Ask a Question
The purpose of the question is to narrow the focus of the inquiry, to identify the problem in specific terms. The question Darwin might have asked after seeing so many different finches was something like this: What caused the diversification of finches on the Galapagos Islands?
Here are some other scientific questions:
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/science-fair/steps-of-the-scientific-method
Variables are things that are changing in an experiment. An experiment has independent and control variables.
The independent variable is the one that is changed by the scientist. Why just one? Well, if you changed more than one variable it would be hard to figure out which change is causing what you observe.
Let’s say you are testing to see how the amount of light received affects plant growth:
The purpose of the question is to narrow the focus of the inquiry, to identify the problem in specific terms. The question Darwin might have asked after seeing so many different finches was something like this: What caused the diversification of finches on the Galapagos Islands?
Here are some other scientific questions:
- What causes the roots of a plant to grow downward and the stem to grow upward?
- What brand of mouthwash kills the most germs?
- Which car body shape reduces air resistance most effectively?
- What causes coral bleaching?
- Does green tea reduce the effects of oxidation?
- What type of building material absorbs the most sound?
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/science-fair/steps-of-the-scientific-method
Variables are things that are changing in an experiment. An experiment has independent and control variables.
The independent variable is the one that is changed by the scientist. Why just one? Well, if you changed more than one variable it would be hard to figure out which change is causing what you observe.
Let’s say you are testing to see how the amount of light received affects plant growth:
- The independent variable, is the amount of light, changed by you, the researcher. As you change the independent variable, the light, you measure to see how much the plants grow.
- A control variable is another factor in an experiment; it must be held constant. In the plant growth experiment, this may be factors like water and fertilizer levels. These need to remain the same with all the plants.