1. The Scientific Method

2. The Steps Ask a question Do background research Formulate a Hypothesis
Test your hypothesis
Analyze data to draw a conclusion
Communicate the results

3. 1. Asking questions -the question has to be testable
Good example: Does a toy car roll faster on tile floor or wood floor?
Bad example: Which type of toy car is the best?

4. Let’s Practice
If someone wanted to figure out which type of toy car was faster, what is a testable question we can write for this experiment?

5. Try it yourself.
In your notebook write two testable questions.

6. 2. Do Research
Someone may have already done an experiment on the topic
Someone may have done a similar research project that can help yours
Sometimes you can find out how to go about the experiment, and how NOT to.

7. 3. Formulate a Hypothesis
-Where you make a prediction or educated guess.
-Always an If/then statement.
-If I test _______ then __________ will happen.

8. Turning a question into a hypothesis
Q: Which type of surface will create the most friction?
A: If I test a toy car on different surfaces, then it will roll the furthest on wax paper.

9. Let’s write a hypothesis
___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

10. Try it yourself. Formulate a hypothesis around this testable question.
Which liquid will help a plant grow the most, sugar water, soda, or plain water?

11. 4. Testing -Independent Variable - What you change
-Dependent Variable - What you measure
-Constant - What has to stay the same.
*not every experiment requires a constant

12. Why do you need constants?
So you know that only the independent variable caused the results.

13. Data Collection
Data is always stored in a data table. The data table has the independent variables down the left side, and the trial numbers across the top.
The rows go left to right, and columns go top to bottom.
Always include an average column as well.

14. Data Tables

15. 5. Analyze data Data in data tables are always converted to graphs
Not all data is numbers
Qualitative data - based on qualities such as color or taste or smell.
Quantitative data - based on the quantity or the numbers.

16. Write these in your notebook and label Quantitative or Qualitative
The temperature of the substance __________
The distance the object travelled ___________
The state of matter an object is in __________
The color the object turns _________________
The amount of the substance gathered ______
The type of substance gathered ____________

17. Bar Graph or Line Graph?
If you have two sets of Quantitative data on your data table, you’ll want to make a line graph.
If you have one set of Quantitative and one set of Qualitative, you’ll make a bar graph.

19. Bar Graph or Line Graph?

20. How to graph

21. 6. Share the information
Experiments are shared so that other scientists can look at it.
Scientists may run the same experiment to see if they have the same results.

22. Let’s Discuss
In your notebook, write 2-3 sentences on why you believe we use the scientific method and why it is (or isn’t) important.

23. Share with your partner what you believe
Share with your partner what you believe. Your ideas may be very, very different.

24. Now it’s your turn
On your own, plan an experiment that you can execute at home.
Some ideas include:
What flavor of mentos creates the tallest explosion of diet coke?
What type of laundry detergent removes the most grass stains?
Which type of soda is the most corrosive?
How many drops of water will fit on different types of coins?