The Scientific Method

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The Scientific Method

• Making sure science is done right! ?

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What is the scientific method?

• A process that is used to find answers to
  questions about the universe around us.

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Is there only one scientific method?

• No, there are several ways of stating the steps
  of the scientific method.
• Some versions have more steps, while others only
  have a few.
• However, they all begin with the identification
  of a problem or a question to be answered based
  on observations of the world around us and
  provide an organized method for conducting and
  analyzing experiments

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What is a hypothesis?

• A hypothesis is an educated guess based on
  observations and your own knowledge of the topic.

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What is data?

• It is information gathered during an experiment.

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Steps of the Scientific Method
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• Identify The Problem
• What do you want to know or explain?
• Use observations you have made to write a
  question that addresses the problem or topic you
  want to investigate.

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• Form A Hypothesis
• What do you think will happen?
• Predict the answer to your question or the
  outcome of the experiment.

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How to Write a Hypothesis

• A hypothesis is an educated guess based on
  observations and your knowledge of a topic.
• Most of the time a hypothesis is written like
  this
• If I do this, then this will happen.
• Your hypothesis should be something that you can
  actually test, what we call a testable
  hypothesis. In other words, you need to be able
  to measure both what you do and what will
  happen.

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• Create An Experiment
• How will you test your hypothesis?
• Develop a procedure for a reliable experiment and
  address safety rules.

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What Are Variables?

• The independent, or manipulated variable, is a
  factor thats intentionally varied by the
  experimenter.
• The dependent, or responding variable, is the
  factor that may change as a result of changes
  made in the independent variable.

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What are Controls?

• In a scientific experiment, the control is the
  group that serves as the standard of comparison.
• The control group may be a no treatment" or an
  experimenter selected group.
• The control group is exposed to the same
  conditions as the experimental group, except for
  the variable being tested.

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What Are Constants?

• The constants in an experiment are all the
  factors that the experimenter attempts to keep
  the same.

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• Perform An Experiment
• Follow the steps in your procedure to perform
  your experiment.
• Record all data and observations.

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What Are Trials?

• Trials refer to repeated groups that are exposed
  to the same conditions in an experiment.

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• Analyze The Data
• Is the data reliable?
• Does your data and observations from the
  experiment support your hypothesis?

Go Back to Perform an Experiment
YES
NO
Modify Experiment Rewrite the procedure to fix
flaws
NO
Go To Communicate the Results
Is your data inaccurate or the experiment flawed?
YES
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• Communicate The Results
• Write a conclusion that summarizes the important
  parts of your experiment and the results.