The_Scientific_Method

The Scientific Method By: Crystal Outland Date 4-28-2013 My paper today is to look at and discuss the methods of the scientific method process. It is important to understand this method when not only dealing with science but everyday life. The scientific method is and can be used and applied to many facets of life. Campbell (1952): First, science is a body of useful and practical knowledge and a method of obtaining it. Science just like math is constantly used in everyday life. Calder (1962): No, science is not just knowledge; it is knowledge working for its living, correcting itself, and adding to itself. Science, therefore, is a process. Feibleman (1972): Thus, science serves two human purposes: to know and to do. The former is a matter of understanding, the latter a matter of action. When a person tries to take the time to apply the steps of the scientific method to a problem they could be more successful in arriving to a positive conclusion. Once someone fully understands how to use the scientific method in their everyday lives they will see how much of a help it is to solving everyday problems that arise. The Scientific Method 1. The observation 2. The question 3. The hypothesis 4. The prediction 5. The conclusion 6. The result The first step in the scientific method is the observation process. The observation process is when there is a noticeable event that others have also witnessed. Understanding this very first step in this process is very important because if you do not properly observe the event you cannot possibly move on to the other steps of the scientific method such as hypothesis or prediction. The online assignment example that I chose is the tomato plant experiment. During this experiment the observations was basically why are my tomato plants that I have been growing for several years decreasing with the amount of tomatoes as well as the observation of the summers being cooler and drier. The second step in the scientific method is the question. The question steps is used to try and help explain the observation from the first step. With the experiment the question was: why are the tomato plants bearing fewer tomatoes' The third step in the scientific method is the hypothesis. The hypothesis is a statement that is made in order to try to predict what the solution as well as the outcome to the observation will be. With the experiment I was given a choice of three different hypotheses; the plants need more warmth, the plants need more water, or the plants need more nutrients. I chose the hypotheses that the plants needed more water based on the observation that the summers had also been cooler and drier. The fourth step in the scientific method is the prediction. The prediction is ALWAYS based on the hypothesis. The purpose of the prediction is to try to figure out what the outcome will be. The prediction is an if statement that will try to predict the outcome. I was given the choice of two different predictions; the tomato plants will bear more tomatoes if I grow five tomato plants and water them every day, or the tomato plants will bear more tomatoes if I grow five tomato plants and supplement rain water with water I provide once per week. I chose to grow five tomato plants and water them every day. The fifth step in the scientific method is the conclusion. The conclusion explains the details of what was found during the experiment or test. It answers the question what happened when you tested your hypothesis... For my experiment the conclusion showed that my tomatoes grew more when they were given water daily showing that my hypothesis and prediction were supported. The sixth step in the scientific method is the results. The results are always tied back to the hypothesis. They tell whether the hypothesis was refuted or supported. If it was supported great, if not the you may need to ask another question. In my experiment my hypothesis was supported. The second real life observation that I chose is my children misbehave more during the spring. I also noticed that they are more restless as well. My Question is why do my children misbehave more during the spring' My hypothesis is the children are more restless in the spring because they need to play outside. My prediction is if I allow them to go outside and play more when it is nice outside then they will misbehave less. My conclusion is the children did behave better when allowed to go outside and play more. The children misbehave more when they are not able to go outside and tire themselves out. My results: My hypothesis was supported since when allowed to go outside and play more the children misbehaved less. Campbell (1952 Calder (1962 Feibleman (1972) Izquierdo, Ana. (). Science and Everyday Life. Retrieved from http://voices.yahoo.com/science-everyday-life-4266557.html