Scientific and engineering practices
5.1(D)Choosing the Right Science Tool
Use tools, including calculators, microscopes, hand lenses, metric rulers, Celsius thermometers, prisms, concave and convex lenses, laser pointers, mirrors, digital scales, balances, spring scales, graduated cylinders, beakers, hot plates, meter sticks, magnets, collecting nets, notebooks, timing devices, materials for building circuits, materials to support observations of habitats or organisms such as terrariums and aquariums, and materials to support digital data collection such as computers, tablets, and cameras to observe, measure, test, and analyze information.
Part of The student asks questions, identifies problems, and plans and safely conducts classroom, laboratory, and field investigations to answer questions, explain phenomena, or design solutions using appropriate tools and models
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You will learn how to pick and use the right tool to observe, measure, and test things in science.
Scientists do not guess. They use tools to get clear answers. A tool is anything that helps you do a job better, like a hand lens that makes small things look bigger. Your eyes are good, but a hand lens is better for looking at the tiny legs on an ant. A microscope is even stronger, and it can show you parts of a leaf or a drop of pond water that your eyes cannot see at all.
Think about a class garden outside a Texas school. You want to know if your sunflower is growing well. You could just look at it, but measuring tells you more. You use a metric ruler or a meter stick to measure the stem in centimeters. You use a Celsius thermometer to check the air temperature. You use a digital scale or a balance to find the mass of a handful of soil. You write every number in your notebook so you can compare them later.
Different questions need different tools. If you want to know how much water the soil holds, you pour water into a graduated cylinder, which is a tall container marked with lines for measuring liquid volume. If you want to know how long a bee stays on a flower, you use a timing device like a stopwatch. If you want to remember exactly what a flower looked like, you take a picture with a tablet or camera.
Tools also help you test ideas. Magnets show which objects are attracted to them. Mirrors, prisms, and lenses bend or bounce light. Wires, batteries, and bulbs help you build a circuit. A terrarium or aquarium lets you watch living things safely over many days.
Try it: which tool would you choose to find the mass of a rock, a spring scale or a graduated cylinder?
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