The Scientific Process
State the problem
Ask the question you will explore in your experiment.
Do background research
Discover what is already known about this problem. The information will help you figure out your hypothesis, or idea/question to be tested.
Form a hypothesis
What do you think will happen?
Design an experiment
Write down the procedures you will use to test your hypothesis.
- Make sure that you have only one independent variable (the factor you are testing), and that you have identified the constants (factors that remain the same for all examples in the experiment.)
- Make sure to include a control in your experiment. A control is an example in the experiment that you leave alone and on which you do not perform the experiment. The examples being tested will be compared to this control.
Test your Experiment
Make and record your observations and data.
Analyze results and draw conclusions
Was your hypothesis proven or disproven? Remember, there is no “right” or “wrong”.
Present your conclusions
Tell others the answer you arrived at based upon the evidence you gathered.
