How to create a GREAT experiment The scientific method How to create a GREAT experiment

How did the Scientific method start... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8wi0QnYN6s start movie at 1:15 and end at 6:25

Start with a Question Your inquiry needs to start somewhere Understanding and questioning the variable will help narrow down a Question What is a variable? an element, feature, or factor that is liable to vary or change (can be independent or dependent)

Hypothesis Make an educated guess based on the knowledge that was present in your general questions involving at least 2 variables and a conclusion Do not use Personal Pronouns Easiest way: If...., then...., (because....) --> if this fits and is appropriate

Test time Only way to see if your educated guess is correct is to Test it out The more tests you complete, the more realistic your results will be The more consistent you are in your procedure, the more realistic your results will be The more samples and variables you test, the more realistic your results will be

Why repeat the experiment several times? Scientists, like everyone else, are imperfect. You cannot be absolutely sure that you have not made a mistake or overlooked something when you do an experiment, but if you do it several times and get the same result, then you can be more confident that you did it correctly. If you do it several times and get different results, that is a clue that tells you that there is something about the experiment that you have failed to understand.

Procedure This is a very detailed step by step list of instructions on how to consistently achieve the results you have hypothesized about Each step is numbered (eg) 1. Place substance A on the scale 2. Record mass of substance A in grams in your results table Do not assume your reader has the same knowledge about the content as you; be specific and concise

Tables and Graphs and Calculations The data you are collecting to prove or disprove your hypothesis must be organized and clear Tables and Graphs must be titled, labeled and include units No final results should appear in this area, simply the information on which a conclusion can be based All calculations (if needed) must be shown and easy to follow since proof is needed to back up your statements made in your results

Results This section is where a summary of the results can be done in table, paragraph or point form (usually dictated to you by your teacher or superior) Final information regarding calculations and observations should appear in this section

Conclusion A short and succinct summary of your findings should be made in paragraph form (usually starting from hypothesis to results) Do not use an Personal Pronouns List any possible sources of error ie: human error, material error (be sure to explain what these errors were and how it affected your results) Can also list any modifications to the procedure that could better the experiment (examples of : more time and different partners are not acceptable answers here)

Example Here is an example of a Scientific method being applied in the middle ages The movie is fictional (and funny) but the lesson can still be seen and applied http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2MhMsLn9B0

Possible sources of error? What could some possible sources of error be and why? What are some procedural steps that could be modified?