Question

Define what the scientific method is.

Describe each step of the scientific method.

Describe how you might use one of these steps as a student or in the workforce.

Answer 1

The scientific method refers to a set of techniques for acquiring new information, investigating phenomena, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge. A method of inquiry can be deemed ‘scientific’ only when it is based on empirical evidence that can be measured objectively. The steps usually followed during a scientific inquiry are stated as under:

Please post the other questions separately.

1. Ask a Question: The scientific method starts when a question is asked about something that is observed. And, in order for the scientific method to answer the question it must be about something that can be measured.

2. Do Background Research: Once a question is identified, a background research is conducted to find additional information with respect to the topic at hand. This step ensures that past mistakes are not repeated and helps identify the best way to do things.

3. Construct a Hypothesis: A hypothesis is an educated guess about how things work, based on observeations. The hypothesis is stated in a way that can easily be measured and the hypothesis is constructed in a way to answer the original question.

4. Test the Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment: An experiment tests whether the hypothesis is true or false. It is important for the experiment to be a fair test. The experiment maybe repeated several times to make sure that the first results were not just an error.

5. Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion: Once the experiment is complete, collection of measurements take place and they are analysed to see if the hypothesis is true or false.

6. Communicate the Results: The results are shared in a scientific journal or are presented in a poster at a scientific meeting.