NOTE:
A scientific investigation does not aim toprovea particular event occurs or a particular rela-
tionship exists. Rather, an investigation shows that it cannot disprove a particular suggestion
or prediction. Therefore, it is important to note that an incorrect prediction does not mean
that you have failed. It means that the experiment has brought some new facts to light that
you might not have thought of before. Therefore even if your hypothesis (prediction) turns
out to be wrong, DO NOT go back and change the hypothesis!To test the hypothesis in life Sciences, you can follow the step-by-step guide which is outlined
below.- Aim
- In the aim you need to state what you going to be investigating.
- Key words you can use are:
- To determine...
- To show that...
- To investigate...
- To find out...
- To observe...
- To measure...
Example: In this case, your aim would be: to investigate the effect of different amounts of
sunlight on tomatoes.NOTE:
In science we never ‘prove’ a hypothesis through a single experiment because there is a
chance that you made an error somewhere along the way, or there may be an alternate
explanation for the results that you observe. What you can say is that your results SUPPORT
the original hypothesis.- Apparatus
All the apparatus that you will need for the investigation needs to be listed.- Sizes of beakers, test tubes and measuring cylinders
- Specialised equipment that you may need must also be included (make sure that this
equipment is available for your research). - Include all chemicals and quantities that are required for your investigation.
- Method
The next step is to test your hypothesis. An experiment is a tool that you design to find out
if your ideas about your question are right or wrong. You must design an experiment that
accurately tests your hypothesis. The experiment is the most important part of the scientific
method. We will discuss independent and dependent variables as well as controls later.
These are all important concepts to know when designing an experiment. In science, another
researcher may want to repeat your method, to verify your results, improve it or do a variation
of your experiment. Listing the apparatus helps others to verify that you used a suitable
method, and enables them to replicate the experiment.- Write down the scientific method in bullet format for your investigation.
10 1.4. How science works