The hypothesis section is where you explain what you think the results of your experiment will be, and why you believe this to be true.
Your Hypothesis Should Include:
-An appropriate educated guess as to the results of the experiment. "Appropriate" means that it completely covers all aspects of the purpose or question of the lab, it does not contradict prior knowledge that we have about the topics of the lab, and it is testable.
-Supportive reasoning for your hypothesis. A good hypothesis is based on prior knowledge, so explain what prior knowledge you are using to make your educated guess. This can include scientific facts or experiences.
Helpful Hints:
-You do not need to use a, "If____, then____, because____." statement. But that format is the general idea behind any good hypothesis: IF I do blah and blah blah, THEN I expect to see blah, BECAUSE I know blah blah, or because I have seen blah happen in a similar situation.
-Ideas used to support your hypothesis should have been covered in your introduction, as they are clearly important topics involved in the lab.
Common Mistakes:
-Not including supportive reasoning.
-Not using reasoning that is relevant or factual.
-Restating your guess a different way as support for your guess.
-Not connecting your reasoning to your hypothesis. There must be a connected chain of thought from what you know to what your guess is.
-Having a vague hypothesis. For example: saying, "If velocity increases then air resistance will increase." is better than saying, "If velocity changes then air resistance will also change."
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