The scientific method is a method of analyzing a scientific problem in a systematic way. In this method, the scientist does not make assumptions, leap to conclusions, or make decisions based on feeling; this method is strictly based on observable facts.
The five basic steps to the scientific method are research, problem, hypothesis, problem experimentation, and project conclusion. To initiate an investigation, the scientist first selects a project topic to investigate. Then he researches it by collecting information on it from a variety of sources. The problem is the scientific question that he is seeking a solution to; it has to be limited to a ôdoableö size and must be something that can be proven by experiments. After doing the research, the scientist comes up with a hypothesis, which is a tentative idea about what the solution to the problem might be. The problem experimentation, then, is a series of experiments designed to prove or disprove the hypothesis. These experiments must be conducted scientifically, so they are set up with an independent variable that the scientist changes to provoke a specific response and the dependent variable that is being observed. Control variables that are kept constant are used as a basis for comparison (1).
An example of an experiment conducted by scientific method would be a grass-growing experiment to determine whether grass needs light to grow. The scientist would first research the problem in a variety of sources, develop a statement of the problem, then prepare containers of sterile soil and plant them with grass seed. He would set the containers under a grow light, with light being the independent variable that he controls. He would then prepare an equal number of identical containers with the same type of soil and grass seed, but set them in a dark place. The temperature, humidity, and other conditions would all be exactly the same in both environments, as a control. T...