The Scientific Method

The scientific method is a process used by scientists to study the world around them. It can also be used
to test whether any statement is accurate. You can use the scientific method to study a leaf, a dog, an
ocean, or the entire Universe. We all have questions about the world. The scientific method is there to
test if your answer is correct. You could ask, "Why do dogs and cats have hair? One answer might be that
it keeps them warm. A good scientist would then come up with an experiment to test whether the
statement was accurate. BOOM! It's the scientific method in action.

1. IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM

The scientific method starts with identifying a problem and forming a question that can be tested. A
scientific question can be answered by making observations with your five senses and gathering
evidence. The question you ask needs to be something you can measure, so you can compare
results you are interested in. For example, "How does fertilizer affect plant growth?" would be a
testable scientific question. It's important to do background research to find out what's already
written about your question before starting your experiment

2. FORM A HYPOTHESIS
The second step in the scientific method is to form a hypothesis. A hypothesis is a possible.
explanation for a set of observations or an answer to a scientific question, A hypothesis must be
testable and measurable. This means that researchers must be able to carry out investigations and
gather evidence that will either support or disprove the hypothesis. Many trials will be needed
before a hypothesis can be accepted as true. A hypothesis is written as an "If... then..." statement.
For example, "if I give my plants fertilizer in the spring, then they will produce more flowers," is a
simple hypothesis about how plants grow. In this example, you can measure the number of flowers

3. DESIGN AN EXPERIMENT
The next step in the scientific method is to test the hypothesis by designing an experiment. This
includes creating a list of materials and a procedure-a step-by-step explanation of how to conduct
the experiment. Scientists must be careful in how they design an experiment to make sure that it
tests exactly what the hypothesis states. A proper experiment compares two or more things but
changes only one variable-factors that change in an experiment. This type of experiment is called a
controlled experiment. For example, when testing the effects of fertilizer on plants, you would test
an experimental group (with fertilizer) and a control group (without fertilizer). Then you would
compare the results of the groups.
 Types of Variables
Independent Variable - the variable that is tested and changed by the scientist.
 Ex The amount of fertilizer used on your plants

Dependent Variable -the variable that is measured by the scientist and changes as a result of the
independent variable.
 Ex. How many flowers grow on the plant

Controlled Variable - the variables that are kept the same (constant) throughout the entire
experiment.
 Ex. Same type of plant, same amount of light and water

4. PERFORM AN EXPERIMENT

Keeping detailed, accurate records is an important part of the scientific method. Before you begin
your experiment, create a table in which to record your data. Data are the facts, figures, and other
evidence gathered through observations. A data table provides you with an organized way to collect
and record your observations. For example, your data table should list the independent variable
(amount of fertilizer) in the first column and the dependent variable (number of flowers) in the
second column. Then you can use your table to create a graph. Graphs help you understand and use
that data. Graphs make it easy to identify trends and make predictions. The x-axis of your graph
represents the independent variable, while the y-axis of your graph represents the dependent
variable.

5. ANALYZE THE DATA

The next step in the scientific method is to analyze the data. Data analysis is the process of
interpreting the meaning of the data we have collected, organized, and displayed in the form of a
table or graph. The process involves looking for patterns, similarities, differences, trends, and other
relationships-and thinking about what these patterns might mean. The scientist then summarizes
their findings and relates them to their hypothesis. For example, in your analysis of your plant
experiment, you would refer to your table/graph to describe any relationships you observed
between the plants with and without fertilizer.
6. COMMINCATE THE RESULTS

The last step of the scientific method is to communicate the results. After you gathered and
analyzed your data, you draw a conclusion about your hypothesis. A conclusion is a summary of
what you have learned from an experiment. In drawing your conclusion, you should ask yourself
whether the data supports your hypothesis. For example, if you found that your experimental group
produced 40 flowers and your control group produced 20 flowers, you could draw the conclusion
that the fertilizer increased the number of flowers produced and your hypothesis is correct.

VOCABULARY

 Observation- the process of using the five senses to gather information.

 Hypothesis- a possible explanation for a set of observations or an answer to a scientific
question. Written as an "If then..." statement.
 Procedure- a step-by-step explanation of how to conduct an experiment
 Variable-a factor that changes in an experiment.
 Independent Variable- the variable that is tested and changed by the scientist
 -the variable that is measured by the scientist and changes as a result of the independent
variable.
 Controlled Variable - the variables that are kept the same (constant) throughout the entire
experiment.
 -an experiment that compares two or more things but only changes one variable.
 Data -the facts, figures, and other evidence gathered through observations.
 Data Analysis- the process of interpreting the meaning of the data collected in an
experiment, finding patterns in the data, and thinking about what the patterns mean.
 Pattern- a similarity, difference, trend, or other relationship found in data.
 Conclusion- a summary of what has been learned from an experiment and how the data
relates to the hypothesis.
Science Process Skills Question:

1. Which of the following is NOT an observation?

A. Apples are the best fruit
B. The apple weigh about 38 grams.
C. The apple is light green in color.
D. The apple tastes sour

2. Which of the following is an example of a quantitative observation?

A. It has a sweet odor.
B. I would like 5 apples.
C. The mass of one leaf is 5 grams.
D. The leaves are waxy and smooth.

3. Which of the following is an inference about a coin?

A. This coin has the date 1994 marked on it.
B. The coin has a green substance on one side.
C. The coin is the color of copper.
D. Perhaps the coin sat in water and became corroded,

4. The international units of measurement used by scientists around the world is called the
A. global economy.
B. metric system
C. customary system
D. pound and ounce system
Answer Me
Read the following paragraph, then answer the questions below. Put your answers on the scantron
sheet.

Mr. C was curious how an increase in water temperature would affect the survival rate of young fish. Mr.
C filled 4 tanks each with 25 gallons of water, and placed 50 yellow perch of various lengths in each tank.
Mr. C changed the water temperature between each tank by 2 degrees. Mr. C also placed 5 grams of fish
food every other day for 4 weeks in each tank.

1. What question was Mr. C trying to find an answer to?

A. How does the amount of water affect yellow perch survival?
B. How does the amount of food affect yellow perch survival?
C. How does water temperature affect yellow perch growth? *D. How does water temperature
affect how many yellow perch survive?

2. What is the dependent variable that Mr. C is working with for this experiment?
A. Amount of food
B. Water temperature
C. Survival of yellow perch
D. Growth rate of yellow perch

3. During this experiment Mr. C was testing the following hypothesis. If the temperature of water
increases. then the survival rate of yellow perch will decrease. Although Mr. C developed a
good hypothesis, why is his experiment considered to be invalid?
A. Mr. C did not have a good experimental question
B. Mr. C did not start the experiment with equal sized fish.
C. Mr. C manipulated the water temperature.
D. Mr. C controlled the amount of water and the amount of food placed in each tank.

4. Observe Diagram A. Identify a good qualitative observation.

A. The person is happy
B. B. The person is smiling
C. The person feels sick
D. The person discovered an object in space,

5. Observe Diagram A. Identify a good quantitative

observation.
A. The person has dark colored shoes
 B. The person is young
C. The telescope has 3 legs Diagram A
D. The person discovered an object in space.
6. What on our observations of Diagram A, what can we infer from the picture?
A. The person is smiling
B. The person is looking at the moon
C. The telescope has 3 legs
D. The person has 2 legs

For 7-8 Read the given hypotheses and identify the Independent and Dependent Variables.

7. If boys eat more salt, then they will get better grades.
A. Independent: Boys Dependent: Salt
B. Independent: Salt Dependent: Boys
C. Independent: amount of salt Dependent: better grades
D. Independent: better grades Dependent: amount of salt

8. If the temperature of the Sun decreases, then the temperature of the Earth will increase.
A. Independent: temperature of the Sun Dependent: temperature of the Earth
B. Independent: the Earth Dependent: the Sun
C. Independent: the Sun Dependent: the Earth
D. Independent: temperature of the Earth Dependent: temperature of the Sun

Read the following paragraph, then answer the questions below

Three weeks ago, Bob observed a large number of worms on his driveway and across his lawn. Since that
day, however, Bob hasn't seen one worm. Since his initial observation, Bob remembers mowing the lawn
three times, and fertilizing the grass once Bob also remembered sing number of birds visiting his lawn
during this three-week period. Blob would like to know why the population of worms has dramatically
decreased over the past three weeks.

9. Which inference best supports the observations that Bob made about worms?
A. Bob mewed his lawn three times
B. Bob wonders why the population of worms has decreased over the past three weeks
C. A heavy rain washed away the worms in Bobs lawn
D. The birds visiting Bob's lawn have eaten many of the worms.

10. Bob hypothesizes that adding fertilizer to the lawn decreases the number of worms. If Bob
were to test this hypothesis, what variables would he need to control during the experiment?
A. The number of worms
B. The mowing of the lawn, and birds entering the lawn area
 C. The amount of fertilizer added to the lawn
D. The number of worms, and the fertilizer added to the lawn.

11. For the hypothesis developed from question 10, what is Bob's manipulative and responding
variables?
A. Manipulative= amount of fertilizer, Responding= number of worms.
B. Manipulative= number of worms, Responding= amount of fertilizer.
C. Manipulative= number of birds, Responding= number of worms.
D. Manipulative= amount of lawn, Responding= amount of fertilizer.

12. As a part of the experiment, Bob decides to measure the amount of worms collected. Rather
than counting each individual worm, Bob decides to throw all of the worms into a bucket and
measure their mass. Which tool will allow Bob to successfully measure the worms mass?
A. A graduated cylinder
B. A meter stick
C. A 100-gram mass
D. A balance.

George was curious how an increase in water temperature would affect the growth rate of gold
fish. George filled 4 tanks each with 5 gallons of water, and placed I gold fish in each tank. George
changed the water temperature between each tank by 2 degrees. George also fed each fish 5 grams of
fish food every other day for 4 weeks.

13. What question was George trying to find an answer to?

A. How does the amount of water affect gold fish growth?
B. How does the amount of food affect gold fish growth?
C. How does water temperature affect gold fish growth?
D. How does water temperature affect how much food a gold fish will eat?

14. What is the dependent variable that George is working with for this experiment?
A. Amount of food
B. Water temperature
C. Amount of water
D. Growth rate of gold fish

15. Which variables did George control during his experiment?

A. Amount of food, water temperature, amount of water, number of fish per tank
B. Amount of food, growth rate of fish, amount of water.
C. Amount of water, amount of food, number of fish per tank.
D. Water Temperature
16. Each beaker contains 100 ml of water and 20 grams of sugar. Each beaker is starred 10 times,
but the water is heated to various temperatures. What is the best hypothesis for this
experiment?

A. If a sugar solution is stirred, it will dissolve more quickly.

B. The hotter the sugar solution is, the faster the sugar will dissolve.
C. How does temperature affect how quickly sugar dissolves?
D. If a sugar solution is stirred and heated, then it will dissolve faster.

17. The picture at the right shows a piece of scientific

equipment. What is its name and what is it used to
measure?
A. Those are beakers and they are used to measure
volume.
B. Those are graduated cylinders and they are used to
measure volume.
C. Those are graduated cylinders and they are used to
measure mass.
D. Those are beakers and they are used to measure
mass.

Table 1: Ants Attraction to Foods Data

Types of Food Number of Ants on Food
Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 Test 4 Average
Candy 8 7 9 9 8.25
Fruit 7 7 6 9 7.25
Chips 7 6 7 5 6.25
Control (no 3 2 4 4 3.25
food)

18. In the data table above, what is the independent variable?

A. Number of Ants on Food
B. Type of Food
C. No Food
D. None of the above
 Use the Scientific Method
Activity 1
1. A biology class at SMHS conducted a survey of the plant species found on school grounds.
They found Bermuda grass and were surprised that it is classified as an invasive species in
Texas? Of the following, which is the most likely place they looked to have gotten that
information?
A. Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
 B. Texas Native Plants
C. Texas Monthly magazine
D. Botany textbook

2. Which of the following best explains why a student researching Black holes should use the
most recent information sources available?
A. Any research more than ten years old is obsolete and useless.
B. Research into Black holes began only few years ago.
C. Old sources are more difficult to understand. They use older English.
D. Newer discoveries build upon older knowledge.

3. You see a story on Instagram that Chinese scientists have successfully cloned the first human
embryo. Which of these would be the best resource to research in depth whether the find is
true?
A. on your Facebook feed
B. Daily television news
C. Wikipedia
D. The newsfeed of the National Science Foundation (NSF)

4. Maria was observing swallowtail butterflies in the wild in Martindale. Which one of these is
an observation that she could have made?
A. The swallowtail belongs to the class Insecta
B. The swallowtail is closely related to the Monarch butterfly anatomically
C. There are 550 species of swallow tail butterflies
D. The swallowtail likes to fly more than its other activities.

5. In science, an observation that is unbiased would most likely be made by:

A. An employee of a tobacco company about the effects of smoking
B. An Environment Protection Agency inspector investigating water quality at a water
treatment plant.
C. A member of a musical group about the quality of their style of music
D. A member of a political group about a party’s environmental policies

Activity 2
1. Two plants found in the dry region of the Texas Panhandle exhibit different abilities to survive.
Species A has very slow stem growth and few leaves but is abundant. Species B has rapid stem
growth and many leaves but is very rare. Which hypothesis is most likely supported by this
information?
A. Reduced root growth may give Species A an advantage over Species B.
B. Reduced stem growth gives Species A an advantage over Species B.
 C. Leaf size may give Species B a disadvantage compared to Species A.
D. Flower size and color may give Species B a disadvantage compared to Species A.

2. Scientists have noted a decline in fungi species dating back to the early 1900's. Hippies have
noticed with concern that the annual crops of edible mushrooms in France and Germany have
declined since 1950. One hypothesis to explain this decline is that edible fungi are being over-
harvested and cannot replenish fast enough. Other factors could contribute to the decline.
Which of the following findings would nix/rend null and void overharvesting as the cause of
the decline?
A. Similar declines among edible North American species.
B. High fungal numbers in remote Unpopulated areas.
C. Fungal population increases in tropical regions where mushrooms are not part of the diet
D. A parallel decline in non-edible Species of mushrooms

3. A dog-loving student creates the hypothesis that if thick leg muscles in dogs depends only on
inheritance, then the environment that they are kept in should have little effect on their
muscles. He collects data that shows dogs living outdoors have thicker leg muscles than indoor
dogs. What does this imply about his hypothesis?
A. Dogs that inherit thick leg muscles may not survive indoors.
B. Dogs that inherit thick leg muscles only show it if they live outdoors.
C. Inheritance alone may not account for thickness of muscles
D. Inheritance of thick leg muscles is associated with dog breeds that prefer living outdoors.

4. A student creates the hypothesis that if drone sales are related to the completion date of the
U. S.-Mexico border wall, the closer the border wall gets to being completed, the more drones
will be sold in border towns. What is the measurable result of this hypothesis?
A. the cost of the wall (in dollars)
B. the height of the wall (in meters)
C. the days to completion of the border wall
D. number of drones being sold.

5. Zits were studied to determine if the amount of humidity in the air affected the appearance of
these face critters. Which of these was the independent variable?
A. The percent of humidity in the air.
B. The size of the zits appearing
C. The number of the zits appearing
D. The time of day

6. Which mouthwash brand is most effective against bacteria:

Listerine, Plax, Colgate, or Scope? Four different circles
from a paper towel are soaked in different mouthwashes.
The circles are placed in a Petri dish with a bacteria from
the mouth. The dish is incubated for 24 hrs and then the
 paper towel circles are put under a microscope to count bacteria left. What could be done to
improve the experiment?
A. Use different kinds of bacteria.
B. Use the same size circle for each mouthwash
C. Use the same type of mouthwash on each circle.
D. Use a smaller Petri dish.

7. You think that only animals and humans compete for limited food, resources, and space?
Nope! A student wanted to look at inter-species and intra-species competition between
plants, in other words, how plants compete against each other in the same species and
between different species. He set up the following plants with the same amount of sunlight,
soil, and water. What is the role of the plants planted by themselves (A and C)?

A. Independent Variables A B C D
B. Control Group
C. Placebus
D. Dependent Variable

8. A student from the SMHS Ecology Club wanted to study the effect of temperature on algae
levels in the San Marcos River. Which items are most useful for gathering data at the river?
A. Ultraviolet glasses, sponges, syringes
B. pH strips, fecal matter test kits
C. Microscopes, tweezers, and water filters
D. Test tubes, thermometers

9. Which sentence best describes the importance of control groups in an experiment?

A. Control groups allow comparison with runs that have not had the independent variable changed.
B. Control groups reduce statistical variation in data collection.
C. Control groups reduce the need for large samples
D. Control groups eliminate the need for repeating experiments

10. A&M scientist studied a flock of Great Blue Herons that spent the winter in Texas. The herons
migrate in the spring to Canada. What would be the best way for scientists to distinguish
between the birds studied in Texas and other Great Blue Herons that show up in the Canadian
location?
A. Follow the Texas flock by vehicle on a daily basis all the way to Canada
 B. Capture and put bands on the Texas Herons and then record the bands observed in Canada.
C. Capture birds in the Canadian location and dissect them to find clues of feeding in Texas
D. Take photographs of the winter and spring flocks in Texas for comparison.

Activity 3
1. Weather and climate are different from each because of the amount of ____.
A. Precipitation
B. Time

2. The difference between weather and climate is

A. Weather is a short period of time description of the atmosphere while climate is long period
of time description of the atmosphere.
B. Climate is a short period of time description of the atmosphere while weather is long period
of time description of the atmosphere.

3. How does the tilt of the Earth's axis affect the seasons? Think!
A. Earth's tilt is deflecting the harmful rays of radiation emitted by the sun
B. The amount of direct solar energy reaching the surface of Earth is changed by the earth's tilt.

4. Which occurs as a result of Earth rotating on its axis? Think!

A. volcanic eruption
B. seasonal changes
C. deep ocean currents
D. day and night and Coriolis effect

5. Earth has seasons because

A. it is tilted on its axis and it revolves around the barycenter of the Sun.
B. it is shaped almost like a sphere and it rotates on its axis.

6. Question
A. The purpose of the experiment.
B. Variable that nothing was done to.

7. Hypothesis
A. Step by step plan of an experiment
B. Educated guess that can be tested

8. Procedure
A. Step by step plan of the experiment
 B. The purpose of the experiment

9. Independent variable
A. Variable that is change on purpose
B. Variable that is the result of what happened

10. Dependent Variable

A. Variable that is change on purpose
B. Variable that is the result of what happened

11. Control variable

A. Variable that is change on purpose
B. Variable that nothing was done to.

12. Inference
A. Information organized for analysis
B. proposal to explain an observation

13. A conclusion is based on the

A. data acquired from the experiment
B. based on the investigative question

14. A hypothesis is important because

A. it gives you the direction on how to proceed in your experiment.
B. It allows you find the answer to the investigative question without experimenting.

Use the following choices to answer item 15-21

A. Beaker D. graduated cylinder G. weighing scale

B. Density E. directly proportional H. Lower meniscus
C. Inversely proportional F. water displacement

___15. The relationship between mass and density.

___16. The relationship between volume and density.
___17. Mass/volume
___18. used to measure volume (mL.) and as a container for heating liquids
 ___19. used for measuring volume (mL) of liquids.
___20. used to measure mass in grams and ounces.
___21. When using a graduated cylinder to measure the volume of liquids you should read from
the__

Read the selection below to answer item 15-28

Lauren wants to know which location in her apartment is best for growing African violets.
She has three African violets. She puts one on the balcony, one by the kitchen window, and
one on the mantel in the living room. Each plant has the same size, pot, soil, and Lauren
gives each plant the same amount of water.

15. Which one is the independent variable (IV)?

A. location of plants
B. how the plants grow

16. The independent variable (IV) changes the dependent variable (DV)
A. True
B. False

17. Which one is the dependent variable (DV)?

A. location of plants
B. how the plans grow

18. This variable MUST be measurable. A. independent Variable (IV) B. dependent Variable (DV)
A. Independent Variable (IV)
B. Dependent variable (DV)
C. Controlled Variable

19. The changes that occur in an experiment that are directly caused by the experimenter are
called
A. independent Variables
B. dependent Variables
C. controlled Variable

20. Which of the following is the more appropriate hypothesis for the experiment?
A. If I water the African violets twice as much then they will grow faster.
B. If I exposed the African violets to the Sun then they will grow faster.

21. The experiment on African violets was conducted to __

A. prove or disprove the hypothesis
B. Identify other research ideas.
"Your actions today reflects your tomorrow"