Scientific Method

Definition The Scientific method, is a method of

investigation involving observations to test scientific hypothesis.

There are 5 steps to the scientific method: State the problem Make a hypothesis Design an experiment to test your hypothesis Observe and record data State your conclusion

Examples

Lets go ahead and put the scientific method to work.

Problem- (Your house plants are unhealthy looking/dying). How can I make plants grow better?

Hypothesis- (educated guess you make about the problem). I believe that since plants are green, they will grow better in green light.

Experimental Design Procedure- (design how you want to

test your hypothesis). I will place one plant in white natural light, and another plant in green light for 2 weeks.

Variables- are things that have an effect on your experiment. There are 4 main variables to consider when testing your hypothesis.

Variables Constant variables: Things that have

to stay the same for everything being tested throughout the experiment. (Each plant must have the same: amount of water, brand of potting soil, size of pot etc.).

Control : is the thing you compare your results to. Your control variable is the variable that is not manipulated. (The variable that is kept in its natural state). The plant growing under natural white light is our control.

Variables

Independent Variable: is the variable that is being manipulated/changed. The color of light is the independent variable is this experiment.

Dependent Variable: is the variable that will be affected by the independent variable. The plants (plant growth) are the dependent variable.

*Think about the independent variable as the cause, and the dependent variable as the effect. The color of light (cause), will determine how well the plant grows (effect).

Observations There are two types of

observations you can make while performing an experiment: qualitative observations and quantitative observations.

Qualitative observations deal with your senses. For example, how something looks, smells, taste, feels etc. The leaves are yellowish, and rough/dry to the touch.

Quantitative observations deal with number amounts. After 2 weeks days the plant in green light lost a total of 12 leaves, while the control plant grew ½ inch and gained 3 new leaves.

Conclusion!

After you have recorded and graphed you results, you must conclude whether you hypothesis was correct or incorrect.

Conclusion: According to my observations, my hypothesis was incorrect. Plants do not grow better in green light.