The Scientific Method 7 Steps to Follow The

The Scientific Method 7 Steps to Follow!

The Scientific Method is a series of steps to follow to answer a question or solve a problem - There are 7 main steps

Step 1: Identify a Problem / Ask a Question • Scientists ask questions based on observations from their surroundings

Step 2: Form a Hypothesis • Take an educated guess about what you think the answer is to your question • Written as an “If / Then” statement

Step 3: State Independent and Dependent Variables Independent Variable: the variable that is changed by the scientist. ● Why just one? Well, if you changed more than one variable it would be hard to figure out which change is causing what you observe. Dependent Variable: are things that the scientist tests and measures to see how they respond to the change made to the independent variable. Controlled Variable: are quantities that a scientist wants to remain constant

Step 3: State Independent and Dependent Variable Quantitative vs Qualitative Data Quantitative: The type of data where the values have been measured or counted Qualitative: The type of data that describes properties or characteristics used to identify things

Step 4: Gather Materials • Collect all the equipment needed to complete your experiment

Step 5: Make procedure / Test your hypothesis • Set up an experiment to test your question

Step 6: Conduct Experiment / Analyze Your Results • Look at your results and decide what they tell you about your question

Step 7: Form a Conclusion • Decide what the answer to your question is and ask: – Was my hypothesis right or wrong? – Do I need to do the experiment again to find out more?