Scientific Investigation
Scientific Investigation
Scientists must have a systematic way in order to arrive at a valid conclusion. This is sometimes referred to as The Scientific Method but oftentimes it can be conducted in different ways.
The Key Elements are as follows...
Begin by asking a Question that you will answer by doing this experiment.
Your question must be something that can be answered by completing an experiment.
consider the following examples:
To what extent does the shape of the device picking up circles affect the number of circles picked up?
To what extent does the background affect the number of circles picked up?
Develop a Hypothesis.
What do you think is the answer to the question you asked?
A hypothesis should be written like the following: "I think __________. I think this because ___________________."
Identify the Variables.
Which variable will you manipulate or change in your experiment? This is called the Independent Variable.
What conditions and procedures will you keep the same each time? These are called the Controls or Controlled Variable.
What characteristics will you be observing or measuring? These are called the Dependent Variables.
Design the Procedures.
Write detailed instructions to complete your experiment.
Include...
what you will use to pick up the circles.
how you will measure the results
how many trials
how you will collect the data