Scientific Method: Study Guide & Examples

• What is the scientific method? It is a logical, systematic approach to solve a problem.
• What is always the first step of the scientific method? Identify the problem and make observation.
• What makes a good hypothesis? A good hypothesis is one that you can test.
• What is a control? Comparison with one or more experimental groups.
• What is an independent variable? The variable that is being manipulated by the experimenter.
• What is a dependent variable? The thing that changes in reaction to the independent variable.
• What is a conclusion? The end or finish of an event or process.
• True or False: Experiments can measure more than one variable at a time. True

A scientist wants to test the effects of soda on the growth of plants.   The scientist keeps everything consistant in the experiment except to plant A. he adds 5 ml of Soda each day and to plant B. he adds 5 ml of water.  Each day, the scientist measures the height of each plant.

• In the above experiment, what is the dependent variable?  Type of plant.
• In the above experiment, what is the independent variable? Type of liquid.