2011MultanMuhammad Zeeshan Baloch[SCIENTIFIC METHOD]What is scientific method and what steps are included in scientific method.
Scientific Method:- The scientific method is a way to ask and answer scientific questions by making observations and doing experiments.Figure of Scientific Process:-Explanation of each step:- 1. Ask Questions:- The scientific method starts when you ask a question about something that you observe: How, What, When, Who, Which, Why, or Where? Once you find a general topic that interests you, write down the question that you want to answer.
Can you design a fair test to answer your question? A "fair test" requires that you change only one factor (variable) and keep all other conditions the same. If you cannot design a fair test, then you should change your question. Your science fair project question should involve factors or traits that you can easily measure using a number. Or, factors or traits that are easily identified, like colors.2. Do background research:- Rather than starting from scratch in putting together a plan for answering your question, you want to be a savvy scientist using library and Internet research to help you find the best way to do things and insure that you dont repeat mistakes from the past.3. Construct a hypothesis:- For constructing hypothesis following steps are done. 1. Variable 2. Variable for beginning 3. Hypothesis 1) Variable:- Scientists use an experiment to search for cause and effect relationships in nature. In other words, they design an experiment so that changes to one item cause something else to vary in a predictable way. These changing quantities are called variables. The independent variable is the one that is changed by the scientist to do a fair test. The scientist focuses his or her observations on the dependent variable to see how it responds to the change made to the independent variable.
Experiments also have controlled variables. Controlled variables are quantities that a scientist wants to remain constant. 2) Variable for beginning:- It is important for an experiment to be a fair test. You conduct a fair test by making sure that you change one factor at a time while keeping all other conditions the same. 3) Hypothesis:- A hypothesis is an educated guess about how things work. Most of the time a hypothesis is written like this: "If _____ [I do this] _____, then _____ [this] _____ will happen." (Fill in the blanks with the appropriate information from your own experiment.) Your hypothesis should be something that you can actually test, whats called a testable hypothesis. In other words, you need to be able to measure both "what you do" and "what will happen."4. Test with an experiment:- Your experiment tests whether your hypothesis is true or false. You should also repeat your experiments several times to make sure that the first results werent just an accident. We do following steps for experiment done. 1. Experimental procedures 2. Materials list 3. Conducting an experiment
1) Experimental procedure:- The first step of designing your experimental procedure involves planning how you will change your independent variable and how you will measure the impact that this change has on the dependent variable. Scientists run experiments more than once to verify that results are consistent. Each time that you perform your experiment is called a run or a trial. So, your experimental procedure should also specify how many trials you intend to run. In many experiments it is important to perform a trial with the independent variable at a special setting for comparison with the other trials. This trial is referred to as a control group.2) Materials list:- What type of supplies and equipment will you need to complete your science fair project? By making a complete list ahead of time, you can make sure that you have everything on hand when you need it.3) Conducting an experiment:- I. Preparation II. During the experiment a) Preparation:- Before you begin there are still a few more things to do: Know what to do Get a laboratory notebook Be prepared
Think ahead about safety b) During an experiment:- record your observations Write down any problems that occur, anything you do that is different than planned, ideas that come to mind, or interesting occurrences. Your observations will be useful when you analyze your data and draw conclusions. 5. Analyze results and draw conclusion:- Once your experiment is complete, you collect your measurements and analyze them to see if your hypothesis is true or false. Here you are going to do two things: 1. Data analysis & graphs 2. Conclusion 6. Communicate your result:- To complete your science fair project you will communicate your results to others in a final report.Even though we show the scientific method as a series of steps, keep inmind that new information or thinking might cause a scientist to back upand repeat steps at any point during the process. A process like thescientific method that involves such backing up and repeating is called aniterative process.