The Scientific Method

1. State the Purpose State what you are going to investigate.

2. Gather Information Info needed to understand the purpose and make a prediction. – Research – Math equations

3. Form a Hypothesis Prediction based on the info collected (Educated guess) with a WHY.

4. Test the Hypothesis Experiment: test the effect of one thing on another. – Independent Variable: Variable that is changed to test the effect it has – Dependent Variable: Variable that changes due to the IV – Control: Standard by which the test results can be compared. Include list of materials and a procedure.

5. Record and Analyze Data Record and organize data in a table or graph Analyze the data (What does it tell you?)

6. Conclusion State what you found. Use the data (numbers) to support your conclusion. Was your hypothesis correct? Discuss possible sources of error.

Paper Clip Game Purpose: Info gathered: Hypothesis:

Game Cont… Experiment: Record/Analyze Data: Conclusion:

Gum Lab Purpose: Determine which brand of gum keeps its flavor the longest. Information: Hypothesis:

Experiment: Independent Variable: Dependent Variable:

Data:

Conclusion: Write a short paragraph that includes the following items: Which brand kept its flavor the longest? Use data to support your findings (include #’s) Was your hypothesis correct? Include a possible error that could have occurred to throw off the data.