Chapter 1, Problem 15A

Summary Introduction

To differentiate:

Between the given terms

Introduction:

Biologists follow the same basic steps to do research and answer queries. These are called scientific methods. They conduct experiments, collect data, make hypothesis and gather evidences. There are no fixed steps to follow yet scientific investigations involve making observations and collecting information.

Answer to Problem 15A

Observation- This is the first step towards any scientific discovery which occurs when a scientist notices something new which no one else has seen before.

Data- To answer the questions related to the scientific problems, scientists seek information from their investigations. The information obtained from investigations is called data.

Explanation of Solution

Observation- First a scientist observes something new which catches his/ her attention. This is called observation. Scientists look for minute details if they see something interesting. For example after the discovery of cell by Robert Hooke, many scientists observed cells in a variety of organisms.

Data- Scientists gather information from various experiments. This information is called data. They are also referred to as experimental results. Data can be in numerical form like height of a plant or distance travelled by a bird per day, etc. Numerical data may be measured in time, length, mass, area, volume or other factors. It may also be counts, like number of bees visiting a flower per day. Data can also be expressed in verbal form, using words to describe observations made during an investigation.