Skill . Recognize the assumptions, processes, purposes, requirements,and tools of scientific inquiry

Skill 1.1 Recognize the assumptions, processes, purposes, requirements, and tools of scientific inquiry. 

It is important to recognize that scientific practice is not always this systematic. Discoveries have been made that are serendipitous and others have not started with the observation of data. Einstein s theory of relativity started not with the observation of data but with a kind of intellectual puzzle. 

The Scientific method is just a logical set of steps that a scientist goes through to solve a problem. There are as many different scientific methods as there are scientists experimenting. However, there seems to be some pattern to their 

While an inquiry may start at any point in this method and may not involve all of the steps here is the pattern. 

Scientific questions result from observations of events in nature or events observed in the laboratory. An observation is not just a look at what happens. It also includes measurements and careful records of the event. Records could include photos, drawings, or written descriptions. The observations and data collection lead to a question. In chemistry, observations almost always deal with the behavior of matter. Having arrived at a question, a scientist usually researches the scientific literature to see what is known about the question. Maybe the question has already been answered. The scientist then may want to test the answer found in the literature. Or, maybe the research will lead to a new question. 

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