The Scientific Method

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The Scientific Method
What is the Scientific Method?
A step-by-step process used to solve problems.
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Steps in the Scientific Method
1. Determine the problem
2. Research the problem
3. Make a hypothesis
4. Test your hypothesis
5. Analyze the results
6. Draw conclusions
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1. Determine the problem
What is a problem?
A situation in which something appears to be
missing
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• 2. Research the Problem
• Find information about your problem before you
  make a hypothesis.
• Has anyone studied this problem
• before?
• What experiments have been
• conducted and what was the
• outcome?

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3. Make a hypothesis
What is a hypothesis?
A testable prediction used to see how something
works or to solve a problem.
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4. Test your hypothesis
How can we test our hypothesis?
Labs Experiments Data gathering
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5. Analyze the results
What can we use?
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6. Draw conclusions
I think this happened because
The data supports the following
As a result of our experiment
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3 Important Terms
Hypothesis Theory Scientific Law
All 3 sound alike, but what are the differences?
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Hypothesis
An educated guess. What we believe to be true.
I think it will snow tomorrow because
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Theory
We believe it to be true because we have tested
it many times.
It will snow tomorrow because the temperature
will be 12, the air is saturated, two fronts are
coming in contact with each other
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Scientific Law
A rule of nature that sums up related
observations and experimental results to describe
a pattern in nature.
It will snow tomorrow because its Friday.
(Based on the fact that it has snowed on each and
every Friday for the last 50 years.)