Asking Questions
Why is the sky blue?
How tall will this tree grow?
Why does the wind blow so hard?
Will it be cold tonight?
How many stars are out there?
Are there planets like Earth that orbit about some of those stars?
How did this rock get holes in it?
Why are some rocks sharp and jagged, while others are round?
You probably ask yourself a thousand questions a day, many of which you never ask anyone
else. For many of the questions you do ask, you never even get an answer. But your brain
keeps churning with questions and curiosity. We can’t help but want to know.
The list of questions above are some of the same questions that scientists ask. Science
has developed over centuries and centuries, and our ability to measure the tiniest trait has
increased immensely. So although there is no wrong question, there are questions that lend
themselves more to the scientific process than others. In other words, some questions can be
investigated using the scientific method while others rely on pure faith or opinion.
Scientific Methods
The scientific method is not a list of instructions but a series of steps that help to investigate
aquestion. Byusingthescientificmethod, wecanhavegreaterconfidenceinhowweevaluate
that question. Sometimes, the order of the steps in the scientific method can change, because
more questions arise from observations or data that we collect. The basic sequence followed
in the scientific method is illustrated inFigure1.1.
Question
The scientific method almost always begins with a question that helps to focus the investi-
gation. What are we studying? What do we want to know? What is the problem we want
to solve? The best questions for scientific investigation are specific as opposed to general,
they imply what factors may be observed or manipulated.
Example:A farmer has heard of a farming method called “no-till farming.” In this method,
certain techniques in planting and fertilizing eliminate the need for tilling (or plowing) the
land. Will no-till farming reduce the erosion of the farmland (Figure1.2)?