The Scientific Method EQ: • What are the most effective ways to carry out a scientific inquiry?

What is the scientific Method? It is a process that is used to find answers to questions about the world around us Example: Which variable most affects the motion of a pendulum?

Is there only one scientific method? No, there are several versions of the SM Some versions have more steps, while some only have a few. We will use a 6 step method However, the all begin with the identification of a problem or question to be answered and provide an organized method for conducting and analyzing an experiment

Steps of the Scientific Method 1. Problem/question to be answered 2. Research 2. Form a hypothesis 3. Create and perform an experiment 5. Analyze the data 6. Conclude

Problem/purpose/question What do you want to know or explain? Use observations you have made to write a question that addresses the problem or topic you want to investigate T-P-S: Identify a problem you would like to investigate

research Find out as much as you can about the problem you would like to solve. Look for information in books, online, and by talking to mentors to get the most information you can before you start experimenting.

Form a hypothesis After doing your research, try to predict the answer to the problem. This is usually stated in the if… then format. ” If I…(do something) then…(this will occur)” The hypothesis helps you set up your experiment

Experiment Design a test or procedure to find out if your hypothesis is correct. Write down exactly what you did for your experiment step by step.

Experiment Follow the steps in the experiment you created. Record your data and observations!

What is data? Data is the information you will be collecting during the experiment.

Analyze the DatA Is the data reliable? Does your data support your hypothesis? If yes, move to the final step If no, go back to the experiment, and modify

Conclusion Write a conclusion that summarizes the important parts of your experiment and the results. Was the hypothesis correct? What could be changed for future tests? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA86dYxrg4Q&feature=related&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1