CHAPTER 1 PLAN LIKE A SCIENTIST Have you ever performed an experiment Do you remember the steps To perform a scientific experiment you need a good plan Most start with a single question For example what happens when you mix baking soda and vinegar Some experiments involve mixing chemicals Make sure a teacher is nearby 4
Scientists are always questioning the natural world They are naturally curious and wonder why things happen Scientists follow a specific set of steps when they’re developing a theory for why something is the way that it is A research plan can lead them to a solution to their problem The process that scien A theory is an explanation for why things work or how things happen tists use to solve problems is called the scientific method Scientists start by finding out as much as possible about a question or a problem Then they make a hypothesis hypothesis and test it through an experiment Scientists use the information they learn from testing many hypotheses to develop scientific theories This method helps scientists get accurate results that can be repeated 5 VOCABULARY
The theory of gravity explains why an apple or anything else falls to the ground if you drop it You’ve probably heard there’s no such thing as a stupid question question That’s true but what makes a good scientific scientific question First it must be testable You wouldn’t want to ask a question that can’t be answered with experiments or measurements It also has to have a real answer For example it is better to ask At what temperature does water freeze than to ask Why does my cat sleep so much The first question can be answered through observation and experimentation Scientific questions try to establish cause and effect They look at how two situations are related Scientific questions also try to see how different variables affect something By asking a 6
Scientific method ask question collect information make observations form a hypothesis Salita record and analyze data draw conclusions conduct experiment develop new hypothesis try again experiment supports hypothesis experiment does not support hypothesis communicate results 2013 Encyclopædia Britannica Inc This chart shows the scientific method You must follow each step to get accurate results 7 VOCABULARY good question a scientist can start constructing a research plan that follows the scientific method Variables are factors that can change within experiment an
