The Scientific Inquiry Process ♫A Way to Solve a Problem♫ Created by Mrs. John July, 2009

What is the Scientific Inquiry? The scientific inquiry process is the way in which scientists answer questions and solve problems.

Scientist have to take the time to think logically when they are investigating a question or problem. They break things down into many steps that make sense.

These steps involve identifying a question, developing a hypothesis, designing and carrying out procedures to test the hypothesis, documenting observations and findings, draw a conclusion and share conclusion with someone else.

Observing is using one or more of your senses to gather information

The Two Types of Observations Qualitative observations are descriptions that don’t involve numbers or measurements. Quantitative observations are measurements. Ex-You make a quantitative observation when you measure your height or weight.

After making many observations, scientists develop a question and then gather information to form a “testable” hypothesis.

Predictions and Inferences Before scientist test a hypothesis, they often make a prediction based on their observations. A prediction is a forecast of what may happen in the future based upon prior knowledge and observation. Scientist make predictions in the form of if-then statements. An inference is a conclusion based upon known information or observations. An inference is an attempt to explain an observation.

What if the results are not as expected? Scientists make predictions based on what information they think they will find when testing their hypothesis. If a prediction is confirmed, then it supports your hypothesis. If your prediction is not confirmed, you might modify your hypothesis and retest it. If the results are not as expected, scientists may modify their hypothesis and re-test.

A Testable Hypothesis A good hypothesis is testable. A hypothesis is considered testable when information can be gathered by observation or when an experiment can be designed to test the hypothesis.

Hypothesis A hypothesis is a possible explanation or answer to a question.

The next step scientists take is to create and conduct an experiment to test their hypothesis (or prediction).

Controlled Experiments Scientist use controlled experiments to test hypothesis. An experiment in which all variables except one remain the same is called a controlled experiment.

Variables are factors that can change in an experiment. The variable that is purposely change is called the manipulated (independent) variable. The variable that is expected to change because o the manipulated variable is called the responding (dependent) variable.

A key to experimentation is observing what happens and writing it down. Gathering information or data in the form of facts, figures or other evidence gathered through observation and documenting it so it is readable and makes sense to others is really important.

Once a scientist completes an experiment, they often repeat it to see if they get the same findings and results. This is really what we call verification, or checking things out to make sure everything was valid and will happen again and again.

Organizing data into tables and graphs makes relationships between information easier to see.

Conclusion A conclusion is a summary of the information gained from testing a hypothesis.

Scientists communicate their experiments and findings with others. Because scientists share their experiments and findings, they can learn from each other and often use someone else’s experiences to help them with what they are studying or doing. Each time you test a hypothesis, you learn more about the topic you are studying. Even when a hypothesis is not supported, you gain valuable information.

Communication To communicate their results, scientists may write scientific journal articles, speak at science conferences or exchange information on the internet. By exchanging information, scientists can evaluate and test others’ work and make faster progress in their own research.

Results of Scientific Inquiry Most often, the purpose of a scientific investigation is to develop new materials and technology, discover new objects, or find answers to questions. Technology is the practical use of scientific knowledge, especially for industrial or commercial use. Scientific investigations can lead to the discovery of objects or events such as colliding galaxies.

New Materials and Technology New equipment is designed using technologies and materials. Scientists predict and test the performance to determine if the equipment changes were successful. If improvement is not significant, they can revise their hypothesis and conduct more tests. Scientific investigations are often launched to answer who, what, when, where or how.

New Objects or Events Scientists use telescopes, probes, and satellites to explore new areas of the universe to gain new knowledge and discover new objects.

Answers to questions Scientists use new substances found in nature to treat diseases and answer medical questions. Technology is used to extract and mix the substances as well as to administer treatments.

The steps of the Scientific Inquiry are: Posing a Question Developing a Hypothesis Designing Experiments Collecting & Interpreting Data Drawing Conclusions Communication Ideas and Results