Answer:
1. Ask a question
2. Perform research
3. Establish your hypothesis
4.Test your hypothesis by conducting an experiment
5. Make an observation
6. Analyze the results and draw a conclusion
7. Present the findings
Explanation:
1. Ask a question
The first step in the scientific method is asking a question that you want to answer. This question will include one of the key starters, which are how, what when, why, where, who or which. The question you ask should also be measurable and answerable through experimentation. It is often something that can be measured with a numerical result, although behavioral results are part of the scientific method as well.
Example: Perhaps, you want to test an experiment about the causal relationship between music and certain domesticated animals.
A good question to begin with might be: ”Does music impact the behavior of certain species of domesticated animals, such as canines and felines?”
2. Perform research
With your question formulated, conduct preliminary background research to prepare yourself for the experiment. You can find information through online searches or in your local library, depending on the question you are asking and the nature of the background data. You may also find previous studies and experiments that can help with your process and conclusions.
In this case, you might start by reviewing previous scientific studies for animal experiments related to their reactions to music. Key to finding pertinent information might be looking at studies about animal behavior concerning art or domestic animals directly affected by music.
3. Establish your hypothesis
A hypothesis is an educated guess that seeks to answer a question that can be systematically tested. Your hypothesis should also include your predictions that you can measure through experimentation and research.
Example: Based on your research, you start to fine-tune your thoughts about what will probably happen: “If I play classical music, my dog and cat will remain in the room with me. If I play rock-and-roll music, my dog and cat will leave the room.”
4. Test your hypothesis by conducting an experiment
Next, test your hypothesis by experimenting. Your experiment is a way to quantifiably test your predictions and should be able to be repeated by another scientist.
Example: You decide to test it out: You bring the cat and dog into the same room where a sound system is available. You play classical music at a low volume. Both animals remain in the room. Then, you change scientist the music to rock-and-roll at the same volume. Both animals remain in the room.
5. Make an observation
Assess your scientific process and make sure that the conditions remain the same throughout all testing measures. If you change any factors in your experiment, keep all others the same to maintain fairness. After you complete the experiment, repeat it a few more times to make sure the results are accurate.
Example: In reviewing the cause and effect of your experiment, you observe that despite what you had thought would happen, did not. More specifically, the type of music being played did not impact the reaction of the animals.
Therefore, you adjust your hypothesis to state that the animals will react based on the volume of the music. You conduct another experiment, playing classical music at a low volume and then at a high volume. The animals remain in the room when the music is quiet and leave the room when the music is loud.
6. Analyze the results and draw a conclusion
You can now take your experiment findings and analyze them to determine if they support your hypothesis.
Drawing a conclusion means determining whether what you believed would happen did happen. If it did not happen, you can create a new hypothesis and return to step four, and conduct a new experiment to prove your new theory. If what you hypothesized happened during the experimentation phase, the final step is putting together your findings and presenting them to others.
Example: You determine the behavior of animals is more affected by the volume of music being played rather than the type of music played.
7. Present the findings
The method for presenting your findings depends on your scientific position and level. If you are entering a project into the science fair, you will likely communicate your findings in a written report, on a display board or during a presentation at the event. If you are a scientist by profession, you may present your findings in a scientific publication or to your supervisors.
Example: You write a formal report and prepare an oral presentation to share your findings.
