ABest Science High School Review

Advanced ScienceModule 01
Scientific Method
Scientific Method is a series of steps that scientists use to answer questions and solve problems.
Steps in the Scientific Method
1. Ask a question.
2. Form a hypothesis.
3. Test the hypothesis
4. Analyze the results
5. Draw conclusions
6. Communicate results

Ask a question Asking questions helps you focus your investigation. A question identifies
something you dont know but want to find out. Usually, scientists ask a question after theyve
made a lot of observations.
An observation is any use of the senses to gather information. Measurements are
observations that are made with instruments.
Imagine you are walking over the bridge and saw the fishes were floating dead in the river.
The Question: Why are the fishes dying in the river?
Form a hypothesis Once youve asked your question, your next step is forming a hypothesis. A
hypothesis is a possible explanation or answer to a question. You may use what you already know
and any observations that you have made to form a hypothesis. A good hypothesis is testable.
The Hypothesis: The fishes died due to pollution.
Test the hypothesis After you form a hypothesis, you must test it to determine whether it is a
reasonable answer to your question. In other words, testing helps you find out if your hypothesis is
pointing you in the right direction or if it is way off the mark.
One way to test a hypothesis is to conduct a controlled experiment. In a controlled
experiment, there is a controlled group and an experimental group. Both groups are the same
except for one factor in the experimental group, call the independent variable.
Independent Variable (IV) it is the experimental input that is changed to determine the
effect.
Ex: Cleanliness of water
Dependent Variable (DV) it is the observable effect as a consequence of the
Independent Variable.
Ex: Health of the fishes
Control (CV) Same for both Control and Experimental Group
Ex: Type of fish, Number of fishes, food, amount of sunlight, etc

Control Group Experimental Group

With IV

Sometimes a controlled experiment is not possible. Stars, for example, are too far away to be
used in an experiment. In such cases, you can test your hypothesis by making additional
observations or by conducting research.
Analyze the Results After you collect and record you data and other observations, you must
analyze them to determine whether the results of your test support the hypothesis.

Day Control Group Experimental Group

 1 All the fishes are healthy All the fishes are healthy
2 All the fishes are healthy 1 Fish died
3 All the fishes are healthy 2 Fishes died
4 All the fishes are healthy All fishes are dead

Draw Conclusions At the end of your investigation, you must draw a conclusion. You could
conclude that your results did not support your hypothesis, or that you need more information.
Ex: I therefore conclude that the fishes died due to pollution in the water.
Quiz
Determine the dependent and independent variables in each case below:

1. How is the amount of electricity generated from a waterfall affected by the height of the falls?
a. IV = ________________________________________
b. DV = ________________________________________
2. As time increases, the temperature of the water also increases.
a. IV = ________________________________________
b. DV = ________________________________________
3. A change in the peso-dollar exchange rate affects the prices of stocks
a. IV = ________________________________________
b. DV = ________________________________________
Write DV if statement describes a dependent variable and IV if it describes an
independent variable.

1. _____Factor that is changed

2. _____Occurs as a result of the change applied
3. _____The types of soil where mungo seeds are planted
4. _____Comes in varying amounts or numbers in an experiment.
5. _____Determines the effect of amount of water on plant growth

Write H if the statement describes a Hypothesis and O if it describes an observation

1. _____The water turned green

2. _____The fish inside the bowl died
3. _____The leaves of the plant are turning yellow
4. _____Red dye is absorbed faster than yellow dye.
5. _____The amount of sunlight received affects plant growth
Multiple Choice
1. Which of the following is NOT a statement of an observation?
a. After heating, the residue in the test tube became brown c. Sugar was decomposed by
heating
b. The iron nail becomes rusty when exposed to moist air d. The sugar in the test tube is
white in color
2. Which of the following gives the correct order of steps in the scientific method?
a. Experimentation, data analysis, formulation of hypothesis, conclusion
b. Observation, experimentation, conclusion, formulation of hypothesis
c. Observation, formulation of hypothesis, experimentation, conclusion
d. Observation, formulation of hypothesis, data analysis, experimentation
3. In one of his investigations, Alexander Fleming noticed that bacteria growing on agar did not
grow next to a mold that was growing on the same plate. He wrote in his report The mold may
be producing a substance that kills bacteria. Which of the following best describes this
statement?
a. Conclusion b. generalization c. hypothesis d. observation
4. In an experiment, the design is made to test the _____.
a. Design b. hypothesis c. theory d. variable
5. An important characteristic of an experiment is that _____.
a. All factors are manipulated at the same time c. One trial is enough to formulate a law
b. Careful observations must be done before d. The problem should involve a
wide range of topics
formulating a hypothesis
6. The variable being observed when performing an experiment is the _____ variable.
a. Dependent b. fundamental c. independent d. responding