What is the scientific method?

• Process of experimentation used to explore observations and answer questions

• The steps are NOT always the same but are usually similar

Step One: Observation

• Information gathered through one of the five senses (sight, hear, touch, taste, feel)

• This observation creates a question you wish to answer

• Example: Apple slices turn brown when left out

Step Two: Purpose or Problem

• The reason you are doing the experiment

• The question you wish to answer

• Can be written as a statement

• Example: Can I stop the apple slices from turning brown?

Step Three: Research

• Sometimes doing a lilttle research can help you answer the question OR

• clarify the question you are asking

• This step may be absent from the process

Step Four: Hypothesis

• An educated guess

• A possible answer the the question or problem that has been proposed

• Should include the words If and then

• Can be a prediction of what will happen in the experiment

• It should testable

• Example: If I dip the apple slices in a liquid, then they will not turn brown.

Step Five: Experiment

• A series of procedures of steps performed in order to answer the question and test the hypothesis

• Observations are made

• Data is collected, usually in the form of a table

• Your results may be represented as a graph or picture

• Example: Cut three apple slices. Dip one in water, one in lemon juice and one in milk. Observe

Step Six: Conclusion

• Analyze and summarize the results

• Was your hypothesis correct?

• Example: Dipping apples in lemon juice stopped the apples from turning brown