1. Scientific Methods

2. Science questions
Testable
Specific

3. Hypothesis

4. Hypothesis—which is better, best?
“Water levels affect the amount of lice suffered by rainbow trout.”
“Rainbow trout suffer more lice when water levels are low.”
“Rainbow trout suffer more lice in low water conditions because there is less oxygen in the water.”

5. Prediction
Restate your hypothesis in terms of what you expect to happen.
Educated guess

6. Experimental Design elements
Precise
Step by step
Detailed enough for another scientist to duplicate your experiment
Can another scientist reproduce your results?

7. Variables Manipulated variable—the one you change
Responding variable—should give you data to answer your original question
Controlled variables—held constant/not changed

8. Analyze and interpret data
Table
Graph
Write about the averages, highs and lows

10. Conclusion Summarize your results in a few sentences.
Include key facts from your background research to help explain your results as needed.
State whether your results support or contradict your hypothesis
Errors in experiment
Ways to improve the experiment

11. Tricky Terms

12. Qualitative vs. Quantitative
Qualitative (quality) uses descriptive words
Quantitative (quantity) uses numbers and measurements

13. Hypothesis vs. Inference vs. Theory
Hypothesis—testable statement/expectation about the experiment
Inference—a conclusion based on past experience/knowledge
Theory—LOTS of experiments that agree in their results, the hypothesis becomes a theory

14. Controlled experiment
Only one variable is manipulated
Results can be related back to the single variable, so the results are valid

15. Controlled variables
Things that are held constant or kept the same in the experiment
Like the swabbing methods you developed as a class for the bacteria lab
There are many controlled variables in an experiment

16. Control The part of the experiment that is not experimented on
I put one clean petri dish in the incubator to make sure nothing grew on it
This made sure the agar was clean/sterile