The Scientific Method

The Basic Steps l State the problem l Form a hypothesis l Test the hypothesis l Draw conclusions

State the problem l A problem cannot be solved if it is not identified. l Research should be done to understand the problem.

Form a hypothesis l This is a possible solution to the problem.

Test the hypothesis l Perform an experiment to determine if the hypothesis solves the problem or not. l Observations and data will be made and recorded.

Draw Conclusions l Based on the observations and data, conclusions are drawn. l Conclusions can be as simple as “yes” or “no”.

Experimental terms l Variable - factor being tested. l Control - part of experiment without the variable (used as a comparison).