you always make observations. An observation is using your senses to understand things. Humans have fives sense that are used for observing:

1. 1.      Sight
2. 2.      Sound
3. 3.      Taste
4. 4.      Smell
5. 5.      Touch

Observations are always facts, not opinions. For example, the ball is red and weighs 50 grams is a fact. The ball is not good for kickball is an opinion and not an observation.

 

There are two different types of observations; quantitative and qualitative.

 

Quantitative Observations are observations that are made using numbers, amounts, or measurements.

            For example; the ball weighs 50 grams, the magnet picked up 12 paper clips.

 

Qualitative Observations are observations that describe

            For example, the ball is red, the magnet is a round ceramic magnet

 

During a science experiment, you will create inferences based on observations. An inference is a logical explanation for events and observations.

            For example, if you test 3 magnets, and the heaviest magnet picks up the most paper clips, you might make an inference that the heavier the magnet, the stronger it is. This is an inference because it is a logical explanation, and is not always a fact. You see, there could be a heavy magnet that is not that strong that you didn’t test. If you have ever seen a rare Earth magnet, you would know that they are very small, but are more powerful than very heavy magnets.