The Scientific

Method involves a
series of steps
that are used to
investigate a
natural
occurrence.
1. Problem/Question
2. Observation/Research
3. Formulate a Hypothesis
4. Experiment
5. Collect and Analyze Results
6. Conclusion
7. Communicate the Results
 Stating a
Problem/Question:

Develop a question or problem that can be

solved through experimentation.
 Stating a
Problem/Question:

Make observations and research your

topic of interest.
Formulate a
Hypothesis:

Predict a possible answer to the problem or

question.

Example:
If soil temperatures rise, then
plant growth will increase.
Experimentation:

Develop and follow a procedure.

Include a detailed materials list.
The outcome must be measurable (quantifiable).
Collect and Analyze
Results:

 Modify the procedure if needed.

 Confirm the results by retesting.
 Include tables, graphs, and photographs.
 Conclusion

 Include a statement that accepts or rejects the

hypothesis.
 Make recommendations for further study and
possible improvements to the procedure.
Communicate the
Results

 Be prepared to present the project to an

audience.
 Expect questions from the audience.
Problem/Question
John watches his
grandmother bake
bread. He ask his
grandmother what
makes the bread rise.
She explains that yeast
releases a gas as it
feeds on sugar.
Problem/Question

John wonders if the

amount of sugar used
in the recipe will affect
the size of the bread
loaf?
Caution!
Be careful how you use effect and
affect.
Effect is usually a noun and affect, a
verb.
“ The effect of sugar amounts on the
rising of bread.”
“How does sugar affect the rising of
bread?”
Observation/Research
John researches the
areas of baking and
fermentation and tries
to come up with a way
to test his question.
He keeps all of his
information on this
topic in a journal.
 John talks with his
teacher and she gives
him a Experimental
Design Diagram to
help him set up his
investigation.
Formulate a Hypothesis
After talking with his
teacher and
conducting further
research, he comes
up with a hypothesis.
“If more sugar is added,
then the bread will
rise higher.”
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is an educated
guess about the relationship
between the independent and
dependent variables.
Note: These variables will be
defined in the next few slides.
Independent
Variable
The independent, or
manipulated variable, is a
factor that’s intentionally varied
by the experimenter.
John is going to use 25g., 50g.,
100g., 250g., 500g. of sugar in
his experiment.
Dependent
Variable
The dependent, or responding
variable, is the factor that may
change as a result of changes
made in the independent
variable.
In this case, it would be the size
of the loaf of bread.
Experiment
His teacher helps him
come up with a
procedure and list of
needed materials.
She discusses with
John how to
determine the control
group.
Control Group
In a scientific experiment, the
control is the group that serves
as the standard of comparison.
The control group may be a “no
treatment" or an “experimenter
selected” group.
Control Group
The control group is exposed to
the same conditions as the
experimental group, except for
the variable being tested.
All experiments should have a
control group.
Control Group
Because his grandmother
always used 50g. of sugar in
her recipe, John is going to use
that amount in his control
group.
Constants
John’s teacher reminds
him to keep all other
factors the same so
that any observed
changes in the bread
can be attributed to
the variation in the
amount of sugar.
Constants

The constants in an
experiment are all the
factors that the
experimenter
attempts to keep the
same.
Constants
They might include:
Other ingredients to the
bread recipe, oven used,
rise time, brand of
ingredients, cooking time,
type of pan used, air
temperature and humidity
where the bread was
rising, oven temperature,
age of the yeast…
Experiment
John writes out his
procedure for his
experiment along with
a materials list in his
journal. He has both of
these checked by his
teacher where she
checks for any safety
concerns.
Trials

Trials refer to replicate

groups that are
exposed to the same
conditions in an
experiment.
John is going to test each
sugar variable 3 times.
Collect and Analyze
Results
John comes up with
a table he can use
to record his data.
John gets all his
materials together
and carries out his
experiment.
 Size of Baked Bread (LxWxH)
cm3
Size of Bread Loaf (cm3)
Trials
Amt. of 1 2 3 Average
Sugar (g.) Size (cm3)

25 768 744 761 758

50 1296 1188 1296 1260

Control group
100 1188 1080 1080 1116

250 672 576 588 612

500 432 504 360 432

Collect and Analyze
Results
John examines his
data and notices that
his control worked
the best in this
experiment, but not
significantly better
than 100g. of sugar.
Conclusion
John rejects his
hypothesis, but
decides to re-test
using sugar
amounts between
50g. and 100g.
Experiment

Once again, John

gathers his materials
and carries out his
experiment.
Here are the results.
 Size of Baked Bread (LxWxH)
cm3
Size of Bread Loaf (cm3)
Trials
Amt. of 1 2 3 Average
Sugar (g.) Size (cm3)

50 1296 1440 1296 1344

Control group

60 1404 1296 1440 1380

70 1638 1638 1560 1612

80 1404 1296 1296 1332

90 1080 1200 972 1084

Conclusion
John finds that 70g.
of sugar produces
the largest loaf.
His hypothesis is
accepted.
Communicate the Results
John tells his
grandmother about
his findings and
prepares to present
his project in
Science class.
Task: Design a controlled
experiment
 Create a situation or problem that will lead
to scientific investigation. Provide the
following
1. Problem/Question
2. Hypothesis
3. Independent variable(s)
4. Dependent variable (s)
5. Experimentation or present a simplified
procedure (diagram)
Write in a 1 whole sheet of paper.
 Part of the scientific method

A CONTROLLED
EXPERIMENT
Variables
 A factor that can change. A variable can
change other factors when it changes.
Examples of variables:
-Temperature
-Light
- Open vs. Closed container
-Location
-Time
-Elevation
-Pressure
Quantitative and
Qualitative
 A Quantitative Variable
is one that is measured
using numbers.
○ Examples: temperature is
measured in degrees, length
can be measured in
centimeters.
Quantitative and
Qualitative
 A Qualitative variable is
one that can not be
measured in numbers,
but by its qualities.
○Such as bright, clear,
rough, smooth, pain.
Independent vs. Dependent
Variables
 The dependent variable is a factor that
changes because the independent variable
changes. However the independent variable
is not changed by the dependent variable.

 Example: Elevation and Boiling temperature

of water. The boiling temperature of water
changes because of changes in elevation.
Changes in the boiling temperature of water
do not change elevation.
Graphing Variables
 The Independent variable is always
graphed on the X axis.
 The dependent variable is always
graphed on the Y axis.
Boiling Temperature of water

215

210

205
Degrees F

200

195

190

185

180
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000 16000
Feet above sea level
Hypothesis vs. Theory
 Theories areissupported
Hypothesis a testable by
statement
multiple that
can be provenorfalse.
observations experiments
 A
Can theory
be amay
prediction
be proven
of anfalse
outcome
or
 modified
Hypothesis when
canmore
becomedataaistheory
collected
once
it is supported by enough evidence.
Control
-A variable or factor that does not change
in the experiment. It remains constant.

In a Controlled experiment only one

variable is allowed to change at a time.
Everything else remains constant.
Replicates
 In an experiment multiple copies of the
experiment are done at the same time.
 This is to ensure that the results are accurate
(true) and not due to a mistake, error or
chance event.
Treatments
 Set of variables in the experiment that
are the same in each group of
replicates.
 2 Treatments
Covered Uncovered
VARIABLES IN SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION
Ms. Carol was invited by a friend to visit her in Baguio City. Before leaving her
home in Cagayan de Oro, she instructed her helper to feed the fish in the aquarium
during her absence. It was May. The summer heat was almost unbearable. The
helper was worried about the fish entrusted to her.

One very warm afternoon, she got a tray of ice cubes and put all of them into
the aquarium. In just a short while, all the fish in the aquarium died.

Anthony, a nephew of Ms. Carol, learned about the tragic incident But he did
not reprimand the helper right away. He wanted to be sure of the cause of death of
the fish. Here is what he did:
 He bought six fish of the same kind as those that had died.
 He kept them in the aquarium for two days.
 Then, he got two-large wide mouth glass jars of the same size.
 He labeled jar #1 and the other jar #2.
 He put the same amount of water and three fish in each jar,
together with some aquarium plants.

When the fish had stayed in the jars for two days, he put ice cubes in jar
#1 and the fish died. Those in jar #2 did not.
 Answer the following questions.

1. For his investigation, why did Anthony buy the same kind
of fish as those that had died? Could he not have used
just any kind of aquarium fish?
2. Why did Anthony keep the fish he had bought in the
aquarium for two days before starting his investigation?
3. Why did he use two jars of the same size, put the same
amount of water in the jars, and place three fish in each
jar? Was it necessary that the conditions in the two jars
be the same at the beginning of the experiment? Why or
why not?
4. Why did he put ice cubes in only one jar? Why not in both
jars?
5. What did Anthony want to find out from this experiment?
 CHECK-UP QUIZ!
A. Applying Concept. Below is a
simple scientific investigations.
Write the letter of your correct
answer.
Michael Jackson wanted to see the
relationship of the amount of water to the
growth of plants. He planted mongo seeds
in three different pots with soil, labeled A,
B and C. Each day for two weeks, he
watered the pots A and B with different
amounts, too much water in A, enough for
B and none in pot C. After two weeks, he
observed several sprouts in pot B, few in
pot C, but no sprouts in pot A.
1. What can be a good problem statement
for this experiment?
a) What is the best type of soil for mongo
seeds to grow faster?
b) When is the best time to plant mongo
seeds, daytime or night time?
c) Can mongo seeds grow in pots without
soil and water?
d) What is the effect of varying amounts of
water to the growth of mongo seeds?
 2. What is the independent variable?
a. pot b. mongo seed c.
water d. soil
 3. What is the dependent variable?

a. pot b. sprout
c. water d. soil
 4. How many dependent variable(s) is/are
present in the investigation?
a. 3 b. 1
c. 2 d. 4
 5. Which is the control setup?
a. pot A b. pot B
c. pot C d. no control setup
 6. What is your hypothesis on this
experiment? (2 points)
List in proper order the steps of
Scientific Method.
 1. _________________________________________
 2. _________________________________________
 3. _________________________________________
 4. _________________________________________
 5. _________________________________________
 6. _________________________________
 7. _______________________________