The Combined Science: Synergy course contains eight topics, split into Life Science and Physical Sciences. But there's also a ninth topic. Unlike the others, it's not focused on learning content and mastering concepts. Instead, it's about how science works. It's incorporated within all the other topics, so you'll have mastered what it means to work scientifically by the end of your course. Working Scientifically is about the process and application of science. Knowing how to work scientifically is a valuable, transferable skill.
Working Scientifically: Meaning
Working scientifically comprises all the activities that scientists do.
Working scientifically isn't about content and remembering facts. Instead, it's built into every other topic. It is about the application and process of science. The activities that follow this process and the skills which you will gain are as follows:
For more information on the scientific method, check out our article on hypotheses and predictions.
Importance of Working Scientifically
Incorporating scientific applications and processes into your studies can help you better understand science. Public knowledge of science is essential. It helps people make informed decisions about their health, purchases and habits. Furthermore, a deeper understanding will help you appreciate new scientific innovations and be aware of their limitations. Science doesn't come with guidelines, so any moral or ethical concerns must be considered before an experiment. Knowing how to work scientifically has benefits in the exam hall and outside of education.
Academic Benefits
Working scientifically is tightly woven into the Synergy course. Your exam papers will contain questions about the scientific process and experiments. Additionally, you'll need to interpret, analyse and present data. So, understanding the scientific method will help you get those extra marks during your exams!
Career Benefits
The skills you pick up when studying science are transferable - they can be applied to various types of careers. Problem-solving, presentation and teamwork are essential skills in the workplace.
Common Errors When Working Scientifically
A few terms related to working scientifically often present a challenge for students.
Determining Reproducibility and Repeatability
These terms are similar but have an important distinction.
An experiment is reproducible if it is repeated by another person (or differing equipment or techniques) and the same results are obtained.
An experiment is repeatable if the original scientist repeats their investigation using the same equipment and techniques and obtains the same results.
To summarise, your experiment is repeatable if you carry it out again, but it's reproducible if someone else carries it out.
Mixing up reproducibility and repeatability could affect the experiment's precision. If the results of an investigation are not precise, the hypothesis may be rejected incorrectly.
Variables in Science
A variable is any factor that can affect an experiment. There are three types of variables in science.
The independent variable is the factor that you change.
The dependent variable is the factor that you measure.
The control variables are the factors that you keep the same.
Every experiment has an independent variable, a dependent variable, and multiple control variables.
You are investigating how salt concentration affects osmosis. Identical chunks of potato are placed in salt water of various concentrations. After a fixed time, they are weighed to assess the effects of osmosis.
- The independent variable = salt concentration
- The dependent variable = mass of potato
- The control variables = initial mass and shape of potato chunk, volume of water, time period
If you can't tell your variables apart, you might measure the wrong factor!
It's essential to keep your control variables the same. Otherwise, they may impact your results. Furthermore, it's important to know your variables when plotting a graph.
When plotting a suitable graph, the independent variable always goes on the x-axis.
Temperature is an important control variable that is often forgotten, unsplash.com
Examples of Different Types of Scientific Enquiry
What is a scientific enquiry? Well, the term refers to the methods that scientists use to find answers to their questions. There are five different types of scientific enquiry.
| Scientific Enquiry | Definition | Example Question | Example Method |
| Observation Over Time | A material or organism is observed over a fixed period, and any changes are monitored. | How do shadows change during the day? | Measure the dimensions of a shadow every hour to see how they change over the course of a day. |
| Pattern Seeking | Scientists gather lots of data and then analyse it to find patterns. | Do taller people have longer noses? | Measure the heights and nose lengths of a large group of people. |
| Identifying, Grouping and Classifying | Materials or organisms are categorised and then analysed within these groups. | Does an animal's food preference affect its teeth? | Categorise animals into groups (herbivore, omnivore and carnivore) and study the teeth of these three groups. |
| Research | Sometimes your scientific question has already been answered. Information is available in books, journal articles and online. | Why is the sky blue? | Head to your local library or log onto the internet. |
| Comparative Testing | Scientists perform an experiment. A variable is changed to see how it affects another variable. | Do plants grow taller when they are kept in the dark? | - Grow two plants.
- Keep one in the light, and one in the dark.
- Measure their height every week.
|
Working Scientifically - Key takeaways
Working scientifically comprises all the activities that scientists do. Understanding how to work scientifically will improve exam performance and provide transferable skills.
Students often mix up reproducibility and repeatability. Make sure that you know the difference.
There are three types of variables in science: independent variables (which are changed), dependent variables (which are measured) and control variables (which are kept the same).
A scientific enquiry refers to how a scientist answers a question. There are five types of scientific enquiry: observation over time, pattern-seeking, identifying/grouping/classifying, research and testing.
In Combined Science: Synergy, Working Scientifically is split into four sections. Each will provide you with the skills and knowledge to ace your exams!
1. Anne Marie Helmenstine, What Is a Variable in Science?, ThoughtCo, 2020
2. AQA, GCSE Biology: Required practical activities, 2015
3. AQA, GCSE Combined Science: Synergy Specification, 2019
4. AQA, Subject Specific Vocabulary, 2022
5. Diedre Ribbens, 10 real-world skills scientists bring to the workplace, ASBMB Today, 2017
6. St John Fisher Primary, Types of Scientific Enquiry, 2020
7. Steven J. Breckler, Public understanding of science, American Psychological Assocation, 2008
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