Scientific Law, Hypothesis, and Theory

Scientific Law, Hypothesis, and Theory

Subject: Physics    / General Physics
Question

Scientific Law, Hypothesis, and Theory
What is a scientific investigation and what are the steps generally used to evaluate the results? Compare and contrast a scientific law, a hypothesis, and a theory, providing two examples of each. What types of models are used in scientific research?

Designing an Experiment (graded)
What do researchers mean when they say that they have designed a controlled experiment? What is an experimental variable? How do scientists test the data to make sure that what they are seeing isn’t just a random collection of measurements? Can you find an example of a controlled experiment using the Internet or a research journal? Perhaps you would like to describe how you might design an experiment to study something that you find interesting.

Motion and Energy
Compare and contrast Newton’s first and second laws of motion. Suppose that you are driving your car down the road and you have to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting your neighbor’s dog. How would Newton’s Laws of Motion play on the motion of the car and the movement of your body while you are accelerating out of the driveway, driving down the road, and coming to a stop?

Kinetic and Potential Energy
Compare and contrast kinetic and potential energy. Does a person standing motionless in the aisle of a moving bus have kinetic energy? Explain.