Steps For Scientific Experiment
Scientific experiments play a key role in many scientific fields. In general, the scientific method involves testing an idea and comparing its results with a theory.
The goal is to eliminate any possible confounding factors that would confuse an experiment’s accuracy and repeatability. This includes ensuring all details of an experiment are documented and shared.
Observation
Observation is the first step in the scientific method. It involves collecting all relevant data about a phenomena and developing a hypothesis that can be tested scientifically.
In observing a phenomenon, it is important to keep notes and record everything that can be measured. This includes colors, sounds, temperature changes, times, behaviors and other factors that can be measured. Scientists are careful to eliminate confounding factors from their experiments by eliminating any possible causes of variation and by ensuring that all data is collected in the same way.
An everyday example of this process is when you have a problem, such as your car won’t start, and you think about prior experiences to find a solution. This process is often referred to as empiricism and is the basis for the belief that knowledge comes from your senses. It also led to the development of measurement, which reduces an observation to a number and allows comparisons to be made between different observations.
Hypothesis
Hypotheses are educated guesses about what your research will find. Typically, the working hypothesis will be based on your reading of previous research. Look for theories, case reports and other observational and clinical studies that can lead to predictions about what your study might find.
Your prediction must be testable, which means that it must be possible to determine if your hypothesis is true or false through experimentation. This is called falsifiability, and it is one of the hallmarks of scientific investigation.
A good hypothesis is clear and concise. It will allow a teacher or judge to understand what you were thinking about when you formulated it. It will also explain the relationship between two variables. Lastly, it will offer a reason to continue your experiment. Staff Scientist Dave reminds us that hypotheses are not “eternal.” A new set of research may displace an old hypothesis – as did the work of Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein, more than 100 years apart.
Experiment
Once a hypothesis has been formulated it needs to be tested. This is done through experiments. The experiment’s results determine whether the hypothesis agrees with or contradicts observations made in the real world. The more evidence that supports a hypothesis, the more confidence scientists can have in it.
Experiments can be anything from personal, informal and natural (such as tasting a variety of chocolates to find a favorite) to highly controlled (testing with complicated apparatus overseen by many scientists that hope to discover information about subatomic particles). Experiments are important for the scientific method because they allow scientists to test and build upon ideas that they have derived from specific observations.
It is important for children to understand that not every experiment will work the way they expect. They may have to perform the same experiment several times to get a better result. However, this is part of the process of science and allows them to learn from their mistakes. It also teaches them to be patient and to keep trying.
Analysis
Depending on the field, experiments may be used to test existing theories, search for and document observations, develop new theory or advise policymakers. Despite differences in goal, the general process of experimentation is the same in all fields.
Experiments are a primary component of scientific investigation. However, many areas of science cannot be experimentally tested because it is impossible to control all variables. This is why scientists use a variety of techniques to explore phenomena.
In engineering and physical sciences, experiments focus on replications of identical procedures in hopes of obtaining similar results, or eliminating confounding factors by using scientific controls and/or randomized experiments (also known as controlled trials). Other disciplines often rely on natural experiments, such as the study of the formation of new elements, to develop theories and understand phenomena, such as chemical reactions.