Marikina Science High School

Mayor Juan Chanyungco St., Sta. Elena, Marikina City

Material Exploration: Qualitative and Quantitative Observation

Background:

In science investigation, observing is the fundamental science process skill. We observe objects and
events using all our five senses, and this is how we learn about the world around us. The ability to make good
observations is also essential to the development of the other science process skills: communicating,
classifying, measuring, inferring, and predicting. We use two main types of observations: qualitative and
quantitative. Qualitative observations involve describing qualities and characteristics using our senses, while
quantitative observations involve precise measurements and numbers to describe quantities. Both types of
observations help scientists gather information, make comparisons, and draw conclusions about the natural
world.

Learning targets:

1. To gather data through qualitative and quantitative observations

2. Differentiate qualitative and quantitative observations

What You Need:

Paper
Pen/ Pentel Pen
Manila Paper

What to Do:

1. Observe the object assigned to you for 2 minutes.

2. Write your observations about the object.
3. Share your observations with your group mates.
4. If applicable, measure the object assigned to you. Record the measurements in centimeters,
meters, milliliter.
5. Classify your observation according to qualitative and quantitative and complete the table
provided below.
6. Write your answers on a manila paper.

Table 1: Qualitative and Quantitative Observation

Object Qualitative Observation Quantitative Observation
Questions:

1. How did you classify qualitative and quantitative observation?

__________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________.

2. Were there any challenges you encountered during the observation process? How did you overcome
them?

__________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________.

3. In what real- life situations or scientific investigations might these types of observations be useful?

__________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________.

Prepared by:

MARK ANTHONY F. CASIMIRO