How long do hypothesis have to be

It's all connected! That seems like an obvious statement, right? The above hypothesis is too simplistic for most middle- to upper-grade science projects, however.

As you work on deciding what question you will explore, you should be looking for something for which the answer is not already obvious or already known to you. When you write your hypothesis, it should be based on your "educated guess" not on known data. Similarly, the hypothesis should be written before you begin your experimental procedures—not after the fact.

Keep in mind that writing the hypothesis is an early step in the process of doing a science project. The steps below form the basic outline of the Scientific Method :. To help demonstrate the above principles and techniques for developing and writing solid, specific, and testable hypotheses, Sandra and Kristin, two of our staff scientists, offer the following good and bad examples.

When there is less oxygen in the water, rainbow trout suffer more lice. Kristin says: "This hypothesis is good because it is testable, simple, written as a statement, and establishes the participants trout , variables oxygen in water, and numbers of lice , and predicts effect as oxygen levels go down, the numbers of lice go up. Our universe is surrounded by another, larger universe, with which we can have absolutely no contact. Kristin says: "This statement may or may not be true, but it is not a scientific hypothesis.

By its very nature, it is not testable. There are no observations that a scientist can make to tell whether or not the hypothesis is correct. This statement is speculation, not a hypothesis.

Aphid-infected plants that are exposed to ladybugs will have fewer aphids after a week than aphid-infected plants which are left untreated. Sandra says: "This hypothesis gives a clear indication of what is to be tested the ability of ladybugs to curb an aphid infestation , is a manageable size for a single experiment, mentions the independent variable ladybugs and the dependent variable number of aphids , and predicts the effect exposure to ladybugs reduces the number of aphids.

Ladybugs are a good natural pesticide for treating aphid infected plants. Sandra says: "This statement is not 'bite size. One of the basic principles of any type of scientific research is that the results must be replicable. Some variables are more difficult than others to define. How would you operationally define a variable such as aggression? For obvious ethical reasons, researchers cannot create a situation in which a person behaves aggressively toward others.

In order to measure this variable, the researcher must devise a measurement that assesses aggressive behavior without harming other people. In this situation, the researcher might utilize a simulated task to measure aggressiveness.

Once a researcher has formed a testable hypothesis, the next step is to select a research design and start collecting data. The research method depends largely on exactly what they are studying. There are two basic types of research methods: descriptive research and experimental research.

Descriptive research such as case studies , naturalistic observations , and surveys are often used when it would be impossible or difficult to conduct an experiment. These methods are best used to describe different aspects of a behavior or psychological phenomenon. Once a researcher has collected data using descriptive methods, a correlational study can then be used to look at how the variables are related.

This type of research method might be used to investigate a hypothesis that is difficult to test experimentally. Experimental methods are used to demonstrate causal relationships between variables.

In an experiment, the researcher systematically manipulates a variable of interest known as the independent variable and measures the effect on another variable known as the dependent variable. Unlike correlational studies, which can only be used to determine if there is a relationship between two variables, experimental methods can be used to determine the actual nature of the relationship—whether changes in one variable actually cause another to change.

The hypothesis is a critical part of any scientific exploration. It represents what researchers expect to find in a study or experiment. In situations where the hypothesis is unsupported by the research, the research still has value. Such research helps us better understand how different aspects of the natural world relate to one another. It also helps us develop new hypotheses that can then be tested in the future. Ever wonder what your personality type means? Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter.

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Table of Contents. The Scientific Method. Experimental Design: Follow the instructions on page 4 and 5 of your lab manual. The following tables are meant to aid in collecting the raw experimental data. Do not use these tables in the final lab report; follow the example table in the handout on how to write a results section.

Table 1. Time — series data for your own group. Record the dependent variable each assigned day. Procedure 1: Dependent variable? Table 2. Each group must have a sediment score for each treatment for four days; this data will be used to generate a time-series graph for the lab report.

Flask opening treatment. Interpretations and Conclusions. Check the class standard flasks for the sediment scale:. The class data table is the data that must be used for the Chi-square test in your lab report.

Table 3. Bio class data for Procedure II, page 5 of the lab manual. The sediment scores are based upon the score assigned to each flask on day 5. Sediment score on Day 5. Group 1. Group 2. Group 3. Group 4. Group 5. Group 6. No Cotton plug. Cotton plug. Formatting a testable hypothesis What Is a Real Hypothesis? Chocolate may cause pimples. Salt in soil may affect plant growth. Plant growth may be affected by the color of the light.