Scientific Method

Question 1

Problem/Purpose

Answer 1

What is the problem/questions that is being tested/answered

What’s the purpose behind the experiment

Question 2

Hypothesis

Answer 2

Form an educated guess or prediction based on information gathered

Question 3

Materials

Answer 3

A list of everything you need to do the experiment

Question 4

Procedure/Method

Answer 4

The steps needed to perform the experiment

Explain the steps using past, passive tense (i.e., no “I”, “we”)

Question 5

Observations

Answer 5

What do you see, smell, feel, or hear?

Record data using tables, diagrams, etc

Question 6

Qualitative observations

Answer 6

Describe something using words only (no measurements or numbers). Example: purple, smooth, sweet, fragrant

Question 7

Quantitative observations

Answer 7

Described by measuring. Example: mass, height, age, length

Question 8

Analyze data

Answer 8

Calculate mean, graphs etc.

Question 9

Conclusion

Answer 9

Explain your results
Give a solutions to the original problem
Explanations is based on observations and reasoning

Question 10

Laws

Answer 10

Laws describe and summarize what happens, they don’t explain anything. It has been observed consistently that scientists are convinced it will happen.
Example: Newton’s Law of Gravity

Question 11

Theories

Answer 11

An explanation of observations or events that have consistently been supported by repeated experimental results and has been accepted by a majority of scientists.
Example: Theory of Evolution

Question 12

Variable

Answer 12

Any factor that will influence the outcome of an experiment.

Question 13

Controlled experiment

Answer 13

A treatment or experiment that you can compare with the rest of your test groups.