1.19. Observation http://www.ck12.org
1.19 Observation
- Define observation.
- Identify the role of observation in scientific investigation.
A scientist observed this orange-colored scum on a pond in her neighborhood. She wondered what the scum is and
why it was there. She decided to do an investigation to find answers to her questions. Scientific investigations often
result when observations like this raise questions.
What Are Observations?
Anobservationis any information that is gathered with the senses. Our senses include vision, hearing, touch,
smell, and taste. We see with our eyes, hear with our ears, touch with our hands, smell with our nose, and taste
with our tongue. We can also extend our senses and our ability to make observations by using instruments such as
microscopes, telescopes, and thermometers.
Q:How do these instruments extend human senses and our ability to make observations?
A:Microscopes and telescopes extend the sense of vision. They allow us to observe objects that are too small
(microscopes) or too distant (telescopes) for the unaided eye to see. Thermometers extend the sense of touch.
Using our sense of touch, we can only feel how warm or cold something is relative to our own temperature or the
temperature of something else. Thermometers allow us to measure precisely how warm or cold something is.
Using Observations to Gather Evidence
Besides raising questions for investigation, observations play another role in scientific investigations. They help
scientists gather evidence. For example, to investigate whether a chemical change has occurred, a scientist might
observe whether certain telltale signs are present. In some chemical changes, for example, a substance turns from