Scientific Method Cheat Sheet

Ask a Question

Identify a problem or question you want to investigate.

Example: Does the amount of sunlight affect plant growth?

Do Background Research

Gather information about your topic from reliable sources.

Example: Read books and articles about plant growth and sunlight.

Form a Hypothesis

Make an educated guess about the answer to your question. This should be a testable statement.

Example: If plants receive more sunlight, then they will grow taller.

Test Your Hypothesis (Experiment)

Design and conduct an experiment to test your hypothesis. Include a control group and variables.

Example: Plant seeds in different locations with varying amounts of sunlight. Measure the height of the plants each day.

Analyze Your Data

Organize and examine the data you collected during your experiment.

Example: Create a graph showing the height of the plants in each location over time.

Draw a Conclusion

Determine whether your data supports or rejects your hypothesis. Communicate your results.

Example: Based on the data, plants that received more sunlight grew taller, supporting the hypothesis.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction or educated guess about the outcome of an experiment.

Example: If I water the plant more, then it will grow faster.

Variable

A factor that can change or be changed in an experiment.

Example: The amount of water given to a plant is a variable.

Independent Variable

The variable that you change in an experiment.

Example: The amount of sunlight a plant receives.

Dependent Variable

The variable that you measure in an experiment; it is affected by the independent variable.

Example: The height of the plant.

Control Group

A group in an experiment that does not receive the treatment; used for comparison.

Example: A plant that receives a normal amount of sunlight.

Data

Information collected during an experiment.

Example: Measurements of plant height, temperature, or time.

Controlled Experiment

An experiment where only one variable is changed at a time.

Example: Testing the effect of fertilizer on plant growth, while keeping water and sunlight constant.

Replication

Repeating an experiment multiple times to ensure the results are reliable.

Example: Conducting the plant growth experiment with multiple plants in each condition.

Observations

Using your senses to gather information.

Example: Noticing the color, size, and shape of a leaf.

Quantitative Data

Data that is expressed as numbers.

Example: The plant grew 5 cm in one week.

Qualitative Data

Data that is descriptive and uses words.

Example: The plant's leaves are bright green.