Mrs. Deringer

The Scientific Method













































Here are the Steps to the Scientific Method

Problem: Is the question you are trying to solve. It is always written as a QUESTION and therefore ends with a question mark. (?)

Background Information: Collect information about the question. Conduct research. This will help you make a hypothesis.

Hypothesis: An educated guess, you have made according to the background information you have collected through research.

Materials: All the supplies you need to set up the experiment.

Procedure: The steps you will follow to complete the experiment. Steps should be numbered and begin with a verb.

Independent variable: The one thing that you are testing. It is in the experimental group, but not in the control group.

Constants: All the things that you keep the same between the experimental and control group.

Observations: The information you collect by conducting the experiment.

Conclusion:A possible answer to the problem.

Practice the scientific method with Spongebob and his friend Patrick. Read the experiment below. Then see if you can answer the questions correctly.

Spongebob discovered that the snails living in Bikini Bottom really like blowing bubbles. Spongebob wants to be able to blow really big bubbles for the snails, but he doesn't know which brand of bubbles to buy. He creates an experiment to test which brand of bubbles will make the biggest bubbles. First, he buys 4 different brands of bubbles. He has his friend Patrick blow a bubble using each brand of bubbles. He measures the size of each bubble records it in an observation chart. He discovered that Patrick blew the biggest bubbles using "Bubble World" bubbles.

Directions: Read the questions below and choose the correct answer.

1. What is the problem in this experiment ?

2. What is the independent variable?  

3. What things needed to kept constant?


By now you are an expert on the scientific method. Click Here to test your knowledge by completing a multiple choice quiz.

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