Burning Questions About a Candle: Continued

Take one observation that you recorded above and:

• Break it down into macroscopic versus molecular levels.
• See if you can coordinate what is happening between what you've physically observed (that is, the macroscopic level) and the molecular level.
• Most important, speculate on what is actually happening at each of these levels.
• Ask yourself, for both the macroscopic and molecular levels, why the behavior that you observed took place.
  • What was the molecular property involved?
  • What changes in that property occurred during the burning process? Go into as much detail as you can.

Now, pick another observation or two and carry out the same level of in-depth analysis. Try to relate the observations you made above to those that you make in this section.

You should find that as you practice this process of observation and recording your thoughts, you become better at asking questions about what is happening, and then writing down answers. This iteration is part of "doing science."

Repeat this process several times: this repetition is also part of doing science.

Now try to "watch" yourself observing and asking yourself questions:

• How can you do this better, with conscious awareness?
• Can you see possible ways of getting the answers while you are asking the questions?