science experiment conduct

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How to Conduct a Science Experiment

Last Updated: October 13, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Meredith Juncker, PhD . Meredith Juncker is a PhD candidate in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. Her studies are focused on proteins and neurodegenerative diseases. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 197,943 times.

Experimentation is the method by which scientists test natural phenomena in the hopes of gaining new knowledge.. Good experiments follow a logical design to isolate and test specific, precisely-defined variables. By learning the fundamental principles behind experimental design, you'll be able to apply these principles to your own experiments. Regardless of their scope, all good experiments operate according to the logical, deductive principles of the scientific method, from fifth-grade potato clock science fair projects to cutting-edge Higgs Boson research. [1] X Research source

Designing a Scientifically Sound Experiment

• For instance, if you want to do an experiment on agricultural fertilizer, don't seek to answer the question, "Which kind of fertilizer is best for growing plants?" There are many different types of fertilizer and many different kinds of plants in the world - one experiment won't be able to draw universal conclusions about either. A much better question to design an experiment around would be "What concentration of nitrogen in fertilizer produces the largest corn crops?"
• Modern scientific knowledge is very, very vast. If you intend to do serious scientific research, research your topic extensively before you even begin to plan your experiment. Have past experiments answered the question you want your experiment to study? If so, is there a way to adjust your topic so that it addresses questions left unanswered by existing research?

• For instance, in our fertilizer experiment example, our scientist would grow multiple corn crops in soil supplemented with fertilizers whose nitrogen concentration differs. He would give each corn crop the exact same amount of fertilizer. He would make sure the chemical composition of his fertilizers used did not differ in some way besides its nitrogen concentration - for instance, he would not use a fertilizer with a higher concentration of magnesium for one of his corn crops. He would also grow the exact same number and species of corn crops at the same time and in the same type of soil in each replication of his experiment.

• Typically, a hypothesis is expressed as a quantitative declarative sentence. A hypothesis also takes into account the ways that the experimental parameters will be measured. A good hypothesis for our fertilizer example is: "Corn crops supplemented with 1 pound of nitrogen per bushel will result in a greater yield mass than equivalent corn crops grown with differing nitrogen supplements."

• Timing is incredibly important, so stick to your plan as close as possible. That way, if you see changes in your results, you can rule out different time constraints as the cause of the change.
• Making a data table beforehand is a great idea - you'll be able to simply insert your data values into the table as you record them.
• Know the difference between your dependent and independent variables. An independent variable is a variable that you change and a dependent variable is the one affected by the independent variable. In our example, "nitrogen content" is the independent variable, and "yield (in kg)" is the dependent variable. A basic table will have columns for both variables as they change over time.

• Good experimental design incorporates what's known as a control. One of your experimental replications should not include the variable you're testing for at all. In our fertilizer example, we'll include one corn crop which receives a fertilizer with no nitrogen in it. This will be our control - it will be the baseline against which we'll measure the growth of our other corn crops.
• Observe any and all safety measures associated with hazardous materials or processes in your experiment. [6] X Research source

• It's always a good idea to represent your data visually if you can. Plot data points on a graph and express trends with a line or curve of best fit. This will help you (and anyone else who sees the graph) visualize patterns in the data. For most basic experiments, the independent variable is represented on the horizontal x axis and the dependent variable is on the vertical y axis.

• To share your results, write a comprehensive scientific paper. Knowing how to write a scientific paper is a useful skill - the results of most new research must be written and published according to a specific format, often dictated by the style guide for a relevant, peer-reviewed academic journal.

Running an Example Experiment

• In this case, the type of aerosol fuel we use is the independent variable (the variable we change), while the range of the projectile is the dependent variable.
• Things to consider for this experiment - is there a way to ensure each potato projectile has the same weight? Is there a way to administer the same amount of aerosol fuel for each firing? Both of these can potentially affect the range of the gun. Weigh each projectile beforehand and fuel each shot with the same amount of aerosol spray.

• The furthest-left column will be labeled "Trial #." The cells in this column will simply contain the numbers 1-10, signifying each firing attempt.
• The following four columns will be labeled with the names of the aerosol sprays we're using in our experiment. The ten cells beneath each column header will contain the range (in meters) of each firing attempt.
• Below the four columns for each fuel, leave a space to write the average value of the ranges.

• Like many experiments, our experiment has certain safety concerns we need to observe. The aerosol fuels we're using are flammable - we should be sure to close the potato gun's firing cap securely and to wear heavy gloves while igniting the fuel. To avoid accidental injuries from the projectiles, we should also make sure that we (and any observers) are standing to the side of the gun as it fires - not in front of it or behind it.

• We can even share our results with the world in the form of a scientific paper - given the subject matter of our experiment, it may be more appropriate to present this information in the form of a tri-fold science fair display.

Community Q&A

• In upper-level sciences, most data isn't used unless it is reproducible at least 3 times. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1
• Science is about asking big questions. Don't be afraid to choose a topic you haven't looked at before. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Have fun and stay safe. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Wear eye protection Thanks Helpful 29 Not Helpful 1
• Wash your hands before and after an experiment. Thanks Helpful 29 Not Helpful 3
• Do not have any food or drinks near your workstation. Thanks Helpful 25 Not Helpful 5
• If anything gets in your eyes rinse them out thoroughly with water for 15 minutes, then seek immediate medical attention. Thanks Helpful 7 Not Helpful 0
• When using sharp knives, dangerous chemicals, or hot flames, make sure you have an adult supervising you at all times. Thanks Helpful 15 Not Helpful 3
• Tie loose hair back Thanks Helpful 23 Not Helpful 7
• Wear rubber gloves when handling chemicals Thanks Helpful 23 Not Helpful 8

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.khanacademy.org/science/high-school-biology/hs-biology-foundations/hs-biology-and-the-scientific-method/a/experiments-and-observations
• ↑ https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/list
• ↑ https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/science-fair/variables
• ↑ https://www.livescience.com/21490-what-is-a-scientific-hypothesis-definition-of-hypothesis.html
• ↑ https://sciencing.com/collect-data-science-project-5988780.html
• ↑ https://ehsdailyadvisor.blr.com/2012/04/11-rules-for-safe-handling-of-hazardous-materials/
• ↑ https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/science-fair/conducting-an-experiment
• ↑ https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/science-fair/writing-a-hypothesis
• ↑ https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/science-fair/steps-of-the-scientific-method
• ↑ https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/science-fair/data-analysis-graphs

About This Article

If you want to conduct a science experiment, first come up with a question you want to answer, then devise a way to test that question. Make sure you have a control, or an untested component to your experiment. For example, if you want to find out which fertilizer is best for growing crops, you would have one plant for each type of fertilizer, plus one plant that doesn’t get any fertilizer. Write down each step of your experiment carefully, along with the final result. For tips on organizing your data collection, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Conduct Experiments Using the Scientific Method

Introduction: How to Conduct Experiments Using the Scientific Method

Experiments are performed all around us everyday. Whether they're done to find out if a cancer curing medication works or to find out how fast water evaporates at certain temperatures, experiments are constantly performed. However, what separates a simple experiment from a professionally done experiment is the use of the Scientific Method. The Scientific Method is a series of organized steps to which an experiment is done. The Scientific Method helps you plan, predict, research, conclude and maybe even publish your findings. The Scientific Method will make your experiment more organized, easy to interpret and learn from. In this Instructable, I will help guide you through each step using a sample experiment. You will also learn the significance of each step as I break the Scientific Method down.

The steps to the Scientific Method are:

1) Pose a Testable Question.

2) Conduct Background Research.

3) State your Hypothesis .

4) Design Experiment .

5) Perform your Experiment .

6) Collect Data .

7) Draw Conclusions .

8) Publish Findings (optional).

Step 1: Understand the Sample Experiment

Our sample experiment is going to be the rate of sugar cubes dissolving in water at different temperatures. Basically, I will drop sugar cubes into cups of water with different temperatures and time how long it takes the sugar cubes to "disappear" (dissolve).

Step 2: Pose a Testable Question

The Testable Question is the question that the experiment is based on. Every experiment is performed because someone questions or is curious about something. So, all the T estable Question really does, is pose that burning question.

In the sample experiment, our Testable Question is:

Does water temperature affect the rate at which sugar cubes dissolve?

Step 3: Research the Topic

Researching your topic is very important. It helps you predict an outcome (Hypothesis) and helps you to better understand the subject.

Your research should include, information about prior experiments done that are the same or similar to yours, information about things you are using in your experiment (chemicals, tools, etc.), definitions of words that you don't know that are relevant to your experiment, etc.

Your research doesn't need to be organized in any particular fashion. Some ways to organize your information are bullet points, charts and graphs (t-charts, spreadsheets, bar graphs, line graphs, etc.), list of words and their respective definitions, etc.

Step 4: State a Hypothesis

The Hypothesis is a prediction, based on prior research, on the outcome of the experiment. Think of the Hypothesis as an educated estimate.

Your Hypothesis will predict your opinion on the outcome of the experiment. If research points one way, and you predict that your experiment will go another way, that's totally fine. That's the point of doing the experiment. To see if your Hypothesis is right or wrong.

A Hypothesis is usually stated using a 'if and then' statement. Your sentence will sound something like, If I drink water, then I will feel hydrated.

In the sample experiment, the Hypothesis can be:

If you increase water temperature, then the rate at which a sugar cube dissolves is increased.

Remember, the hypothesis can be any prediction of the outcome of the experiment you are conducting. So, again, this doesn't have to be your hypothesis.

Step 5: Design Your Experiment

There are five main things to cover in the design step. Those five things are:

1) Make a list of parts, materials and tools needed for your experiment.

2) Declare your control.

3) Declare your independent variable.

4) Declare your dependent variable.

5) Describe how you will perform your experiment.

Make a List of Parts, Materials and Tools Needed for your Experiment

For the sample experiment I will need:

• Two clear plastic cups filled with half a cup of water
• A thermometer
• Two sugar cubes
• Distilled water
• A stopwatch
• A measuring cup
• Two microwaveable bowls

Declare your Control Variable

The control variable is the normal scenario.

For the sample experiment, the control variable is:

• A cup of water that is room temperature (seventy two degrees Fahrenheit).

Declare your Independent Variable The independent variable is the one variable you change that makes the scenario different than normal conditions (control).

For the sample experiment, the independent variable is:

• Increasing the water temperature to about ninety five degrees Fahrenheit. This is the independent variable because the control, or normal scenario is about seventy two degrees Fahrenheit.

Please note that you can only change one variable per experiment. If more than one variable is made different than the control, your experiment is invalid and the information could be considered wrong.

Declare your Dependent Variable

The dependent variable is the way you will measure the results of the experiment.

For the sample experiment, the dependent variable is:

• How long it takes for the sugar cube to completely "disappear" (dissolve).

Describe how the Experiment will be Performed

Your description should be written so that if anyone were to read it, that person would be able to conduct the experiment just the way you did it.

For the sample experiment, the description should go like this:

• In this experiment, I filled two cups with half a cup of distilled water. One cup was measured at approximately seventy five degrees Fahrenheit and the other cup was measured at ninety five degrees Fahrenheit. I dropped a sugar cube in the first cup and started the stopwatch exactly at the same time when the sugar cube touched the water. I repeated the process one more time with the second cup. After the sugar cube completely disappeared, I stopped the stopwatch and recorded my results. I repeated the process one more time with the second cup.

Step 6: Perform the Experiment

All you have to do in this step is perform the experiment exactly as you described in the description in the last step.

Step 7: Collect Data

When you finish timing the first cup, write down your results. Repeat that with the second cup.

Your data collection at this point, doesn't need to be fancy. All this step does is ensure that you know what the data is so you could make it fancy and presentable in the next step with graphs and charts.

For the sample experiment, the data was:

• In the first cup (seventy five degrees Fahrenheit), the sugar cube dissolved in
• In the second cup (ninety five degrees Fahrenheit), the sugar cube dissolved in twenty four minutes and thirty seconds.

Step 8: Conclusions

When you finish collecting your Data, you should now conclude with an analysis of your experiment.

Your analysis should include:

1) Charts and graphs displaying results

2) A sentence/paragraph that states if you accept or reject your hypothesis

3) A summary recapping your experiment (optional)

Charts and Graphs

For the sample experiment, I would recommend using a bar graph.

Rejecting/Accepting Hypothesis

For the sample experiment, your paragraph should go like this:

• In my experiment, my hypothesis was rejected because the sugar cube dissolved into seventy five degree Fahrenheit water dissolved in less time than the ninety five degree Fahrenheit water.

Step 9: Publishing Findings (optional)

If your experiment was groundbreaking, really interesting or anything along those lines, you might want to consider publishing in a science magazine or journal.

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• Conduct Science Experiments

How to Conduct Science Experiments

Understanding on how to conduct science experiments is crucial for understanding how knowledge is created.

This article is a part of the guide:

• Kids' Science Projects
• Paper Towel
• Salt Water Egg
• Fruit Battery

Browse Full Outline

• 1 Kids' Science Projects
• 2 How to Conduct Science Experiments
• 3.1 Mold Bread
• 3.2 Popcorn
• 3.3 Salt Water Egg
• 3.4 Corrosiveness of Soda
• 3.5 Egg in a Bottle
• 3.6 Fruit Battery
• 4.1 Pendulum
• 4.2 Paper Towel
• 4.3 Paper Airplane
• 4.4 Charge a Light Bulb
• 4.5 Lifting Ice Cube
• 4.6 Magic Egg
• 4.7 Magic Jumping Coin
• 4.8 Invisible Ink
• 4.9 Making-a-Rainbow
• 4.10 Oil Spill
• 4.11 Balloon Rocket Car
• 4.12 Build an Electromagnet
• 4.13 Create a Heat Detector
• 4.14 Creating a Volcano
• 4.15 Home-Made Glue
• 4.16 Home-Made Stethoscope
• 4.17 Magic Balloon
• 4.18 Make a Matchbox Guitar
• 4.19 Make Your Own Slime
• 5.1 Heron’s Aeolipile
• 5.2 Make an Archimedes Screw
• 5.3 Build an Astrolabe
• 5.4 Archimedes Displacement
• 5.5 Make Heron’s Fountain
• 5.6 Create a Sundial

Since before the time of the Ancient Greeks, thousands of years ago, people have tried to find out more about the world around them, wondering how and why things work.

Scientists come up with many great ideas to show how things work, but for an idea to become accepted, it has to be tested .

The tool scientists use to test their theories is called the scientific method . Whether you are studying stars, caterpillars or medicines, this method remains the same.

If you have an idea, or a question , you have to be able to prove it and give evidence so that other scientists can check and test your results .

Here we are going to show you the best way to design and conduct science experiments.

Always check with your teacher exactly what needs to be included but if you follow these steps, you will not be far wrong.

• Discussion and Conclusion

The first step in any investigation is to research your topic . This can be done in a variety of ways.

The experiment you are trying to perform might be building upon ones you have done earlier or be a result of something you have noticed in everyday life.

You might, for example, have noticed that mold seems to grow quicker in hot temperatures and want to know if this is true.

You can use the internet, books, magazines or talking to knowledgeable people to try and find some details.

You can then do more research into the project because other people may have performed similar experiments. It is always a good idea to make a list of where you found each piece of information because you may need to use this in your report.

Now you must try to narrow down your research into one, easily testable , problem . For example, you might decide to find out whether mold grows quicker at higher temperatures. It is much easier to test one thing at a time.

If you wanted to test mold growth with different types of bread or varying amounts of light, it becomes complicated. The scientific way is to test one thing and get the results. Once you have the results for this experiment, you can always test other variables .

This is where we really start going. The hypothesis is one statement of fact that you are going to try and prove or disprove. It could be

"Mold grows quicker at higher temperatures." ( example )

"More expensive paper towel brands absorb more water." ( example )

It is always a good idea to say why you have picked this hypothesis.

Write down your hypothesis . This is what your experiment is designed around. It must never be changed even if it is wrong. Science is not about right and wrong, just coming to an answer.

Experimentation

There are three important variables you have to remember when you are designing your experiment.

Independent variable - this is what you change in order to provide a result. In the case of the mold bread experiment , it is temperature. In the case of the paper towel experiment it is the brand.

Controlled variables - these are the things that never change.

Dependent variable - this is what you are measuring, how much water the towel absorbs or how much mold grows on the slice.

It is important to make sure that you perform experiments in batches. One result can always be an accident but if you have 3 or more samples for each test under the same conditions then you can take a mean or average for your results.

As much as is possible, you must try and keep everything else the same. The bread you use for the mold bread experiment should be from the same loaf. The plastic bags should be the same. Be careful to make sure that you keep a list of the exact details of everything you use.

For experiments where you took samples outside, it is a good idea to give a map reference and even draw a small map, or use Google maps. Photographs of your methods and apparatus can also be excellent ways of describing your experiment.

Here is where you show your results and let the whole world know what you found at the end of the experiment.

You do not need to show all of your calculations; most people know how to take a mean, but you must make it clear that you did use a mean.

In this section describe what you found. Graphs and tables are good ways to present your findings. Other scientists find it a lot easier to study your data by looking at diagrams than at huge blocks of text.

Graphs and tables are fine with pen and paper if they are neat. If you know how to use computer programs to draw these, even better.

Discussion / Conclusion

In the discussion, you assess how the results answer the hypothesis and discuss its relevance to the existing knowledge in the field.

When writing a conclusion , you should try to answer a your hypothesis, as succinctly as possible.

You will have already answered some of these in your discussion, but the key is to leave some questions that another can expand upon for their research project.

Writing the Report

The next stage is taking all of your results and constructing a report paper .

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Martyn Shuttleworth (Mar 19, 2008). How to Conduct Science Experiments. Retrieved Nov 20, 2024 from Explorable.com: https://explorable.com/conduct-science-experiments

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