The Method Itself
What are the five steps of the scientific method, in order?
What are:
1. observe/ask a question
2. form a hypothesis
3. design a controlled experiment
4. record and analyze results (collect data)
4. draw conclusions
What are the controls of an experiment?
What are those things that are kept the same.
What is an observation.
What is an accurate description of a thing or an event, using one or more of the five senses.
What is data?
Complete the sentence. A hypothesis must be...
*Include two things that we discussed in class.
1. testable
2. written as an "If___, then ____." statement
What is the independent variable in an experiment?
What is the variable that is deliberately changed by the scientist.
What is a hypothesis?
What is a scientific explanation, or possible answer to a scientific question based on observations.
What is quantitative data?
What is numbers, which are obtained by counting or measuring.
What makes an experiment a controlled experiment?
What is only one variable is changed at a time.
What is the dependent variable in an experiment?
What is the variable that is observed/measured during the experiment.
What is a conclusion?
What is an attempt to explain the outcome of an experiment and whether the hypothesis is accepted or rejected.
What is qualitative data?
What is descriptions which involve characteristics that can't be counted.
Why is it important to conduct a controlled experiment?
What is if several variables were changed at the same time, the scientist would not know which variable was responsible for the observed results. Without the control group, there would be no basis for comparison, so the scientist wouldn’t know how the experiment factor affected the results.
Mario studied how far room temperature water would spurt out of a plastic milk carton when 3mm holes were punched at different heights from the bottom of the container. Identify the independent variable.
What is the height of the hole.
Write a hypothesis for the following scientific question:
What effect does the amount of light have on plant growth?
Answers will vary.
Example: If the amount of light that a plant receives increases, then the plan will grow taller.
Nick wanted to see how high an ice cube would float in different temperatures of water. Identify the dependent variable.
What is the height of the ice cube.