The Scientific Method Information Page

 Science is an investigation to gain knowledge about the physical universe.  A method is a step by step procedure or a style of research.  Put the two definitions together... and the Scientific Method is the procedure scientists use to gain knowledge about the physical universe!!!      

This flowchart names the 6 steps of the Scientific Method...

Step 1:  OBSERVATION/QUESTION – An observation is a form of investigation that causes the curious human brain to form questions.  Observations can come from reading online, in books, or from examining the natural world around us.  The questions we generate from observations serve as our guide through the scientific method!!!.........

 Step 2:  HYPOTHESIS – A hypothesis is a prediction that can be tested.  These predictions are educated guesses made in an attempt to answer your questions from step one.  Your original hypothesis is often found to be incorrect and must be rejected, but that can give you new knowledge on which to form another hypothesis! 

 Step 3:  DESIGN EXPERIMENT – Experimental design is an important step in the scientific method – it provides the step by step procedure allowing us to accept or reject the hypothesis.  In its simplest form, experimental design can be as easy as making more observations &/or doing research, but a more complex experimental design may require a controlled experiment to gather information.

 Step 4:  TEST HYPOTHESIS – Testing the hypothesis is done by performing your experimental design and collecting the data.  Data is information recorded during experiments and research.  Data can take the form of numbers, measurements, dates, information gathered from research, interviews, or observations, and much more. 

 Step 5:  CONCLUDE – After your data is collected, conclude if the original hypothesis should be accepted or rejected.  Accept your hypothesis if the data supports your prediction.  Reject if the data does not support your hypothesis, return to step 2, and form a new testable hypothesis. 

 Step 6:  REPORT – Reporting results is an important step of the scientific method, and science relies on this information sharing.  Written reports and oral presentations are very common ways to share information.

Home                    Ch. 1 - Scientific Method Dir