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Scientific Method Kenzie Cannon
Observations • In this step, which begins the experiment, you state something you notice. That either caught your eye, or you wanted to know more about. With out the observation, you wouldn’t have an experiment at all. In this step, you just look around or think of things that either do or do not appeal to your senses. An example would be my shirt is blue. There are qualitative and quantitative statements, in an observation.
Research Questions • In this step, you specify exactly what you are interested in testing or learning more about. The following are the requirements for a legit research question. • Has to be testable • Not opinionated • Has to be extremely specific. • An example of a research question, following all the required parts would be: • Are there more boys or girls in Mr.A’s advance Biology class, 3rd hour?
Statement types • Qualitative: Involves no numbers, an example would be “Green is a color” • Quantitative: Involves numbers, an example would be “There are 4 people.”
Listing your variables • Next you have to list your variables. • The definition to variables listed below. • Variables: A logical set of attributes. • Meaning, the things that you have control over, with what you will do to them in the experiment. • There are three kinds of variables. • Independent Variables: Which is what you change in your experiment. • Ex: Picture 1 • Dependent Variable: What changes in result of what you change. • Ex: Picture 2 • Constant Variable: What stays the same through the whole experiment. • Ex: Picture 3
Hypothesis & theory • Your hypothesis is an educated guess of what you believe will happen by the end of your experiment. They are stated as an if and then statement, also like a cause and effect. • Your hypothesis is completely different from the research question, because it is technically your opinion, or guess, of what you believe will happen. Here is the structure of a hypothesis: • If I do this, then this will happen. • If we do not water the plants with no sunlight, then they will die faster than the plants with sunlight. • A theory is a proven hypothesis. It was just a basic hypothesis at first, but then many scientists began to study and experiment with it, and it was proven correct every time. There are many theories in the scientific world. • An example is evolution.
Inferences & a fair test • An inference is a logical explanation for something happening with out watching it take place. You honestly just use common sense to make an inference on something. It’s a very simple concept. • Examples • 1: She is choking. • Her bite was way to big. • 2: It is cold • It is almost winter time. • 3: The floor is wet • The kid spilt water. • A fair test is an un-opinionated test. Basically, all factual tests. Because sometimes test involves emotions, or opinions. vvv
Mean, median & mode • Mode: The most common number within the data set. • Example: • 1,1,1,2,3,4 = 1 • Median: the number in the middle in a set of data. • Example: • 1,2,3,4,5 = 3 • Mean: When you add all your data up, and divide it by the amount of data you have total. • Example: • 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. • Your mean is 3.
Graphing Bar: Line: • A bar graph is used when no time is involved through the whole experiment. Do not justify everyday as an amount of time, because unless it is one of the variables, its not the main points of the experiment. • Only used when the experiment involves time, only! Line graphs are connected by a single thin line, connecting each point. • The Independent Variable is listed on the bottom, going horizontally. While the Dependent Variable is the vertical line. That information goes for both bar and line graphing.
Experimental grouping Control Experimental • The control group is the group in the experiment that you do nothing to. Its stays the same with all the same variables. • The experimental group in an experiment is the group you test differently than the control group.
Types of science Pure Applied An experiment basically out of curiosity. There is no reasoning behind it. • Examples : • Faster cars • Items to make life easier • Simple ideas • Experiments for making your life more efficient and eco-friendly. • Examples: • Bags to go green • More recycling options • Less polluting cars
Conclusions • The conclusion in an experiment is simply you stating everything you either learned or experimented with during your experiment. A conclusion should generally be up to 5 sentences long. It should also be very detailed, and should explain if your hypothesis was proven or disproven. It should also say what you learned if it was disproven, meaning incorrect. It isn’t a bad thing to have a disproven hypothesis, because then you gain that much more information than you had before the experiment.
