describesthesituationobserved. Inanycase, dataisusedtohelpusdrawlogicalconclusions.
Conclusions
After you have summarized the results of the experiments and presented the data as graphs,
tables and diagrams, you can try to draw a conclusion from the experiments. You must
gather all your evidence and background information. Then using logic you need to try
formulate an explanation for your data. What is the answer to the question based on the
results of the experiment? A conclusion should include comments about the hypothesis.
Was the hypothesis supported or not? Some experiments have clear, undeniable results that
completely support the hypothesis. Others do not support the hypothesis. However, all
experiments contribute to our wealth of knowledge. Even experiments that do not support
the hypothesis may teach us new information that we can learn from. In the world of
science, hypotheses are rarely proved to one hundred percent certainty. More often than
not, experiments lead to even more questions and more possible ways of considering the
same idea.
Example:After a full year of running her experiment, the farmer finds 2.2 times as much
erosion on the traditionally farmed hill as on the no-till hill. She intends to use no-till
methods of farming from now on and to continue researching other factors that may affect
erosion. Thefarmeralsonoticesthatplantsintheno-tillplotsaretallerandthesoilmoisture
seems higher. She decides to repeat the experiment and measure soil moisture, plant growth,
and total water needed to irrigate in each kind of farming.
Theory
If a topic is of interest to scientists, many scientists will conduct experiments and make
observations, whichtheywillpublishinscientificjournals. Overtimetheevidencewillmount
in, for, or against the hypothesis being tested. If a hypothesis explains all the data and no
data contradicts the hypothesis, the hypothesis becomes a theory. A theory is supported by
many observations and there are no major inconsistencies. A theory is also used to predict
behavior. Although a theory can be overthrown if conflicting data is discovered, the longer
a theory has been in existence the more data it probably has to back it up and the less likely
it will be proven wrong. A theory is a model of reality that is simpler than the phenomenon
itself.
The common usage of the word theory is very different from the scientific usage; e.g. I have
a theory as to why Joe likes Sue more than Kay. The word hypothesis would be more correct
in most cases.