WHAT GOOD SCIENTISTS DO?

SCIENTIFIC PROCESS Step 1: Observation Step 2: Question Step 3: Hypothesis Step 4: Experiment Step 5: Data Collection Step 6: Prediction Step 7: Conclusion

STEP 1: OBSERVATION Make and record any observations which you think might be relevant about the unknowns

STEP 2: QUESTION Ask the appropriate question. For example: How do I identify what I am looking at?

STEP 3: HYPOTHESIS An “educated guess” as to what will be the conclusion of the lab that is performed

STEP 4: EXPERIMENT Performing a planned procedure to test the hypothesis

STEP 5: DATA COLLECTION Recording any change or reaction (usually a numerical, physical, or chemical change) in a data table

STEP 6: PREDICTION Can you make a prediction with certainty about what has happened in the lab procedure

STEP 7: CONLUSION Did your data results support or disprove your hypothesis? What did the findings of your lab say about past and/or future research?

PARTS OF AN EXPERIMENT -Control -Variables -Dependent -Independent

CONTROL The variable in the experiment that is held constant Example: -Patients with high blood pressure taking pills to reduce blood pressure -Control: placebo pill without the altering medication

VARIABLES -Independent Variable: -Is not changed by the other variables around it -Always on the x-axis -Dependent Variable: -What is being measured in the experiment -Always on the y-axis

EXAMPLE Patients with high blood pressure taking pills to reduce blood pressure -Independent Variables -Patients taking placebo pill or medication -Dependent Variable -Average blood pressure of the patients