The Scientific Method

Dianna Baldwin SCI 230 The Scientific Method The first step in the scientific method is to observe. When you are observing you are discovering what is going on around you. The second step in the scientific method is question. To question one must make an attempt to explain the observation that was made. The next step in the scientific method is making a hypothesis. A hypothesis is made to predict a solution and an outcome. The fourth step in the scientific method is making a prediction. When making a prediction you are indicating the outcome. Next is the conclusion.The conclusion details the findings of the testing. This then leads to the final step which is the results. The results are whether your findings based on the hypothesis are supported or refuted. In the activity I applied the steps of the scientific method by observing what was said in the captions and what was happening in the picture. I then had to question what was going on with my observation. I then made a hypothesis and tested the hypothesis and made a prediction. Then based on the outcome of the testing I found the conclusion and gathered the results.A real – life situation that I have used the scientific method would be when I flipped the light switch the light did not come on. I observed the light did not come on when I turned it on. I then questioned what may be the problem. Is it a burnt out bulb or something more complex. I then made a hypothesis on what I thought the problem was. My best guess was the light bulb was burnt out. I predicted that if I change the light bulb and put in a new one it would work just fine. I changed the light bulb and it was indeed burnt out. My hypothesis was supported. The Scientific Method The scientific method is a hypothesis-driven process of inquiry. The goal is to ask and answer scientific questions by making observations and doing experiments. This week we were asked to complete the scientific method activity on the student website. I participated in both experiments, but I found the car experiment to be a bit more of a challenge. I had to apply the steps of the scientific method several times before I finally arrived at a resolution. The Car Experiment. The car experiment began with an observation; something is wrong with the vehicle because it will not start. In an effort to explain my observation I ask the question; â€Å"Why won’t the vehicle start? † There could be a number of reasons why the vehicle will not start, so the next step is to hypothesize the solution and outcome. The website provided us with the following 3 hypotheses: 1. The car needs fluids. 2. The car battery is not working. 3. There are electrical problems. The next step is to make a prediction. I predicted that the vehicle must have an issue with the battery. I chose this hypothesis first, because it is not uncommon for someone to leave a dome light on and accidently drain their battery. While it is not uncommon to run out of fuel, I did not select this answer because in this day and age most vehicle owners keep an eye on their fuel levels to ensure that they have an adequate amount for the next day. The conclusion details the findings of your prediction. In this case the vehicle’s battery was fine. The results tie back into my hypothesis. The result was refuted, and I must now begin the process from the top to find the correct scientific method to remedy the problem. I had to repeat the scientific method 3 times until I found the solution to my problem. The vehicle had faulty electrical issues, and once the fuses were replaced it started right up. A real-life problem that I could use the scientific method to solve is a problem I have been having recently with my new vacuum. It is less than 3 months old and it has been acting strangely. I can use it one day for an hour without any problems, and two days later I can turn it on but it will only work for 3 or 4 minutes before shutting off. The steps that I would take to solve the problem are: 1. Make an Observation 2. Question: â€Å"Why is my vacuum not working properly? † 3. Thesis: Develop a hypothesis about why the vacuum may be acting strangely. It has electrical problems. It is clogged. It is faulty and I should contact the manufacturer. 4. Prediction 5. Conclusion 6. Results The Scientific Method The Scientific Method Hands-On Labs, Inc. Version 42-0130-00-01 Lab Report Assistant This document is not meant to be a substitute for a formal laboratory report. The Lab Report Assistant is simply a summary of the experiment’s questions, diagrams if needed, and data tables that should be addressed in a formal lab report. The intent is to facilitate students’ writing of lab reports by providing this information in an editable file which can be sent to an instructor. Observations Data Table 1: Scientific Method Data Unknown Sample Number #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 Hypothesis:Coffee Potting soilBrown sugarBaby powderFlowerBaking powderColor:Dark brown Old copper(sepia, maroon)Light BrownWhiteWhiteWhite Texture:It’s coarse& fragile particleVery coarse and grittyThe particle is sticky and a bit grittyVery Soft particle &silkyVery softVery soft Shape:In general, it’s coarse-grainedNot regularCoarse-grainedVery fine. It’s difficult to look in detailCoarse-grainedC oarse-grained Smell:It’s totally coffeeNo smell or a faint scant Sweet tasteVery nice. It’s just delicate baby smellNo smellNo smell Soluble:SolubleInsolubleSolubleSolubleSolubleSoluble Density:The dense is less than baby powder(0. 182 g/cm3)Little dense/it’s similar as #6(0. g/cm3)Low dense (0. 467 g/cm3)High dense (0. 867 g/cm3)It’s similar as #6 (0. 454 g/cm3)It’s similar as #5 (0. 5 g/cm3) Conclusion:CoffeePotting soilBrown sugarBaby powderFlowerBaking powder Data Table 2: Calculating Density of Unknown Samples U nk no wn S a m p l e Number Mass of full vial & bag (g) Mass of empty vial & bag (g) Mass of unknown sample (g) Volume (cm3) Density (g/cm3) #12. 0g1. 8g0. 2g1. 1 cm30. 182 #22. 5g1. 8g0. 7g1. 4 cm30. 5 #32. 5g1. 8g0. 7g1. 5 cm30. 467 #43. 0g1. 8g1. 2g1. 5 cm30. 867 #52. 3g1. 8g0. 5g1. 1 cm3 cm30. 454 #62. 5g1. 8g0. 7g1. 4 cm30. 5 The Scientific Method The Scientific Method is a complex, yet simple process. It was designed to help scientist and every day people who face problems come up with a logical and tested solution. According to authors Pruitt and Underwood (2006), The Scientific Method is defined as â€Å"the set of procedures that form the rational approach to studying the natural world. † This method can be applied to something dealing with science or something that deals with everyday life. In the below paragraphs, this writer will explain the scientific method and how it was used to achieve results in a web-based experiment as well as a real life situation. This writer would begin the web-based experiment by researching and discover why plants grow towards the light. Once the results of the search are gathered, this writer would produce a hypothesis. The possible hypothesis is; plants grow toward the light because it is a critical part of the process known as Photosynthesis. This writer’s prediction is that if a plant is placed to grow near a window, the plant will lean toward the light. For the experiment, this writer would put three plants on a table with a window to the left of them and three plants on a table with a window to the right of them. Over the course of three weeks, this writer will observe and document the plants reaction to the light coming through the window. After careful review of the information documented, this writer can safely conclude that the plants with the window to the right of them, grew bent toward the light and the plants with the window to the left of them grew bent toward the light. This information does support my hypothesis that plants grow toward the light to help with the Photosynthesis process. There were many problems that this writer could have tested, but decided to test the most important one of all. This writer’s daughter is at the stage in her life where she is taking off her pamper, but refuses to become potty trained. What is causing this? Not unlike other parents and scientists, this question came from a problem that needed a solution. Through personal experimentation as well as information compiled through secondary sources, this writer came up with effective ways to potty train their daughter properly. While observing the child, this writer noted that whenever the child needed to use the bathroom, she would cross her legs. After the child would receive some type of drink, approximately 20 minutes, she would again start to cross her legs. It became very apparent that the child was very ready to become potty trained. Through these observations, this writer produced her hypothesis. If this writer puts the child on the pot 20 minutes after she ingests any type of drink, the child will gradually become potty trained. This writer tried this method of potty training for two days. During those days, the child did successfully use the pot at the times this writer put her on it, but the child still had accidents on herself. With this information, this writer concluded that their methods were unsuccessful. This writer researched potty training techniques to construct a new hypothesis. According to the Mayo Clinic website (1998-2011), â€Å"when you notice signs that your child may need to use the toilet- such as squirming, squatting or holding the genital area- respond quickly. Once the child successfully uses the toilet, there should be some type of praise. Some people use stickers on a chart and others give special treats such as candy or an extra bedtime story (Infant and toddler health, 1998-2011). With using these techniques as well as cutting off all liquids that the child receives at eight o’ clock every day, this writer has found that the child has not had a day time potty accident in t hree days. Consistent monitoring of children while actively trying to potty train is the most important thing to do if successful results are desired. While potty training is no small feat, each parent who tackles this task knows that not every parent is the same and not all methods work for every child. This is something that will be learned on a case-by-case base. While the two experiments conducted are drastically different, they are both similar in the way that they both followed the Scientific Method. With a sound hypothesis and a thirst for knowledge, using the Scientific Method will always provide valid results backed by science. References Potty training: How to get the job done. (1998-2011). Infant and toddler health. Retrieved on March 24, 2011 from http://www. mayoclinic. com/health/potty-training/CC00060 Pruitt, N. L. , & Underwood, L. S. (2006). Bioinquiry: Making connections in biology (3rd ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Stein Carter, J. (1996). The Scientific Method. Retrieved on March 24, 2011 from http://biology. clc. uc. edu/courses/bio104/sci_meth. htm The Scientific Method The Scientific Method Hands-On Labs, Inc. Version 42-0130-00-01 Lab Report Assistant This document is not meant to be a substitute for a formal laboratory report. The Lab Report Assistant is simply a summary of the experiment’s questions, diagrams if needed, and data tables that should be addressed in a formal lab report. The intent is to facilitate students’ writing of lab reports by providing this information in an editable file which can be sent to an instructor. Observations Data Table 1: Scientific Method Data Unknown Sample Number #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 Hypothesis:Coffee Potting soilBrown sugarBaby powderFlowerBaking powderColor:Dark brown Old copper(sepia, maroon)Light BrownWhiteWhiteWhite Texture:It’s coarse& fragile particleVery coarse and grittyThe particle is sticky and a bit grittyVery Soft particle &silkyVery softVery soft Shape:In general, it’s coarse-grainedNot regularCoarse-grainedVery fine. It’s difficult to look in detailCoarse-grainedC oarse-grained Smell:It’s totally coffeeNo smell or a faint scant Sweet tasteVery nice. It’s just delicate baby smellNo smellNo smell Soluble:SolubleInsolubleSolubleSolubleSolubleSoluble Density:The dense is less than baby powder(0. 182 g/cm3)Little dense/it’s similar as #6(0. g/cm3)Low dense (0. 467 g/cm3)High dense (0. 867 g/cm3)It’s similar as #6 (0. 454 g/cm3)It’s similar as #5 (0. 5 g/cm3) Conclusion:CoffeePotting soilBrown sugarBaby powderFlowerBaking powder Data Table 2: Calculating Density of Unknown Samples U nk no wn S a m p l e Number Mass of full vial & bag (g) Mass of empty vial & bag (g) Mass of unknown sample (g) Volume (cm3) Density (g/cm3) #12. 0g1. 8g0. 2g1. 1 cm30. 182 #22. 5g1. 8g0. 7g1. 4 cm30. 5 #32. 5g1. 8g0. 7g1. 5 cm30. 467 #43. 0g1. 8g1. 2g1. 5 cm30. 867 #52. 3g1. 8g0. 5g1. 1 cm3 cm30. 454 #62. 5g1. 8g0. 7g1. 4 cm30. 5