NAME: ________________________________ GRADE: __________

HYPOTHESIS TESTING
WHAT IS AND WHAT IS NOT A HYPOTHESIS.

IMPORTANT STATEMENTS IN SCIENCE

STUDY/RESEARCH QUESTION
A question that the researcher would like to study. It must be something that is answerable using the scientific method. e.g. Does drinking milk reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis?

AIM
What the researcher tries to show (Use the verb form starting with 'to' (eg 'to investigate'). Avoid the noun form which often ends in '-ion' (eg 'investigation'). e.g. To show the relationship between milk and osteoporosis. OR to prove/ illustrate that milk reduces the risk of osteoporosis.(maybe use photosynthesis/resp/enzyme e.g.,-more familiar territory) also include illustrate

HYPOTHESIS
An informed prediction of the outcome of an investigation. A hypothesis should: include 3 components: 1. the independent variable 2. the dependant variable and 3. The relationship between these two. i.e. it should show a cause and effect relationship. be testable/falsifiable. be in the present or future tense.

A hypothesis should NOT: be in the form of a question start with to. Be in the past tense.

e.g. Drinking more milk reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis. OR Drinking more milk increases the risk of developing osteoporosis. OR Drinking more milk has no effect on the risk of developing osteoporosis.

CONCLUSION
A summary of what the results of the study show. It will generally be in the present or past tense. e.g. Drinking milk reduces/d the risk of osteoporosis.

*NOTE: The conclusion and hypothesis can be different or the same.

RELIABILITY VS. VALIDITY OF AN EXPERIMENT.

Reliability is a measure of the consistency of results of the investigation over time. Reliability can also be described as the likeliness of someone repeating the experiment and getting the same result or someone else doing the same experiment and getting the same result. Validity is making sure that the cause-effect relationship identified in the study is really there, and there are no other explanations for the results, i.e. the variables are controlled Validity also entails how 'properly' the experiment was performed, and whether it was 'proper' enough for the conclusion to be made.

COMMON STEPS IN PLANNING AN INVESTIGATION

Determine the variables to be tested/controlled. Get permission from relevant authorities e.g. Parents, people answering a questionnaire, animal ethics etc. Select a date, time, season, etc when the data collection will take place. Obtain and test the equipment to be used. Create appropriate data sheets to record the data.

ACTIVITY State what is wrong in each of the following hypotheses and correct them. A) To prove that vitamin A causes night blindness. B) Cells in the stem might have more collenchyma tissue than stems in the root. C) Do females have a wider pelvic girdle than males? D) There were more impala in the reserve than lions. E) Will bacteria grow more in warm weather. F) To determine the effect of wind on transpiration. G) The amount of water given effects how tall a plant grows. H) People who took drugs in schools had a lower pass rate