Scientific Method

Scientific Method Matching Exercise Resource

Match each example task in Column 2 with a step of the scientific method in Column 1. List out each match in order according to the scientific method steps, and explain the reasoning for your choice.

Column 1: Scientific Method Steps 1) Observe. 2) Ask a question. 3) Create a hypothesis. 4) Conduct an experiment. 5) Collect data. 6) Interpret results. 7) Report results. | Column 2: Examples of Tasks | 8) | a) A scientist, based on his observation of the pond, believes that if a pond is exposed to the waste of an industrial plant, then the growth of algae will be accelerated. | 9) | b) In her laboratory, a scientist pours a vial of waste water, collected from the industrial plant, and adds it to a dish containing pond water. A second dish (the control dish), containing the same pond water, does not receive the waste water sample. | 10) | c) A scientist wonders if the waste water emitted from an industrial plant is accelerating the growth of algae in a pond. | 11) | d) After 5 days, the scientist measures the amount of algae present in each dish. | 12) | e) The scientist submits his findings to a scientific journal. | 13) | f) After the data is collected, the scientist discovers that the dish containing both the pond water and waste water had more than twice the amount of algae than the control dish. | 14) | g) A scientist observes that a pond adjacent to an industrial plant has heavier algae growth than ponds farther away. |