The Scientific Method Free Essays

The Scientific Method is a complex, yet simple process. It was designed to help scientist and every day people who face problems come up with a logical and tested solution. According to authors Pruitt and Underwood (2006), The Scientific Method is defined as â€Å"the set of procedures that form the rational approach to studying the natural world. We will write a custom essay sample on The Scientific Method or any similar topic only for you Order Now † This method can be applied to something dealing with science or something that deals with everyday life. In the below paragraphs, this writer will explain the scientific method and how it was used to achieve results in a web-based experiment as well as a real life situation. This writer would begin the web-based experiment by researching and discover why plants grow towards the light. Once the results of the search are gathered, this writer would produce a hypothesis. The possible hypothesis is; plants grow toward the light because it is a critical part of the process known as Photosynthesis. This writer’s prediction is that if a plant is placed to grow near a window, the plant will lean toward the light. For the experiment, this writer would put three plants on a table with a window to the left of them and three plants on a table with a window to the right of them. Over the course of three weeks, this writer will observe and document the plants reaction to the light coming through the window. After careful review of the information documented, this writer can safely conclude that the plants with the window to the right of them, grew bent toward the light and the plants with the window to the left of them grew bent toward the light. This information does support my hypothesis that plants grow toward the light to help with the Photosynthesis process. There were many problems that this writer could have tested, but decided to test the most important one of all. This writer’s daughter is at the stage in her life where she is taking off her pamper, but refuses to become potty trained. What is causing this? Not unlike other parents and scientists, this question came from a problem that needed a solution. Through personal experimentation as well as information compiled through secondary sources, this writer came up with effective ways to potty train their daughter properly. While observing the child, this writer noted that whenever the child needed to use the bathroom, she would cross her legs. After the child would receive some type of drink, approximately 20 minutes, she would again start to cross her legs. It became very apparent that the child was very ready to become potty trained. Through these observations, this writer produced her hypothesis. If this writer puts the child on the pot 20 minutes after she ingests any type of drink, the child will gradually become potty trained. This writer tried this method of potty training for two days. During those days, the child did successfully use the pot at the times this writer put her on it, but the child still had accidents on herself. With this information, this writer concluded that their methods were unsuccessful. This writer researched potty training techniques to construct a new hypothesis. According to the Mayo Clinic website (1998-2011), â€Å"when you notice signs that your child may need to use the toilet- such as squirming, squatting or holding the genital area- respond quickly. Once the child successfully uses the toilet, there should be some type of praise. Some people use stickers on a chart and others give special treats such as candy or an extra bedtime story (Infant and toddler health, 1998-2011). With using these techniques as well as cutting off all liquids that the child receives at eight o’ clock every day, this writer has found that the child has not had a day time potty accident in t hree days. Consistent monitoring of children while actively trying to potty train is the most important thing to do if successful results are desired. While potty training is no small feat, each parent who tackles this task knows that not every parent is the same and not all methods work for every child. This is something that will be learned on a case-by-case base. While the two experiments conducted are drastically different, they are both similar in the way that they both followed the Scientific Method. With a sound hypothesis and a thirst for knowledge, using the Scientific Method will always provide valid results backed by science. References Potty training: How to get the job done. (1998-2011). Infant and toddler health. Retrieved on March 24, 2011 from http://www. mayoclinic. com/health/potty-training/CC00060 Pruitt, N. L. , Underwood, L. S. (2006). Bioinquiry: Making connections in biology (3rd ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Stein Carter, J. (1996). The Scientific Method. Retrieved on March 24, 2011 from http://biology. clc. uc. edu/courses/bio104/sci_meth. htm How to cite The Scientific Method, Papers The Scientific Method Free Essays The process of the scientific method is one that involves questioning the reasoning behind the results. Each of the steps to question a planted aquarium was constructed under deep thought and personal experiences. The process of the scientific method can apply to any type of scientific study. We will write a custom essay sample on The Scientific Method or any similar topic only for you Order Now Included in this paper is the scientific method of a planted aquarium and a real life example of the explanation of how a plant responds to light. With the plant either responding to natural sun light or artificial light and observing which grows the healthiest. Aside from the biology retrospect, this can also apply to something that is used on a daily basis. Therefore, in carefully creating a study one should be able to obtain the results of their observations. These are the steps that were obtained from the class website: Observation: Have you ever noticed if you place a plant near a window, that after a while, the plant grows or leans toward the window? Question: Have you ever wondered why the plant grows toward the window? Hypothesis: What reasons or factors can you list that might cause a plant to lean or grow toward a window? For example I think plants respond to the light from which they absorb some needed nutrient. Prediction: If it is true that plants respond to the light from which they absorb some needed nutrient then grow three plants in the light and three plants in the dark then see a difference or change in the direction the plant is growing/leaning. Results: The leaves of the three plants in the light stayed green while the leaves of the three plants in the dark turned pale yellow. To test this experiment I would first try to figure out if the plant responds to the light or dark. I would try to keep it away from the window first to see the reaction of the plant. Then I would try to put the plant back in the light and test to see if the plant absorbs any nutrients while in the light. Recording a hypothesis after each experiment would be beneficial to my experiments so I can be sure of what is working best and try a different method if possible. I would probably state that my hypothesis of the plant leaning towards the light is what I would use as my prediction. Any type of plant would lean towards natural light because they are able to absorb nutrients that help them thrive. Substrate for planted aquariums can also be used as a supplement for the plant, but plants need light in order to maintain their color. I would record and keep my data for weeks in order to obtain proper results. Measuring the temperature of the planted aquarium is also beneficial as most freshwater plants are tropical and strictly need a warmer aquarium to continue growing. Using growth formulas and charts can help me create a better spreadsheet as an overall view of the successes of growing plants. In reviewing the results, I would be able to obtain some final results about my observations. I would conclude that observations were correct when I predicted that the plants would respond to the light. I would then also test plants in different temperatures of water while taking some out of the natural light and leaving them in substrate in artificial light. I think that my theories would prove correct if I were to leave the plants in natural sunlight and prove that they need the glucose nutrient to thrive. A real life example was when I worked at a pet store. Tropical freshwater plants were meant to have at least 12 hours of powerful artificial light in order for the plants to survive. Light in some aquariums is recommended that it should not be too powerful as it may attract algae. Aside from the light, they were given plant substrate and some plants were not fully submersed into the water while others were. One day when the light above the plant tank that was holding all the plants went out, it was out for two days. The plants slowly started losing their leaves and the plants were yellowing because they had no nutrients from the light. When we placed the plants into the fish tanks, the plants slowly started to grow their leaves again and regained their color. In conclusion, no matter how you use the scientific method there will always be thoughts and ideas that come together in turn giving the person their results. Keeping record of gathered ideas to concocting a hypothesis and then later proving your results will come in handy and prove that a certain method works. One should carefully plan out what their plan is for a study so they can successfully prove their results. References http://www.sciencebuddies.org/mentoring/project_scientific_method.shtml How to cite The Scientific Method, Essay examples The Scientific Method Free Essays The scientific method is a hypothesis-driven process of inquiry. The goal is to ask and answer scientific questions by making observations and doing experiments. This week we were asked to complete the scientific method activity on the student website. We will write a custom essay sample on The Scientific Method or any similar topic only for you Order Now I participated in both experiments, but I found the car experiment to be a bit more of a challenge. I had to apply the steps of the scientific method several times before I finally arrived at a resolution. The Car Experiment. The car experiment began with an observation; something is wrong with the vehicle because it will not start. In an effort to explain my observation I ask the question; â€Å"Why won’t the vehicle start? † There could be a number of reasons why the vehicle will not start, so the next step is to hypothesize the solution and outcome. The website provided us with the following 3 hypotheses: 1. The car needs fluids. 2. The car battery is not working. 3. There are electrical problems. The next step is to make a prediction. I predicted that the vehicle must have an issue with the battery. I chose this hypothesis first, because it is not uncommon for someone to leave a dome light on and accidently drain their battery. While it is not uncommon to run out of fuel, I did not select this answer because in this day and age most vehicle owners keep an eye on their fuel levels to ensure that they have an adequate amount for the next day. The conclusion details the findings of your prediction. In this case the vehicle’s battery was fine. The results tie back into my hypothesis. The result was refuted, and I must now begin the process from the top to find the correct scientific method to remedy the problem. I had to repeat the scientific method 3 times until I found the solution to my problem. The vehicle had faulty electrical issues, and once the fuses were replaced it started right up. A real-life problem that I could use the scientific method to solve is a problem I have been having recently with my new vacuum. It is less than 3 months old and it has been acting strangely. I can use it one day for an hour without any problems, and two days later I can turn it on but it will only work for 3 or 4 minutes before shutting off. The steps that I would take to solve the problem are: 1. Make an Observation 2. Question: â€Å"Why is my vacuum not working properly? † 3. Thesis: Develop a hypothesis about why the vacuum may be acting strangely. It has electrical problems. It is clogged. It is faulty and I should contact the manufacturer. 4. Prediction 5. Conclusion 6. Results How to cite The Scientific Method, Papers The Scientific Method Free Essays The Scientific Method Hands-On Labs, Inc. Version 42-0130-00-01 Lab Report Assistant This document is not meant to be a substitute for a formal laboratory report. The Lab Report Assistant is simply a summary of the experiment’s questions, diagrams if needed, and data tables that should be addressed in a formal lab report. We will write a custom essay sample on The Scientific Method or any similar topic only for you Order Now The intent is to facilitate students’ writing of lab reports by providing this information in an editable file which can be sent to an instructor. Observations Data Table 1: Scientific Method Data Unknown Sample Number #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 Hypothesis:Coffee Potting soilBrown sugarBaby powderFlowerBaking powder Color:Dark brown Old copper(sepia, maroon)Light BrownWhiteWhiteWhite Texture:It’s coarse fragile particleVery coarse and grittyThe particle is sticky and a bit grittyVery Soft particle silkyVery softVery soft Shape:In general, it’s coarse-grainedNot regularCoarse-grainedVery fine. It’s difficult to look in detailCoarse-grainedCoarse-grained Smell:It’s totally coffeeNo smell or a faint scant Sweet tasteVery nice. It’s just delicate baby smellNo smellNo smell Soluble:SolubleInsolubleSolubleSolubleSolubleSoluble Density:The dense is less than baby powder(0. 182 g/cm3)Little dense/it’s similar as #6(0. g/cm3)Low dense (0. 467 g/cm3)High dense (0. 867 g/cm3)It’s similar as #6 (0. 454 g/cm3)It’s similar as #5 (0. 5 g/cm3) Conclusion:CoffeePotting soilBrown sugarBaby powderFlowerBaking powder Data Table 2: Calculating Density of Unknown Samples U nk no wn S a m p l e Number Mass of full vial bag (g) Mass of empty vial bag (g) Mass of unknown sample (g) Volume (cm3) Density (g/cm3) #12. 0g1. 8g0. 2g1. 1 cm30. 182 #22. 5g1. 8g0. 7g1. 4 cm30. 5 #32. 5g1. 8g0. 7g1. 5 cm30. 467 #43. 0g1. 8g1. 2g1. 5 cm30. 867 #52. 3g1. 8g0. 5g1. 1 cm3 cm30. 454 #62. 5g1. 8g0. 7g1. 4 cm30. 5 How to cite The Scientific Method, Papers The Scientific Method Free Essays Dianna Baldwin SCI 230 The Scientific Method The first step in the scientific method is to observe. When you are observing you are discovering what is going on around you. The second step in the scientific method is question. We will write a custom essay sample on The Scientific Method or any similar topic only for you Order Now To question one must make an attempt to explain the observation that was made. The next step in the scientific method is making a hypothesis. A hypothesis is made to predict a solution and an outcome. The fourth step in the scientific method is making a prediction. When making a prediction you are indicating the outcome. Next is the conclusion. The conclusion details the findings of the testing. This then leads to the final step which is the results. The results are whether your findings based on the hypothesis are supported or refuted. In the activity I applied the steps of the scientific method by observing what was said in the captions and what was happening in the picture. I then had to question what was going on with my observation. I then made a hypothesis and tested the hypothesis and made a prediction. Then based on the outcome of the testing I found the conclusion and gathered the results. A real – life situation that I have used the scientific method would be when I flipped the light switch the light did not come on. I observed the light did not come on when I turned it on. I then questioned what may be the problem. Is it a burnt out bulb or something more complex. I then made a hypothesis on what I thought the problem was. My best guess was the light bulb was burnt out. I predicted that if I change the light bulb and put in a new one it would work just fine. I changed the light bulb and it was indeed burnt out. My hypothesis was supported. How to cite The Scientific Method, Papers