Scientific Experimentation

What makes an
experiment fair?
Scientific Method

The scientific method is a process for

experimentation that is used to
explore observations and answer
questions.
When doing any project, science
activity, independent research, or
hands-on science inquiry
understanding the steps of the
scientific method will help you focus
your scientific question and work
through your observations and data to
answer the question.
Hypothesis

A hypothesis isn't an educated guess. It is a tentative

explanation for an observation, phenomenon, or
scientific problem that can be tested by further
investigation. Once you do the experiment and find out
if it supports the hypothesis, it becomes part of
scientific theory.
It is expressed in an IF.THEN statement

I think that IF the temperature of the gas is increased then

the pressure will also increase.
Variables and Controls

A variable is something that changes during an

investigation.

A constant, or control, is something that

remains unchanged during the investigation.
Science experiments use

Independent Variable: the one factor that is

changed by the person doing the experiment
Dependent Variable: the factor which is
measured in the experiment
Constants: all the factors that stay the same in
an experiment.
Control a base marker which experimental
results are compared to.
A birdy example

Imagine you want to see if birds has a preference

to the colour of the bird feeder.

Red? Blue? Green?

The Variables and Constants

Independent Variable: color of the feeders

Dependent Variable: amount of seed eaten
Constants: everything else that is kept the same,
for example:
the location of the feeders
the kind of feeder used
putting the feeders out at the same time
Our Experimental Design
Constants Location of feeders
Kind of seed
Type of feeder

Independent
Variable Red Blue Green

Dependent Amount of Seed Amount of Seed Amount of

Variable Eaten Eaten Seed Eaten
 If everything except the
independent variable is held
constant, we can say..

The experiment is FAIR.

(ONLY the independent
variable can change!)
Why is it important to only change
the independent variable?

If you measure a change in the dependent

variable, you wont know whether it is the
independent variable that is causing the
change.

Independent Variable
Data Collection

Data collection is the process of gathering and measuring

information on targeted variables in a systematic way, which then
enables one to answer relevant questions and evaluate outcomes.
Quantitative Data is data expressing a certain quantity,
amount or range. Usually, there are measurement units associated
with the data, e.g. metres, in the case of the height of a person.

Qualitative Data is information about qualities; information

that can't actually be measured. Some examples of qualitative
data are the colour of eyes or hair.
Tables for Data

The easiest way to record

data is in a table.
You should have columns
for the independent and
dependent variables.
Graphing Results

Trend Graph Bar Graph Pie Graph

Independent variable should be placed on the X-axis

Always label the axis and make a title for your graph
Analysing Results

The purpose of the analysis section is to

determine patterns in your data using
numerical calculations.
You would also interpret data a presented in a
graph and explain what is happening
Evaluation

In evaluation you review you data and results

and determine if they were accurate or not.
If they are not accurate then you would make
suggestions as to how you could improve the
results.
Conclusion

This is the summary and review of your data,

analysis and evaluation.
What are you overall findings from the
execution of your investigation