The Scientific Method 3

What else can a hypothesis be?

An educated guess

What is a Controlled Experiment?

An experiment that tests only one factor at a time by using a comparison of a control group and an experimental group.

What is a hypothesis?

An explanation that is based on prior scientific research or observations and that can be tested.

What are Qualitative Observations?

Anything that you see, smell, touch, taste, or hear.

How do you state the problem?

In the form of a question

What is a variable?

Something that can change, either naturally or on purpose

What questions need to be answered in order to draw a conclusion?

1) Do your results/data support your hypothesis? Why or why not? 2) What are ways you can improve your data? 3) What would you do differently if you were to repeat the experiment?

What are the 3 steps to testing a hypothesis?

1) Must be run multiple times 2) Must have only 1 independent variable (the factor being tested 3) Must include 2 setups: Experimental setup and Control setup

What are two ways results can be communicated?

1) Share data and information with others, such as scientists. 2) Publish your findings in a book, magazine, journal, the internet.

Research should include what 4 things?

1) Write down all information you already know 2) Do research in books on the topic you are investigating 3) Ask experts on the subject you are researching 4) If you find an answer to your problem/question you do not need to move on

What are the steps to record data?

1) Write observations and measurements 2) Be consistent when you are checking your experiments and recording the results 3) Create tables or charts (Data Tables and Pie Charts)

What is in a conclusion?

1) You restate the purpose of your experiment 2) You indicate what the results were. Use numbers!!!!! Example: "On average after 3 trials, ......." 3) You explain why those results were given. Here you think about what you found out in your research. 4) You consider any improvements to your procedure. This is error analysis. 5) You ask a new question - what do you want to do next?

What are the Steps to the Scientific Method?

1. Ask a question. 2. Research the topic. 3. Form a hypothesis. 4. Test the Hypothesis. 5. Gather Data. 6. Analyze Results. 7. Draw Conclusions. 8. Communicate Results.

What do you need to develop to support or not support your hypothesis?

A test

What is the Experimental Group?

The group that the scientist has changed something. It is the variable in the experiment where you want to see how this condition affects something.

What is Science?

The knowledge obtained by observing natural events and conditions in order to discover facts and formulate laws or principles that can be verified or tested.

What is the dependent variable?

The result of what the scientist changed. It is the effect of what happened in the experiment.

What are constants?

They are what the scientist kept the same in both the control group and the experimental group.

What does the problem identify?

What you want to find out.

What are Quantitative Observations?

Any observation that can be measured. Must include a number.

How do you write a hypothesis?

As a "if....then.....because" statement

What are the two groups tested in a hypothesis?

Control Group and Experimental Group

What is the independent variable?

The factor that the scientist has changed in order to test the hypothesis (on purpose). It is the cause

What is the Control Group?

The group that the scientist changes nothing in. The Control group is used for comparison.