Sunshine Marie Boatright

Integrated Science Section V

August 19th, 2016
Understanding Science Part 1:

1. Science has been mistaken as a collection of facts over the years, because in grade
school that is how it was taught. We, the students were given a five-pound textbook on
nothing but facts. However, there is so much more to that. Not only is Science a subject
that we learn in textbooks, but it is also a process. This amazing process shows how our
world, and everything in it works, and then it is built together into a framework to explain
to others. So yes, while some aspect of Science is a collection of facts, it is also a
process so that scientist can provide these facts.

2. When a scientist says that they study the natural world what they mean is that they
studying subject such as ecosystems, atoms, people. They are studying subject that has
fact to back up their claims.
3.

There is a checklist to see how scientific an investigation is. The statements on the
checklist are as follows: Focuses on the Natural World; Aims to explain the natural
world; uses testable ideas; relies on evidence; involves the scientific community; leads to
ongoing research; benefits from scientific behavior. If something in the investigation ends
up not meeting these standards, then it is considered to be not real science.

4. Accepted scientific ideas are considered reliable because scientist has significant amount
of evidence to back their claim. The only way to change this is to prove that this idea will
not work.
5. When you hear that science is in a global community endeavor, it means that this
community helps each other by providing each other with expectations, cultural
normality, and accumulated knowledge to help finish an experiment.
6. When Henrietta Levitt made the unanticipated discovery of variable stars she proved
enough evidence to show that the stars length of time was between their brightest and
dimmest points happened to be related to their brightness. This discovery allowed
scientist to figure out the distance of the stars, and furthermore it opened a brand new
discovery of seeing how big our galaxy really is.
7. An atom fits on checklist as being focuses on the natural world, because an atom is a part
of the natural world. Rutherford was also able to aim it to explain in the natural world by
explaining when he used alpha particles and fired them into the gold foiled the particles
began to scatter. Rutherford then was able to create a model to show the particles moving
which became a testable idea. When the model was proven incorrect Rutherford
concluded that atoms are empty space. Most of the positive charge alpha particles passed

Sunshine Marie Boatright

Integrated Science Section V
August 19th, 2016
through the empty space of the gold atoms with little to no problem, however there was a
few that were repelled back. Rutherford concluded that they could have positive nuclei.
Then Rutherford had the help of Hans Geiger, as well as Ernest Marsden to do more
investigating. The atoms are continuing being research; we dont see Rutherford model of
atom in the textbooks much. The model we see a nebulous being orbited by electrons.
Niels Bohr created this model when he began his research on atoms. Last but not least,
the benefits from the scientific behavior showed by that the scientist thoroughly
understood their field. They tested their ideas, they threw evidence away that proved to
not work. They also communicated very well with each other, and gave credit to the other
scientist fairly.