1. The Scientific Method

2. What is it? A way to find answers to questions in which:
a) your answer is most likely to be correct
b) repeatable
c) you minimize your chances of making a mistake

3. There are several versions of the scientific method.
Some versions have more steps while others may have only a few.
They all, however, provide an organized method of conducting and analyzing an experiment.

4. RESULTS Quantitative Information – Qualitative Information –
Design an Experiment
RESULTS
Qualitative Information –

5. RESULTS Quantitative Information
– measurements and numerical information
RESULTS
Qualitative Information
– observed using senses

6. Scientific Method Step 1:
Question
Develop a question
What does the scientist want to learn more about?

7. What is a GOOD Question? One that can have an answer  Observation
1. A good scientific question is __________________________________.
Why is there air?
What is the air made of? 
2. A good scientific question can be tested by some
_____________________or ____________________that you can do.
Where did the Universe come from?
How fast does a football fly through the air when I throw it?
Observation
Measurement 
what you already know
3. A good scientific question builds on _______________________________.
What chemicals are needed to make radishes grow?
What is the source of genetic mutations in drosophila melanogaster? 

8. What is a GOOD Question? lead to other good questions.  specific
4. A good scientific question can ________________________________________.
What is the color of the sky?
What events or conditions cause the sky to be blue (or orange or brown? 
specific
clearly worded
5. A good question is ____________________and ________________________.
Why do leaves turn brown?
Does the amount of water or sun a plant receives affect the colour of the leaf?" 
linked
6. A good question is ________________ to the topic that is being researched.
If you wanted to learn about gravity, which of the following would be a good question?
What materials are best at keeping astronauts warm in space?
How do astronauts’ bodies change when they are in a zero gravity environment? 

9. What is a GOOD Question? many answers 
7. A good question could have ________________________. It is not a simple “yes or no” answer.
Do plants grow in the dark?
What lighting conditions are best for plants to grow? 
you don’t already know the answer to
8. A good question is one that __________________________________________.
How is a planet’s motion influenced by objects around it?
When is my birthday? 

10. Question
To find out how many pieces of gum will fit in a Grade 9 student’s mouth.
What temperature does apple juice boil at?
I want to know how much water to give a cactus each month for the most growth.
Does human hair grow longer if it is never washed?
To determine the optimum time of day to eat protein for improved energy.

11. Scientific Method Step 2:
Research
Gather information
Where can you go to do this?
What sources could you use to collect information?
Reference your information
Put it in your own words!

12. Scientific Method Step 3:
Hypothesis
Make and educated guess of an answer to the question
Needs to be based on scientific research
Format:
If...then...because
As...then...because

13. Hypothesis
If sticks of gum are used, then 23 pieces will fit in the mouth, because they will stack on top of each other.
If the sugar in apple juice increases boiling point, then apple juice will boil at 105oC, because it is similar to water (100oC).
If a cactus lives in sandy soil, then a cactus should get 300 mL of water each month for optimum growth, because the water will drain quickly.
If shampoo is not used, human hair will grow faster, because there is less residue build-up on the hair follicle.
If protein is eaten at breakfast, then it will keep you feeling full of energy, because protein is used in every cell.

14. Scientific Method Step 4:
Design an experiment
Written and carefully followed step-by-step procedure/method designed to test the hypothesis
Requirements:
Past tense
No personal pronouns
Detailed
Numbered

15. Procedure Safety goggles were put on.
Baking soda was added to vinegar.
Lid of film canister was placed on and timer was started.
The time it took for the top to pop off the canister was recorded.

16. Scientific Method Step 5: Results
DATA
information collected during the experiment
Quantitative information
- measurements and
numerical information
OBSERVATIONS
written description of what was noticed during the experiment
Qualitative information
- observed using senses

17. Observations There was lots of bubbles and the solution turned green.
On average, 31 pieces of gum fit into a student’s mouth. (NOTE: must show calculations)
Trial 1
Trial 2
Cold Water
5 tsp.
5.5 tsp.
Warm Water
6.3 tsp.
7.1 tsp.
Hot Water
7.9 tsp.
5.6 tsp.

18. Scientific Method Step 6:
Conclusion
Was the hypothesis correct or incorrect? Be sure to explain how it was or wasn’t?
Recap the results from your experiment.
Use your results to explain what happened in your experiment and support it using scientific principles/terminology
NOTE: If the answer is “NO”, this leads to a new question and the scientific method starts again.

19. Conclusions
The hypothesis was incorrect. Next time, 3 trials should be conducted for each person to determine how much gum can fit in their mouth.
The hypothesis was correct, as it was found that 300 mL of water did achieve the greatest increase in growth with an average of 0.2 cm a month. Less water causes wilting and slower growth, while too much water causes the cells of the plant to burst.

20. RESULTS Quantitative Information
– measurements and numerical information
RESULTS
Qualitative Information
– observed using senses

21. Let’s Practice Steps 1 & 3!
1) Complete “What is a Good Question?” (pg. 10)
2) Read Step 2: Research (pg. 11, 12)
3) Complete “Forming a Hypothesis” (pg. 13)
When you’re finished, let’s talk about the important variables to pay attention to in Step 4: Designing an Experiment.

22. Designing Experiments in Science
Most experiments in science are correlational studies: experiments which look at the relationship between two variables
Variable – something that can change

23. 3 types of variables: 1) Independent Variable (IV)
- the “cause”/manipulated variable
- the variable which the experimenter deliberately changes
2) Dependent Variable (DV)
- the “effect”/responding variable
- the variable which the experimenter measures
NOTE: There will only be one IV and one DV

24. 3) Control Variables (CV)
- variables that we do NOT change in the experiment
- they could change but are NOT allowed to
Ask the question:
What does the scientist have to do in order for this to be a fair test?