The Scientific Method

                          The Scientific Method involves the following steps: 

                             1.Observation- You observe something in the material
                               world, using your senses or machines which are
                               basically extensions of those senses. 
                             2.Question- You ask a question about what you
                               observe. State the problem or question.
                             3.Hypothesis- You predict what you think the answer to
                               your question might be
                               Research and Gather information about the problem 
                             4.Method - You figure out a way to test whether
                               hypothesis is correct. The outcome must be
                               measureable. (quantifiable) Record and analyze data.
                             5.Result- You do the experiment using the method you
                               came up with and record the results. You repeat the
                               experiment to confirm your results by retesting.
                             6.State Conclusion- You state whether your prediction was
                               confirmed or not and try to explain your results. 

                          A conclusion will often lead to another question, which can
                          lead to another experiment, which can lead to another
                          conclusion, and on and on. Science is like doing a giant
                          puzzle, with the handicap that you are missing an unknown
                          number of pieces. Each new scientific fact is a piece of the
                          puzzle. Each new piece can change the appearance of entire
                          sections of the picture or fit where one did not expect it to.
                          When scientists have an answer to a question they have
                          asked, they share their results with other scientists in papers,
                          magazine articles, lectures, posters or displays at
                          conventions. This way, new puzzle pieces can be checked
                          out, and the fit tested. You will present your results at the
                          science fair in the form of a display.