The Scientific Method
Introduction
- The Scientific Method involves ordinary people doing ordinary things
- It's a process or steps taken to produce reliable results to answer specific questions
- Commonly used in daily life, often subconsciously
Example of Scientific Method in Daily Life
- Observation: Noticing your cell phone is missing
- Research: Thinking about the last time you had it
- Hypothesis: Suspecting it's in your pants pocket
- Experiment: Checking your pants
- Results and Analysis: If not found, reassess and check your backpack
- Conclusion: Finding the phone and sharing results with a friend
Steps of the Scientific Method
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Observation
- Utilize the five senses: smell, sight, taste, touch, hearing
- Continuous throughout the scientific process
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Research
- Helps refine the experiment
- Use reliable sources such as scientific journals and trusted online sources
- Avoid unreliable sources like blogs and outdated textbooks
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Hypothesis
- A prediction of expected results
- Often formatted as an "if-then" statement
- Example: "If gummy bears are placed in water for 24 hours, then they will swell to over twice their original size."
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Experiment
- Composed of various parts:
- Qualitative Data: Descriptions (e.g., color, texture)
- Quantitative Data: Numerical measurements (e.g., size, weight)
- Variables
- Independent Variable: The factor you change (e.g., gummy bears in water)
- Dependent Variable: The factor you measure (e.g., volume of gummy bear)
- Includes both experimental and control groups
- Experimental Group: Independent variable is altered
- Control Group: Baseline for comparison
Summary
- An experiment should include:
- Experimental group with an independent variable
- Control group for comparison
- Data collection (qualitative and/or quantitative)
Conclusion
- Science is a continually ongoing process, where observations and research are integral.
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