10 Questions
What is the less familiar way in which a scientist can work out what is real when our five senses cannot detect it directly?
Through the use of a 'model' of what might be going on, which can be tested.
How do scientists predict what they ought to see or hear if the model were true?
They work out what they ought to see, hear, etc. by doing mathematical calculations or using measuring instruments.
What happens if the predictions based on the model are correct?
It increases their confidence that the model represents reality.
What do scientists do if their predictions based on the model are wrong?
They either reject the model or modify it and try again.
What is an example of how scientists have used models to understand something that cannot be directly seen?
Understanding genes made of DNA, where almost everything known about DNA comes from dreaming up models and testing them.
Who conducted experiments with peas in the nineteenth century?
Gregor Mendel
What did Mendel use to count different types of peas?
His eyes
What did Mendel predict would be the ratio of smooth peas to wrinkly peas in a breeding experiment?
Three times as many smooth peas as wrinkly ones
What did Watson and Crick do to discover the structure of DNA?
Imagined models and built metal and cardboard models
How did Watson and Crick confirm the structure of DNA proposed in their double helix model?
Measurements made by Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins
Test your knowledge on scientific modeling and testing methods used by scientists to understand phenomena that are not directly detectable by our senses. Explore how models are created, tested, and validated through mathematical calculations and measurements.
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