SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Objectives:
• Define scientific method,
• Define the steps of the scientific method,
• Use the scientific method to create an experiment in their daily life.
Two types of data
• Quantitative data – numbers and are obtained by counting or
measuring.
• Qualitative data – are descriptions and involve characteristics that
cannot be counted.
Hypothesis
• A hypothesis is a scientific explanation for a set of observations.
• A hypothesis must be stated in a way that makes it “testable”. The
hypothesis is just a possible answer to a question, and it must be
thoroughly tested.
SCIENTIFIC METHOD
• The scientific method involves a series of steps that are used to
investigate a natural occurrence.
SCIENTIFIC METHOD
• The scientific method is a series of steps used by scientists to solve a
problem or answer a question.
• The steps to the Scientific Method
1. Observation/Asking a question
2. Form a hypothesis
3. Design a Controlled Experiment
4. Record and Analyze Results
5. Draw Conclusions
STEP 1:
Observation/Asking a question.
A problem or a question must first be identified.

• How much water can a root hair absorb?

• Why does a plant stem bend toward the light?
• What effect does temperature have on heart rate?
STEP 2:
Form a hypothesis.
• A possible explanation to the question or problem.
• It is simply a prediction and has not yet been proven or disproven.
• It must be stated in a way that is testable. A statement is considered
“testable” if evidence can be collected that either does or does not
support.
STEP 3:
Designing a Controlled Experiment.
1. The factors in an experiment that can be changed are called
variables. Some example of variables would be: changing the
temperature, the amount of light present, time, concentration of
solutions used.
2. A controlled experiment works with one variable at a time. If
several variables were changed at the same time, the scientist would
not know which variable was responsible for the observed results.
3. In a controlled experiment only one variable is changed at a
time. All other variables should be unchanged or controlled”.
4. An experiment is based on the comparison between a control
group with an experimental group.
a. These two groups are identical except for one factor.
b. The control group serves as the comparison. It is the same as the
experiment group, except that the one variable that is being tested
is removed.
c. The experimental group shows the effect of the variable that is
being tested.
Example:
• In order to test the effectiveness of a new vaccine, 50 volunteers are
selected and divided into two groups. One group will be the control
group and the other will be the experimental group. Both groups are
given a pill to take that is identical in size, shape, color, and texture.
Describe the control group.
• Even though the volunteers are given identical looking pills, the
control group will not actually receive the vaccine.
Describe the experimental group.
• This group will receive the vaccine.
What variables are kept constant?
• The size, shape, color, and texture of the pill.
What variable is being changed?
• Whether or not the pill contains the vaccine.
There are two variables in an
experiment:
a. The independent variable is the variable that is deliberately
changed by the scientist.
b. The dependent variable is the one observed during experiment.
The dependent variable is the data we collect during the
experiment. This data is collected as a result of changing the
independent variable.
c. In the example, what is the independent variable?
- It is the addition of the vaccine to the pills that were given to
the volunteers.
d. In the example, what is the dependent variable?
- The observed health of the people receiving the pills.
Recording and Analyzing Results
• The data that has been collected must be organized and analyzed to
determine whether the data are reliable.
• Does the data support or not support the hypothesis?
Drawing Conclusions
• The evidence from the experiment is used to determine if the
hypothesis is proven or disproven.
• Experiment must be repeated over and over. When repeated, the
results should always be the same before a valid conclusion can be
reached.
Forming a Theory
• A broad and comprehensive statement of what is thought to be
true.
• A theory is supported by considerable evidence.
• A theory may be formed after the hypothesis has been tested many
times and is supported by much evidence.
Practice Problem:
• You want to determine the effects of a certain fertilizer on the
growth of orchids grown in a greenhouse. Materials that are
available to you include: greenhouse, 100 orchid plants, water,
fertilizer, and soil. You want to know if the orchids will grow best
with a weak concentration of fertilizer, a medium concentration of
fertilizer, or a high concentration of fertilizer. How will you design
an experiment to test different concentrations of this fertilizer?
State your hypothesis:
Possible answer:
• I predict that the orchids will grow best with a medium
concentration of fertilizer.
How will you set up a controlled
experiment?
Here is one possibility:
The 100 plants will be divided into 4 groups as follows:
- Group 1: 25 plants will receive plain water.
- Group 2: 25 plants will receive a weak concentration of fertilizer.
- Group 3: 25 plants will receive a medium concentration of
fertilizer.
- Group 4: 24 plants will receive a high concentration of fertilizer.
The plants will be watered daily. Over a period of a month,
the plants will be measured to see which ones grew the
tallest.
Control Group
• What is the control group in this experiment?
- The control group consists of the 25 plants that are receiving plain
water.
Experimental Group
• What is the experimental group in this experiment?
- The experimental group consists of the 75 plants that are receiving
various concentrations of fertilizer.
In a “controlled experiment”, all variables must be kept
constant except the one variable that is being changed .
• What variables must be kept constant in this experiment?
- All plants must receive the same amount of fluid each day.
- All plants are grown in pots of equal size.
- All plants are grown at the same temperature.
- All plants receive the same amount of sunlight.
• What variable is being changed in this experiment?
- The variable being changed is the amount of fertilizer received by
each group of plants.
After one month of measuring the
orchids, the following data is obtained:
- Group 1 (Control Group): Grew to an average height of 15 cm.
- Group 2 (Weak Concentration): Grew to an average height of 35
cm.
- Group 3 (Medium Concentration): Grew to an average height of 28
cm.
- Group 4 (High Concentration): Grew to an average height of 10
cm.
• Is your hypothesis supported or disproved by these results?
- We hypothesized that the orchids would grow best with a medium
concentration of fertilizer.
- The results do not support this.
- The results disprove our hypothesis.
• What is your conclusion based on these results?
- Orchids grow best with a weak concentration of fertilizer.
- At a medium to high concentration, plant growth is inhibited.
Analysis Questions
• Why is it important to have a large sample size in any
experiment?
- It is important to test a large sample in order to get a true picture of
the results of the experiment. If the sample size is too small, an
inaccurate conclusion may be reached. Results obtained by testing a
large number of individuals would be much more accurate than if
only a few individuals had been tested.
• Why is it important to repeat the experiment many times?
- Experiments should be repeated to see if the same results are
obtained each time. This gives validity to the test results.
• What is the importance of the control?
- The control shows what will happen when the experimental factor
is omitted. Without the control, there would be no basis for
comparison and you would not know how the experiment factor
affected the results.
• How is a theory different than a hypothesis?
- A hypothesis is an “educated guess” that is testable through
observations and experimentation. A theory is a broad statement of
what is believed to be true based on many experiments and
considerable amounts of data.
• Why is it so important that a scientist accurately describes the
procedure used in the experiment?
- It allows other scientists to repeat the experiment and verify the
results.
• What is the difference between the independent and the
dependent variables in an experiment?
- The independent variable is the variable that is deliberately
changed by the scientist. The dependent variable is the one observed
during the experiment. The dependent variable is the data we collect
during the experiment.
• In a “controlled experiment”, why must all of the variables,
except one, be kept constant throughout the experiment?
- If several variables were changed at the same time, the scientist
would not know which variable was responsible for the observed
results.
SCIENTIFIC
NOTATION
Scientific Notation
• A way to express a very small or very large numbers that is often
used in “scientific” calculations where the analysis must be very
precise.
• Scientific notation is a way of writing a number as a multiplication
problem where,
• The first number is greater than one but less than ten and,
• The second number is a power of 10.
Powers of 10
Exponential Form (Power) Standard Form
106 1000000
105 100000
104 10000
103 1000
102 100 Notice that the
101 10 negative
100 1 powers are
10-1 0.1 decimals.
10-2 0.01
10-3 0.001
To change from Standard form to
Scientific notation
• Place decimal point such that there is one non-zero digit to the left
of the decimal point.
• Count number of decimal places the decimal has “moved” from the
original number. This will be the exponent of the 10.
• If the original number was less than 1, the exponent is negative; if
the original number was greater than 1, the exponent is positive.
Example: 4 750 000
• Use 4.75 (moved 6 decimal places)
Answer : 4.75x106

The original was greater than 1 so the exponent is positive.

Example: 0.000789
• Use 7.89 (moved 4 decimal places)
Answer: 7.89x10-4

The original number was less than 1 so the exponent is negative.

Try these!!!
1. 61 500 = 6.15x104
2. 84 960 000 = 8.496x107
3. 321 = 3.21x102
4. 0.000527 = 5.27x10-4
5. 0.0000004 = 4x10-7
REMEMBER:
• The first number must be 1 or more, but less than 10. That means
the first number before the decimal point can be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,
or 9.
To change from Scientific Notation to
Standard Form
• Move decimal point to RIGHT for POSITIVE exponent of 10.
• Move decimal point to LEFT for NEGATIVE exponent of 10.
Example: 5.024x10 3

Answer: 5 024 (3 places to the right)

Positive exponent – move decimal to the right.

Example: 1.015x10 -8

Answer: 0.00000001015 (8 places to the left)

Negative exponent – move decimal to the left.

Try these!!!
• Write in standard form.
1. 1.09x105 = 109 000
2. 4.2273x104 = 42 273
3. 9.42x10-3 = 0.00942
THANK YOU AND
HAVE A NICE
DAY