🔬 What Do Scientists Do?
What You'll Learn
- Understand the scientific method — the steps scientists follow
- Know the difference between an observation and a hypothesis
- Practice asking good scientific questions
Scientists Are Question-Askers
A scientist is anyone who looks closely at the world and asks why. You do this every day! Why does ice melt? Why do plants grow toward sunlight? Why does a ball fall down instead of up?
Scientists answer questions by following a process called the scientific method:
- 👀 Observe — notice something interesting in the world
- ❓ Question — ask a testable question about it
- 💡 Hypothesis — make an educated guess at the answer
- ⚖ Experiment — test your hypothesis carefully
- 📊 Data — record what actually happened
- 🥊 Conclusion — decide if your hypothesis was right or wrong
It is perfectly fine if your hypothesis is wrong. Scientists learn just as much from experiments that don't go as expected. A "failed" experiment is never wasted!
Observation vs. Inference
An observation is something you directly see, hear, smell, touch, or taste. An inference is a guess based on what you observe.
- Observation: "The plant's leaves are yellow."
- Inference: "The plant might not be getting enough sunlight."
Good scientists always separate observations from inferences. They test their inferences before claiming they are true.
🔬 Virtual Lab: Build Your Experiment
Practice the scientific method! Fill in each step below to plan a real experiment.
What is a hypothesis?
Which statement is an observation (not an inference)?
What should a scientist do if their experiment proves their hypothesis wrong?