4. Hypothesis

Form a Hypothesis Hypothesis: an educated guess or prediction; an “if, then” statement. If ____(IV)______, then___(DV)_____.

Example Independent Variable: I feed my cat a lot of food she will get fat If ___________________________, then _________________________.

Try to use INCREASE and DECREASE in your hypothesis! Remember Try to use INCREASE and DECREASE in your hypothesis! Ex. IF I increase the amount of food I give my cat, THEN she will increase her weight.

Goal of a Hypothesis The goal of a hypothesis is to help explain the focus and direction of the experiment or research. A hypothesis will: State the purpose of the research Identify what variables are used

Parameters of a Good Hypothesis In order to be a good hypothesis that can be tested or studied, a hypothesis: Needs to be logical Must use precise language Should be testable   A hypothesis is usually written in a form where it proposes that if something is done, then something else will occur.

Remember Sometimes research is needed before making a hypothesis. A hypothesis is an educated guess. It simply gives us a direction to go with the investigation. NEVER go back after testing and change your hypothesis. Science has been based on lots of mistakes. It’s through our mistakes that we learn!