Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
5. Perform the experiment.
Time to do the laundry! If my prediction is correct, the
shirt washed with pink soap will turn pink.
6. Observe the outcome.
Both white T-shirts are still white after being washed with
the different types of soap.
7. Interpret and draw conclusions from the outcome of the experiment.
Scientists
may run a single experiment multiple times in order to get as much information as
possible and make sure that they haven't made any mistakes that could affect the out-
come. After they have all this new information, they draw a conclusion. For example,
in my experiment, it appears that the color of the laundry soap is not what turns
white socks pink in the washing machine. At this point I can propose a new hypothes-
is about why my socks have turned pink, and I can conduct a new experiment.
8. Share the findings with other scientists.
This is possibly the most im-
portant step in the process of science. Sharing your results with other scientists
provides you with new insights to your questions and conclusions. In my example, I
did not confirm my hypothesis. Quite the opposite: I confirmed that the color of the
laundry soap is
not
responsible for changing the color of my socks. This is still very
important information for the community of scientists trying to determine what, ex-
actly, turns white socks pink in the washing machine. Knowing my results will lead
other scientists to develop and test new hypotheses and predictions.
Next, I describe in more detail each step of the scientific method approach to answering
questions.
Sensing something new
The first step in the scientific method is simply to use your senses. What do you see,
feel, taste, smell, or hear? Each of your senses helps you collect information or
observa-
tions
of the world around you. Scientific observations are information collected about
the physical world without manipulating it. (Manipulations come later, with experi-
ments; keep reading for the details!)
After you have collected multiple observations, you may find that there is a pattern —
each dog you pet feels soft — or you may find that some observations are different from
the others — most of the dogs have brown fur, but some have white fur with black
spots. By summarizing your observations in this way, you prepare to take the next step
in the scientific method, developing a hypothesis.
