Explain how
the scientific method works
The scientific method is fundamental to
successful experimentation. It consists of four main stages: observation,
hypothesis, experimentation, and analysis. A successful scientific endeavor
covers each of these stages thoroughly.
Observation consists of noticing a phenomenon,
asking questions about it, and researching what is known about the phenomenon.
For example, you might notice that two objects of the same dimensions fall at
the same rate. A question this might raise is whether the mass of these objects
affects how quickly they fall. You can then look for information from previous
experiments or equations that seek to explain the phenomenon.
After you’re done observing, you move on to
hypothesizing. A hypothesis is an educated guess about the phenomenon. After doing research on
falling objects and deriving equations about them, you might hypothesize that objects of the same dimensions
will fall at the same rate regardless of mass because the same forces are
acting on each object.
Once the hypothesis has been formed, you can move
onto experimentation. A good experiment will have a control, or a result
against which other results can be gauged. For this experiment, it could be
falling objects of the same dimensions and same mass. The variable group, which
is compared to the control group, could include falling objects of the same
dimensions and variable masses. The results of these experiments would then be
recorded accurately in pen so they cannot be changed to better suit the
hypothesis.
When the experiment is over, the data is
analyzed. If the data correlates to the hypothesis, the hypothesis is
considered to be supported. If it doesn’t, the hypothesis can be considered
disproved. Either way, the analysis is generally published as a scientific
report, which is then subject to critique by the experimenter’s peers. Ideally,
the experiment is then repeated to determine if the results are the same every
time.
To be successful in science, the scientific method should be used for all experiments. The experimenter should observe, hypothesize, experiment, and analyze to retain accuracy. When the scientific method is employed, the results should speak for themselves.
