Scientific method is a way to answer scientific questions by making observations and doing experiments.
Scientific method helps to log experiment and observation to answer science questions. It involves 6 steps. However, it does not necessarily mean that all scientific question needs to be answered following 6 steps. Scientist may have different version of scientific method but the goal remains the same -asking questions to discover cause and effect relationships, gathering and examining the evidence, and checking if all the available information can be combined into a logical answer.
However please note that at any point in time, scientist can repeat previous processes to capture new evidence or observations. Hence scientific method is an iterative process.
Now the question is,'How scientific method can help me?'
Scientific method can help you to derive at an answer by working through observations and data collected by you. So be it a science fair project, classroom science activity, or independent research, you would need scientific method to give your work a methodical way to achieve the result.
Below are the brief description of 6 steps involved in scientific method:
1. Identify and define the problem: Identify the problem you would like to solve
2. Make observation: Make observation and research about the topic
3. Form a hypothesis: Best guess about how something works. Please note hypothesis should be testable.
4. Design experiment and test hypothesis: Test the hypothesis and predictions in an experiment that can be reproduced.
5. Analyze data: Once the experiment is complete, collect your measurements and analyze them to see if they support your hypothesis or not.
6. Derive conclusion: Accept or reject the hypothesis or modify it if necessary.
Let's take an example:
Kary bought two hibiscus plants. She kept one plant outside in the courtyard and another one inside the house. Few days later leaves of indoor plant started turning yellow and pale and it also started shedding leaves.
1) She identified the problem and want to find the answer to why plant inside the house is not growing properly whereas the plant outside the house is healthy and flowering.
2) She started researching about hibiscus plant. She read about how to care for Hibiscus plant.
3) She came to the conclusion that plant inside is devoid of sunlight and that might be the reason for its retardation.
4) She brings the green healthy plant inside the house. And the indoor plant is moved outside the house.
5) After a week, leaves of the plant that was moved inside started turning yellow. And the plant that was moved outdoor started showing improvement.
6) She concluded that Hibiscus plant needs proper sunlight for its growth.
