Scientific Method

The scientific method is a(n)

• series of steps scientists use to answer questions and investigate problems

• experiment using two variables

• way of dividing test subjects into two groups with one group getting a placebo

• a way to divide cells during reproduction

A ___________________is a tentative explanation for an observation.

What do scientists investigate in a controlled experiment?

• a placebo

• a variable

• a control

• a cell

In a double-blind test, the non-control group receives a

• hypothesis

• control

• new medicine

• placebo

What must occur for a hypothesis to be considered fully proven?

• The hypothesis needs to be reported on tv

• The public must agree and support the hypothesis

• Other scientists must be able to repeat the experiment and get the same results

• There must be a specific number of experiments completed

In what form should an hypothesis be written?

• control-test

• question-answer

• yes-no

• if-then

The scientific method is a series of six steps used to answer questions or investigate problems. It demands evidence and proof. Sometimes steps must be repeated; sometimes there are no good answers. Sometimes proving you were wrong is just as important as proving you were right. The steps are: creating a question, doing research, forming a hypothesis, testing, analyzing data, and communicating the results. What is the order of the steps?

• 1. question

  2. test

  3. hypothesize

  4. analyze

  5. communicate

  6. research

• 1. hypothesize

  2. question

  3. test

  4. analyze

  5. research

  6. communicate

• 1. question

  2. research

  3. hypothesize

  4. test

  5. analyze

  6. communicate

• 1. test

  2. question

  3. hypothesize

  4. communiciate

  5. analyze

  6. research

Scientists have found that it's always best to have a control group. Why? For example, you are measuring whether drinking soda makes people smarter. So, you get a bunch of kids who don't drink soda, and give them a test. Then you have them drink lots of soda for a few weeks and then have them take a similar test. Hmmmmm. The scores have gone up. Did you just prove that drinking soda makes kids smarter? Not exactly. It could be that those kids had been studying or learning stuff at school. A better experiment would be to set up a control group with kids who drink soda and a second group made up of kids who don't. Give them the same test. If the scores DON'T go up, then you've just figured out that soda is the real cause! Which of these is the BEST evidence that drinking soda makes people smarter?

• The soda-drinking group does not show improved scores while the control group does.

• The control group's scores do not improve while the soda-drinking group's scores do.

• Both the control and soda-drinking groups scored exactly the same on the second test.

• The control group scored higher than the soda-drinking group on the first test.