Scientific Method

What is the scientific method?

• a process that scientists use to explain why things happen the way they do

• a process that scientists use to create new things

• a process that scientists use to study the supernatural

You can draw _________ about an observation based on things you already know.

• observations

• inferences

• scientific laws

the use of one more senses to gather information and take note of what occurs

• observation

• question

• theory

• hypothesis

a testable explanation for an observation that can be used to make a prediction for an experiment

• theory

• question

• hypothesis

• inference

a way to test a hypothesis; involves manipulating variables

• data

• table

• observation

• experiment

This variable is changed in an experiment to see how it affects another variable.

• independent variable

• dependent variable

• constant

This variable is measured to see how it was affected by another variable

• independent variable

• dependent variable

• constant

• control

This variable is kept the same in an experiment

• independent variable

• dependent variable

• constant

In an experiment to test how the amount of sunlight affects plant growth, the amount of sunlight is the ________.

• independent variable

• dependent variable

In an experiment to test how the amount of sunlight affects plant growth, the plant growth is the ______.

• independent variable

• dependent variable