Date 3/13/2023
Name: Shuceyb Macalin Farah Barre ID:26
The Scientific Method
1
What is science? Chances are you have been studying
science for a few years now. But science is more than just a few
chapters in a textbook. Science is a process. It is a constant
search for information about our universe.
2
The word science comes from the Latin word, "scire,"
meaning "to know." Scientists are like crime scene investigators.
They use a process to solve a mystery. The process they use is
called the scientific method.
3
Scientists begin this method by stating a problem. This is a
question he or she wants answered. Have you ever wondered
why the sky is blue? Or how your skin heals when you cut it? If
so, you have taken the first step of the scientific method.
4
Before they study it, scientists have to clearly define the
problem. Usually they pose a question. For example, they might
say, "Which warms faster, water or land?"
5
Another step in the scientific method is to gather information.
The scientist might study a body of water and an area of land.
She would use instruments to take measurements. She would
write notes about what she sees.
6
After all the information is gathered, the scientist gives a
possible solution to the problem. This is called a hypothesis. For
example, she might say, "Water warms faster than land."
7
Next, the scientist will test the hypothesis by doing an
experiment. An experiment has to be set up carefully. First, she
would pour a measured amount of water into a container. Then
she would put the same amount of soil into another container.
8
She would put the containers under a heat source such as a
light. She would put a thermometer in each container. At certain
intervals, the scientist would read each thermometer.
9
This is a simple version of an experiment. Every good
experiment has at least one variable. A variable is the factor that
is being tested. Experiments should also have a control. In a
control experiment, everything is set up the same, but the variable
is missing.
10
The next step in the scientific method is to record and
analyze data. Data includes any measurements taken. It also
includes observations made during the experiment.
11
In the soil and water experiment, data would include the
temperatures of each container and the times that they were
taken. Usually the data is recorded in a table. Then it might be
graphed. This helps the scientist to compare the measurements.
12
This experiment would be run many times before the scientist
could come to a conclusion. If the water heats up faster during
each experiment, the scientist could conclude that water heats
faster than land.
13
The steps in the scientific method do not have to be done in
a certain order. They might be performed differently, depending
on the problem. After a conclusion is formed, a theory may be
developed. A theory is a logical explanation for events in nature.
14
After the theory is tested many times, it could become a law.
A law is a theory that has been accepted as true. However, even
laws can be changed if different findings are obtained by other
experiments. This is the spirit of science: questions can always be
asked. New explanations can always be considered in any event.
Questions
1. A problem is usually posed in the form 2. A hypothesis is___C___.
of a _B_____. Possible solution
Method Law
Question Theory
Experiment
3. How is a hypothesis tested? 4. The factor being tested is called a
By doing expirements. __B____.
Control
Variable
Hypothesis
5. What is a theory? 6. Observations and measurements are
A theory is a logical called __A____.
Law
explanation for events in Data
nature. Control
7. Name all the steps in the scientific method.
Research methods can be put into the following three groups:
1. In the first group we include those methods which are
concerned with the collection of data. These methods will be used
where the data already available are not sufficient to arrive at the
required solution;
2. The second group consists of those statistical techniques which
are used for establishing relationships between the data and the
unknowns;
3. The third group consists of those methods which are used to
evaluate the accuracy of the results obtained.
• Research methods falling in the above stated last two groups
are generally taken as the analytical tools of research.
8. Explain the difference between a theory and a law.
A theory is a logical explanation for events in nature.
After the theory is tested many times, it could become a law. A
law is a theory that has been accepted as true. However, even
laws can be changed if different findings are obtained by other
experiments. This is the spirit of science: questions can always be
asked. New explanations can always be considered in any event.
9. Circle the correct way to divide the word into syllables.
1. ana-l-y-z-e anal-yze an-alyze an-a-lyze
2. logi-c-a-l logic-al log-i-cal logica-l
3. con-trol control c-ontrol c-ont-rol
4. exp-lan-a-tion explanation exp-lan-at-ion ex-pla-na-tion
5. soil s-oil so-il soi-l
6. c-rime cri-me crim-e crime
7. vers-ion ve-rsion v-ersion ver-sion
8. sol-ution so-lu-tion so-l-ut-ion solution
9. so-urce sour-ce source sou-rce
10. pos-e p-ose pose po-se
11. var-i-a-ble var-iable vari-able v-aria-ble
12. de-f-ine de-fine define def-i-ne
13. ord-er order or-der orde-r
14. con-clude c-onclude c-oncl-ude conclude
15. conc-l-us-ion conclus-ion co-nc-lus-ion con-clu-sion
16. s-u-ch su-ch such s-uch
17. the-o-ry the-ory theory theo-ry
18. com-pare comp-are compare c-ompare
19. t-herm-ome-t-er th-erm-ometer ther-mom-e-ter therm-om-et-er
20. metho-d method meth-od me-th-o-d
21. pos-si-ble poss-ible po-ss-ib-le pos-sibl-e
