Scientificmethodset-Student Group

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The Scientific Method

Do you like detective or mystery stories? Why do you like them?
Detectives and investigators decipher the clues and try to figure out a logical
explanation for what happened and, above all, who did it! Or do you like to
play games that make you think and figure out a strategy or an answer? If
you enjoy mysteries and figuring out answers to questions or problems, then
the chances very good are you already know something about the scientific
method. Its just that you havent called it the scientific method yet.

The scientific method is basically an organized way to investigate
something that interests you, when you want to find out why something
happens the way it does. The scientific method starts with a question.
Because the method is scientific, the question you ask needs to be something
you can measure so you can compare results you are interested in. Maybe
theres already a good answer to your question so its important to do
background research, looking in the library or searching through the Internet
to find out whats already written about your question.

Just like a detective might come up with a list of suspects who might
be responsible, the next step in the scientific method is to formulate a
hypothesis. This hypothesis is an educated guess about how the things
youre asking about actually work. For example, If I give my plants fertilizer
in the spring, they will have more flowers. is a simple hypothesis about how
plants grow. An important part of formulating a hypothesis is making sure it
is something you can measure. In this example, you can count the number of
flowers. What are some of the other suspects that might be responsible for
plant growth? Did you come up with water, light and temperature? Take a
moment to write some other hypotheses (plural of hypothesis) about plants.

The next step in the scientific method is to show that the hypothesis is
correct (true) or incorrect (false). When scientists are doing research into
complicated areas of science, many of their hypotheses are false. Scientists
are patient and persistent and keep looking for answers. The way to show
that a hypothesis is true or false is to design and complete an experiment.
Scientists must be careful in how they design an experiment to make sure
that it tests exactly what the hypothesis states. A proper experiment
compares two or more things but changes only one variable or factor in the
experiment.

In an experiment, one group is the control group and the other is the
experimental group. If a scientist was testing the flower and fertilizer
hypothesis, she would select one species of flower to test with and buy a
dozen plants. Six of the plants would be the control group and six the
experimental group. All the plants would be kept in the same greenhouse
and given the same amount of light and water. The experimental group
would get a measured amount of fertilizer on a regular schedule while the
control group would not get any fertilizer. The scientist would write down
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everything that she did, keeping good records in a laboratory notebook.
Keeping detailed accurate records is an important part of the scientific
method.

The scientist would conduct this flower experiment for a few weeks
until the flowers bloomed. Then she would count the number of flowers in the
control group and compare it with the number of flowers in the experimental
group. Real science experiments use hundreds or thousands of experimental
subjects to insure that the results apply to more than just a few subjects.

The next step in the scientific method is to analyze the results.
Scientists use sophisticated statistics, a type of mathematical analysis, to
analyze results. Different kinds of statistics are used in different fields of
science. Simply using numbers from an experiment will not prove scientific
hypotheses in real science experiments.

Lets look at the flower example again. What if the control group
produced 20 flowers and the experimental group produced 40 flowers. In this
case, since the difference in the number of flowers is huge, you might draw
the conclusion that the fertilizer did increase the number of flowers and your
hypothesis is true. What if the control group produced 20 flowers and the
experimental group produced 23 flowers? Just because 23 is larger than 20
doesnt mean that the fertilizer improved the number of flowers. There
werent enough subjects (plants) in this experiment to determine that. But
with lots more subjects and using statistics, a scientist could conduct a valid
experiment that shows the difference between 20 and 23 flowers is due to
the fertilizer. Whether a hypothesis is true or false isnt decided by the
measurement numbers themselves but by the statistical analysis.

After scientists complete an experiment they report their conclusions.
Each branch of science has a report format for publishing the results of
experiments. If you do an experiment for a science fair project you will
report your conclusions on a poster board for everyone to see. Your school
probably has a format for science fair posters just like scientists have report
formats.

What happens if the experiment does not show that the hypothesis is
true? Does that automatically mean that the hypothesis is false? Absolutely
not! Scientists are persistent in their research and will try another slightly
different experiment. In the flower example, maybe we didnt use enough
fertilizer to make a difference. Maybe we didnt use the right kind of fertilizer
for the kind of plants we used. The next step might be to run another
experiment with a larger amount of fertilizer. Repeating experiments or
setting up new experiments to pinpoint the real relationship underlying the
question were trying to answer is called an iterative process.

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Overview of the Scientific Method

Step 1:

What is the problem?
(Ask it as a question)
|

Step 2:

Form a hypothesis
(What to find out)
|

Step 3:

List materials needed
|

Step 4:

Define the procedures
(Steps in experiment)
|

Step 4:

Analyze the results
|

Step 6:

Form a conclusion
(State it clearly)

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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Understanding the Scientific Method

The scientific method has the following steps:

1. Ask a question
2. Form a hypothesis
3. List materials needed
4. Decide the steps in the procedure
5. Perform the experiment
6. Analyze the results
7. Draw a conclusion

Sheryls Mom works third shift so she sleeps during the day. Sheryl and her
friends like to listen to loud music after school but they dont want to disturb
Sheryls Mom. Put the step number next to each step of the scientific method
for this problem.

_____ She plans to stand outside her Moms room and measure the sound.

_____ She knows she needs her CD player and the loudest CD she likes.

_____ Sheryl wonders how loudly she and her friends can play music
without disturbing her Mom.

_____ Sheryl decides that half volume is still too loud.

_____ She plans to turn on the CD player in the rec room with her CD at
at half volume.

_____ One day when her Mom isnt sleeping, Sheryl tries the experiment.

_____ Sheryl thinks that half volume should be low enough.

_____ Standing outside her Moms room she can still hear the music.

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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Practice with the Scientific Method


1. Ask a question

In 1872 a wealthy railroad tycoon named Leland Stanford (Stanford
University is named after him) made a bet with a friend about a galloping
horse. Put the step number next to each step of the scientific method for this
problem.

_____ Mr. Stanford proposed that the hooves of a galloping horse dont
touch the ground at some point in time during the gallop.

_____ Before there were digital cameras the film in the camera needed to
be developed into pictures.

_____ A racehorse, a jockey and a camera

_____ Some of the pictures showed that the horses hooves were all in the
air at the same time.

_____ Leland Stanford made a bet that the hooves of a galloping horse
dont touch the ground at some point in time.

_____ Mr. Stanford decided to ask a photographer to take pictures of a
horse galloping at the racetrack.

_____ The jockey rode the galloping horse around the racetrack.

_____ Mr. Stanford looked at the pictures the photographer brought him.
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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Historic Scientific Method


1. Ask a question

Gregor Mendel was an Austrian monk who lived from 1822 until 1884. He
performed some of the first research ever in heredity. Mendel grew an
estimated 28,000 pea plants over eight years. Students can perform an
experiment that is similar to one of his famous experiments with pea plants.

_____ Mendel proposed that cross-bred pea plants will show specific
characteristics from each parent.

_____ Two kinds of purebred pea plants, a place to grow crossbred plants

_____ Mendel thought that heredity depended on both parents and that
specific characteristics from each parent were passed on.

_____ Mendel analyzed the characteristics of the peas produced by the
crossbred plants.

_____ Cross-pollinate the purebred pea plants

_____ Grow the crossbred pea plants until they mature

_____ Mendel determined that there are dominant and recessive traits in
crossbred pea plants.

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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Understanding Hypotheses

You already know that the scientific method provides an organized way
to investigate a question. Once you have a question that you want to
investigate and have done some research on it, the first step in the scientific
method is to express that question in terms of a hypothesis. A hypothesis is
an idea about how what you are investigating works. A hypothesis is often
stated as a condition (if) and a result (then).

Example: If I add fertilizer to my plants, I will get more flowers.

A hypothesis is a prediction about what you think will happen if you try
the condition. A good hypothesis must be testable. A hypothesis must be
written carefully so that you can measure both the condition and the result.
Is the example hypothesis testable?

A hypothesis is testable if you can create a controlled experiment that
will give you more information. This hypothesis is testable because you can
experiment with two groups of plants of the same species. One group would
get a measured amount of fertilizer, like one tablespoon, on a regular
schedule and the other group of plants wouldnt get any fertilizer. Then at
the end of the experiment you can measure, or count, the number of flowers
on the plants in each group.

An untestable hypothesis: If I eat more protein, my muscles will be stronger.

There are two reasons why this is not a well-defined hypothesis. If you
tried to design an experiment from this hypothesis, there is no control group
to compare to. Second, get stronger cant be measured. Think of some
ways that you could measure get stronger. Did you think of lifting heavier
weights, running further, or doing more pull-ups? These are three different
ways of measuring strength in a human.

Exercise: Write a testable hypothesis for the following statement.

Statement: Proper tire pressure improves gas mileage.

Hypothesis: If the tire pressure for a car is set at the manufacturers
recommended amount, the gas mileage of the car will increase.

How would you test this hypothesis?

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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Practice with Hypotheses

Write a testable hypothesis for these situations.

1. Mom and I were baking a cake for my brothers birthday. We didnt have
any baking powder. The recipe said to add one teaspoon of baking
powder to the cake batter. Since thats such a small amount we baked
the cake anyway. We were very disappointed when the cake came out of
the oven flat instead of fluffy. We think maybe we needed to add the
baking powder.

2. You and your friends were studying lists of spelling and vocabulary lists.
It seemed like everyone could easily remember the first word on the list
and the fifteenth word on the list. It seemed very hard to remember the
words in the middle of the list.

3. The Acme Cleansers Company wants to do some advertising for its new
anti-bacterial kitchen cleaner. The advertising executives want to run
some tests that show that their new product is better than the best-
selling brand of kitchen cleaner.

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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Hypothesis Practice

Write a testable hypothesis for these situations.

1. The Safety Officer at a large corporation is concerned that there might be
an accident either in the parking lot or on the road just outside the plant.
It seems that employees are speeding out of the parking lot when their
shift is over. The Safety Officer wonders if the company should ask the
police to station a patrol car near the exit at shift change.

2. Your class is in charge of filling the bird feeders at the Nature Center at
your school. You notice that the nuthatches seem to prefer to eat at the
sunflower seed feeder more than they stop at the mixed seed feeder.

3. Your cat just had six kittens. Theres a new kitten chow on the market
that claims to be healthier for young kittens. Your family has raised
kittens before and fed them a different brand of food. Youd like to find
out for yourself if the new brand is better.

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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Understanding Dependent and Independent Variables

As part of the scientific process, researchers, scientists and even
ordinary people conduct experiments every day to find out more about the
world we live in. An experiments needs to be carefully designed to make sure
it accurately measures what it is supposed to so that the results are correct
and so that the experiment can be repeated by someone else.

Basic experiments are based upon a hypothesis that tries to predict
the outcome of the experiment. Many experiments do not show that their
hypothesis is true. These experiments are still valuable because they help to
guide further research into an area that scientists are interested in.

Experiments test the influence of one thing over another. A proper
experiment compares two or more things but changes only one variable or
factor in the experiment. One example that is often used is an experiment
that tests the influence of fertilizer on the growth of plants. The hypothesis
states that plants that get fertilizer grow taller than plants that get no
fertilizer.

For any particular plant in the experiment, the amount of fertilizer it
will get during the experiment is determined in advance by the experimenter.
Some plants will get no fertilizer while others will get a measured amount. In
this example, the independent variable is the amount of fertilizer.

The other term used in experiments is dependent variable. The
dependent variable is what is measured in the experiment. In this example,
the dependent variable is how tall the plants are. The dependent variable
(how tall the plants are) depends on the independent variable (the amount of
fertilizer).

Example:
Stress increases the heart rate of a person.

Dependent variable (what is measured in the experiment):
heart rate
Independent variable (what is controlled in the experiment):
the amount of stress

Exercise:
Lifting weights increases the breathing rate of a person.

Dependent variable: _______________________

Independent variable: ______________________
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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Identifying Dependent and Independent Variables

Remember
The independent variable is what is controlled in the experiment.
The dependent variable is what is measured in the experiment.

Identify the dependent and independent variables in the following cases.

1. Plants that get regular watering grow taller.


Dependent variable: _____________________

2. At-risk children who attend Head Start get better grades in reading in
second grade.



3. People who smoke cigarettes have a higher incidence of lung cancer.



4. Puppies that are given vitamins gain more weight.



5. Hot water dissolves more sugar than cold water.



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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Practice with Dependent and Independent Variables

Remember


1. Hikers who wear light-weight boots can hike more hours that hikers who
wear heavy boots.



2. Sunflowers that get more water grow over six feet tall.



3. Children who take asthma medication have fewer asthma attacks.



4. Knee replacement patients who participate in physical therapy can climb
stairs three days after surgery.



5. People who are exposed to asbestos have a greater incidence of
mesothelioma.


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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Exercises with Dependent and Independent Variables

Remember


1. Athletes who do not get enough sleep the night before will not run as
fast the next day.



2. Researchers want to know if the gas mileage of cars will increase with a
new type of asphalt surface on roads.



3. The amount of rainfall in an area lowers the incidence of wildfires.



4. Covering a scrape with a band-aid decreases healing time.



5. People with an income greater than $50,000 spend more money on
eating out than people who make less than $30,000.


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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Understanding Control and Experimental Groups

The way to show that a hypothesis is true or false is to design and
complete an experiment. Scientists must be careful in how they design an
experiment to make sure that it tests exactly what the hypothesis states. A
proper experiment compares two or more things but changes only one
variable or factor in the experiment.

In order to make sure that only one factor is being changed in an
experiment, the test is divided into two groups. One group, called the control
group, is exposed to the all the circumstances of the experiment but doesnt
get whatever factor is being tested in the experiment. At the same time, the
experimental group gets all the circumstances of the experiment plus the one
variable being tested by the experiment.

Lets look at an experiment designed to determine if adding fertilizer to
plants will result in more flowers. If a scientist was testing the flower and
fertilizer hypothesis, she would select one species of flower to test with, lets
say petunias, and buy a dozen plants. Six of the plants would be the control
group and six the experimental group. All the plants would be kept in the
same greenhouse and given the same amount of light and water. The
experimental group of six petunia plants would get a measured amount of
fertilizer on a regular schedule while the control group of the other six
petunias would not get any fertilizer.

The purpose of the control group in an experiment is to provide a fair
base for comparison when its time to analyze results. For example, what
would happen if the scientist compared her fertilized greenhouse plants to six
petunia plants growing in the yard? The plants outside were watered by
natural rainwater, were growing in different soil and had different
temperatures than the plants in the greenhouse. If there was a difference in
the number of flowers, how would she know if it was due to the fertilizer and
one of the other variables?

Having a control group is one of the most important parts of
conducting an accurate experiment.

Example:

Hypothesis: Puppies that are given vitamins gain more weight.

Control group: puppies that arent given vitamins

Experimental group: puppies that are given vitamins
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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Identifying Control and Experimental Groups

Remember
The control group does not get the factor being tested.
The experimental group does get the factor being tested.

Identify the control and experimental groups in the following cases.

1. Plants that get regular watering grow taller.

Control group: ______________________

Experimental group: _____________________

2. At-risk children who attend Head Start get better grades in reading in
second grade.

Control group: ______________________


3. People who smoke cigarettes have a higher incidence of lung cancer.

Control group: ______________________


4. Kittens that eat SuperKitty brand gain more weight than those that eat
the generic brand.

Control group: ______________________


5. Hot water dissolves more sugar than cold water.

Control group: ______________________

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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Practice with Control and Experimental Groups

Remember


1. Hikers who wear light-weight boots can hike more hours that hikers who
wear heavy boots.

Control group: ______________________


2. Sunflowers that get more water grow over six feet tall.

Control group: ______________________


3. Children who take asthma medication have fewer asthma attacks.

Control group: ______________________


4. Knee replacement patients who participate in physical therapy can climb
stairs three days after surgery.

Control group: ______________________


5. People who are exposed to asbestos have a greater incidence of
mesothelioma.

Control group: ______________________


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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Exercises with Control and Experimental Groups

Remember


1. High school students who own a laptop computer do better in English
than students who dont.

Control group: ______________________


2. Researchers want to know if the gas mileage of cars will increase with a
new type of asphalt surface on roads.

Control group: ______________________


3. The 3N Chemical Company has developed a new termite prevention
treatment for wood. The researchers want to find out if it is more
effective than the leading brand on the market.

Control group: ______________________


4. Covering a scrape with a band-aid decreases healing time.

Control group: ______________________


5. People with an income greater than $50,000 spend more money on
eating out than people who make less than $30,000.

Control group: ______________________

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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Writing Experiment Conclusions

The purpose of conducting an experiment is to be a detective and
decipher the answer to a question that interests you in an organized way
using the scientific method. Writing your conclusion is an important part of
the investigation. You want to share with everyone else what you found out
in your sleuthing.

Since youve been following the scientific method throughout your
investigation, you want to write an organized conclusion that summarizes
your experimental findings in a clear and complete way. You write the
conclusion after you finish the experiment and graph the data.

The conclusion gives a snapshot of what you accomplished so it
contains summary information about the experiment as well as the
conclusions. Here are the important points that a well-written conclusion
includes:

1. Restatement of the hypothesis. This sentence reminds your audience
what you set out to accomplish.
2. Short summary of the experiment. The summary includes just one or
two sentences that explain how the experiment was conducted.
3. What the data shows. State what the data showed in one or two
sentences.
4. Your conclusion. Clearly state how the data supports or doesnt
support the hypothesis. Be accurate; an experiment that does not
support its hypothesis is just as valuable as one that does.
5. Changes to the experiment. Write a sentence that indicates how the
experiment could be improved.
6. What next? Give an idea of what question youd like to explore next
on this topic. This idea is related to the experiment you just did.

Example conclusion:
My hypothesis was that coleus plants that were given fertilizer would grow
taller than plants without fertilizer. I used two sets of coleus plants kept under
the same conditions except for the amount of fertilizer. The coleus plants given
one teaspoon of 10-10-10 fertilizer grew on average 2 inches taller than
plants without fertilizer. If I were to conduct this experiment again I would add
another group of plants and give them 2 teaspoons of fertilizer to see if these
plants would grow even taller. Because of the results of this experiment, I
wonder if adding fertilizer would cause plants to produce more flowers as well as
grow taller.
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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Identifying Experiment Conclusions
Write one sentence to the right of the graph that summarizes what the data
shows in each of these experiments. Read the graphs carefully and
understand the experimental values before you answer.

1. The bar graph below shows the results of an experiment conducted to
determine if plants that get regular watering grow taller.

Watering Plants Experiment
3.4
3.5
3.6
3.7
3.8
3.9
4
4.1
4.2
4.3
No Wat er Wat er ed

2. The bar graph below shows the results of a study conducted to determine
if at-risk children who attend Head Start get better grades in reading in
second grade than children who did not attend Head Start.

Head Start Effectiveness Study
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
No Head St ar t Head St art

3. The bar graph below shows the results of an experiment to find out if
kittens that eat SuperKitty brand gain more weight than those that eat
the generic brand.

Weight Gain in Pounds of Kittens
Based on Food
2.41
2.42
2.43
2.44
2.45
2.46
2.47
Gener ic SuperKi t t y

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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Practice with Experiment Conclusions

1. The bar graph below shows the results of an experiment conducted to
determine the effects on healing time of covering a scrape with a band-
aid and using antiseptic.
Average Healing Time of a Scrape
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
No Band- Ai d Wi t h Band-Aid Band-Ai d and
Ant isept i c

2. Your class is in charge of filling the bird feeders at the Nature Center at
your school. You notice that the nuthatches seem to prefer to eat at the
sunflower seed feeder more than they stop at the mixed seed feeder so
you observe and count nuthatches at each feeder.
0
1
2
3
4
5
Numbe r
Mixed Seed Sunf lower Seed
Type of Feede r
Number of Nuthatches at Bird
Feeders
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3

3. You conducted an experiment to find out if your classmates remember
the first and last items in a list more than the middle items.
Average Percent Recall of List
Items
0
20
40
60
80
100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Posi t i on i n Li st of t he Wor d

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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Exercises with Experiment Conclusions

1. The graph shows the results of an experiment by a toothpaste company
to determine the reduction in gum disease with their new toothpaste.

Incidence of Gum Disease
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Regul ar Formula New Formula

2. The toothpaste manufacturer also makes mouthwash. Their researchers
conduct a similar experiment on their latest mouthwash formula.

Incidence of Gum Disease
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Regular Formul a New Formula

3. The same company does a taste test to find out what flavor consumers
prefer for the mouthwash.

Flavor Preference of Mouthwash
Cinnamon
Mi nt
Bubbl egum
No pref erence

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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Scientific Method Exercise Set One
Fill in the blanks.

1. Pur-Rite Pharmaceutical Company developed a new antacid formula that
theyd like to advertise as faster acting than the leading brand. Their
researchers are testing the two brands in the laboratory in beakers of
acid with acidity (pH) similar to stomach acid.

Title of the experiment:
Hypothesis:
Independent variable:
Dependent variable:
Control group:

2. Researchers at Pur-Rite Pharmaceutical Company also developed a new
additive for cattle feed that they hope will cause beef cattle to gain
weight faster so they can be sent to market sooner.

Hypothesis:
Dependent variable:
Control group:

3. The management at an assembly plant wants to determine if switching to
a new machine will lower the reject rate of the manufactured product.

Hypothesis:
Dependent variable:
Control group:

4. Sunset brand dishwashing detergent will clean more dishes than any of
the leading three brands.

Hypothesis:
Dependent variable:
Control group:
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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Scientific Method Exercise Set Two
Fill in the blanks.

1. It takes longer to say the color of letters if the letters spell a different
color name. Example: saying red is slower for green than it is for desk.

Hypothesis:
Dependent variable:
Control group:

2. The executives in charge of advertising for Big Spill brand of paper towels
want to advertise that Big Spill towels absorb twice as much water as
Good Buy brand.

Hypothesis:
Dependent variable:
Control group:

3. Lindall disinfectant is three times stronger than bleach at killing germs.

Hypothesis:
Dependent variable:
Control group:

4. The school dietician is in charge of creating the school lunch menu for six
elementary schools. She knows students should select more fruit when
gong through the cafeteria line. She wonders if putting up large colorful
posters of fruit in the cafeteria will increase the amount of fruit students
put on their trays.

Hypothesis:
Dependent variable:
Control group:
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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Scientific Method Exercise Set Three
Fill in the blanks.

1. In a taste test consumers preferred Healthy Meal brand frozen enchilada
dinner over the other best-selling brand.

Hypothesis:
Dependent variable:
Control group:

2. Walking on treadmill three times a week helps to lower high blood
pressure.

Hypothesis:
Dependent variable:
Control group:

3. A toothpaste company wants to show a reduction in gum disease with
their new formula of toothpaste.

Hypothesis:
Dependent variable:
Control group:

4. Cars get less gas mileage if the tire pressure is lower than the amount
recommended by the manufacturer.

Hypothesis:
Dependent variable:
Control group:
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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Scientific Method Exercise Set Four
Fill in the blanks.

1. If you make ice cubes from warm water the cubes freeze faster than if
you made them from cold water.

Hypothesis:
Dependent variable:
Control group:
2. The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384 BC 322 BC) believed that a heavy
object would fall to earth faster than a light object. The Italian physicist
and astronomer Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) is credited with performing
an experiment that showed that all bodies fall at the same rate no matter
what their mass. In this experiment he dropped objects from the top of
the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Hypothesis:
Dependent variable:
Control group:

3. Eating a bowl of oatmeal every morning for breakfast lowers cholesterol
by 6%.

Hypothesis:
Dependent variable:
Control group:

4. After 30 washings, colors are still bright when clothes are washed with
Tidy brand detergent instead of the other leading brand.

Hypothesis:
Dependent variable:
Control group:
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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Scientific Method Exercise Set Five
Fill in the blanks.

1. Dyslexic children get better grades on their essays if they use speech
recognition software instead of writing out the essay by hand.

Hypothesis:
Dependent variable:
Control group:

2. The vacuum seal method of storing chicken in the freezer results in less
freezer burn than storing the chicken in a freezer storage bag.
Hypothesis:
Dependent variable:
Control group:

3. The new style of paint roller developed by RubberType Company is 20%
faster than a traditional paint roller.

Hypothesis:
Dependent variable:
Control group:

4. Using a riding lawn mower with a better turning radius cuts mowing time
by 10%.

Hypothesis:
Dependent variable:
Control group:
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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Scientific Method Stroop Effect

Remember that the steps in the scientific method are:
1. Identify the Problem
2. Form a Hypothesis
3. List the Materials that are needed
4. Define the steps in the Procedure
5. Analyze the Results/Observations
6. Form a Conclusion

What happens if you ask someone to name the color of letters printed on
a flash card if the letters spell the name of another color? The Stroop
Effect says it will take longer.

2. What is the hypothesis?

3. Materials are needed to conduct this experiment
Ten flash cards with colored letters that spell the name of a different
color (Set 1)
Ten flash cards with colored letters that spell a word that isnt the name
of a color (Set 2)
Stopwatch

4. Define the steps in the procedure
Divide the class into two groups with the same number of students
In a separate quiet room test students one at a time
Test group 1 of students with Set 1 of flash cards
Test group 2 of students with Set 2 of flash cards
Time each student with the stopwatch and record the result

5. Analyze the results/observations
Calculate the average time for each group.

6. Form a conclusion
36
Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Scientific Method Inertia and Momentum


A basic scientific principle is that a body in motion remains in motion
unless stopped by an outside force and a body at rest remains at rest
unless moved by an outside force.


A raw potato that isnt too old
A couple of paper straws

Place the potato on your desk or a table
Hold the potato with one hand but dont put your hand under the potato
Stab the potato with the straw


37
Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Scientific Method Effect of Light on Fall Leaf Colors


Do leaves need sunlight in order to change color in the fall?


A growing tree, like a maple, sweet gum or flowering dogwood whose
leaves turn bright red in the fall
Aluminum foil
Masking tape

Make sure that the tree receives lots of sunlight
Just before its time for the leaves to change color in the fall pull down a
branch of the tree and make a tent with the aluminum foil to enclose
some of the leaves
Wait patiently for the rest of the tree to turn colors


38
Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Scientific Method Water Absorption in Plants and Flowers


Identify the Problem
How do plants absorb and use water?

What is the hypothesis?

Materials are needed to conduct this experiment
A white carnation cut flower with a healthy stalk
Food coloring
A cup of water
A clean glass vase or lab flask

Define the steps in the procedure
Mix the food coloring and water in the measuring cup
Pour the colored water into the vase or lab flask
Put the flower stem into the vase or lab flask
Put the vase or lab flask in a location that gets sun most of the day
Observe what happens to the flower

Analyze the results/observations

Form a conclusion
39
Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Scientific Method Iron and Magnetism

Form a Hypothesis
List the Materials that are needed
Define the steps in the Procedure
Analyze the Results/Observations
Form a Conclusion

Does a magnet attract iron?


3 cups of iron-fortified breakfast cereal
Water
A bowl large enough to hold the cereal and some water
A spoon
A piece of white paper towel

Put the cereal into the bowl
Add enough water to cover the cereal
Use the spoon to crush the cereal into very fine particles
Swish the magnet through the cereal mixture making certain that the
magnet reaches the bottom of the bowl because the iron will sink to the
bottom.
Remove the magnet from the cereal mix and wipe it on the paper towel
The black substance on the paper towel will be the iron


Form a conclusion
40
Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Scientific Method Oxidation of Cut Apples

Form a Hypothesis
Form a Conclusion

A cut apple turns brown after a few minutes. People dont like to eat
brown apple slices but youd like to serve cut up fruit to your guests who
are coming in half an hour.


One apple
Half a cup of lemon juice mixed with one cup water in a bowl large
enough to hold an apple quarter
Have an adult cut the apple for you with a sharp knife
Refrigerator
4 small paper plates marked lemon juice refrigerator; lemon juice
counter; no juice refrigerator; and no juice counter

Cut the apple into quarters
Dunk one apple quarter in lemon juice and put it in the refrigerator on
the labeled paper plate
Dunk the next apple quarter in lemon juice and leave it on the counter
on the labeled paper plate
Put one apple quarter (with no lemon juice on it) in the refrigerator on
Put the last apple quarter (with no lemon juice on it) on the counter on
Check the apple quarters after a couple of minutes


Form a conclusion
41
Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______

Scientific Method Oxidation of Cut Apples by Variety

Form a Hypothesis
Form a Conclusion

A cut apple turns brown after a few minutes. People dont like to eat
brown apple slices. Are there varieties of apples that take longer to turn
brown?


One Macintosh or Rome apple
One Cortland or Golden Delicious apple
Have an adult cut the apples for you with a sharp knife
2 small paper plate each marked with a variety of apple

Cut the apples into quarters
Put the apple quarters on the plate marked for the variety of apple
Watch the apple quarters for a couple of minutes and time how long it
takes before the apple quarters turn brown


Form a conclusion

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