The scientific method involves making observations about the natural world, asking questions about those observations, forming hypotheses to answer those questions, experimenting to test those hypotheses, collecting and analyzing the resulting data, and drawing conclusions. The document provides an example of applying the scientific method to test the hypothesis that the McDonald's next to someone's house gives more fries than other locations by weighing fry orders from 5 McDonald's over several days and analyzing the average weights.

1. Scientific Method
***only write things in black

3. What is the Scientific Method?
• Scientific Method—the scientific process of
investigating, testing, and answering things
about our natural world.

5. Steps of the Scientific Method
• Observation—make an observation about the
world (use 5 senses).
• “The Mcdonalds next to my house gives a lot of
fries.”

6. Steps of the Scientific Method
• Question—Ask a question based on your
observation that you can test.
• “Does the McDonalds next to my house give more
fries than other McDonalds?”

7. Steps of the Scientific Method
• Hypothesis—an educated explanation to
answer your question (If… then).
• “If I weighed the fries given at the McDonalds next
to my house, then it will weigh more than the fries
at other McDonalds. ”

8. Steps of the Scientific Method
• Experiment—come up with procedures (steps)
and test the hypothesis.
1. Buy medium fries at McDonalds next to my house.
2. Go to 4 other locations and order the medium fries.
3. Using a scale, weigh each order
of fries.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for the next
4 days

9. Steps of the Scientific Method
• Collect Data—recording the information you
get from your tests.
McDonalds
next to house
McDonalds
#2
McDonalds
#3
McDonalds
#4
McDonalds
#5
Day 1 20.9 g 19.2 g 18.2 g 22.3 g 19.4 g
Day 2 21.2 g 20.1 g 18.4 g 20.1 g 19.2 g
Day 3 20.8 g 21.9 g 19.2 g 18.8 g 19.1 g
Day 4 18.4 g 19.0 g 22.5 g 20.5 g 21.2 g
Day 5 20.8 g 18.1 g 19.6 g 21.4 g 19.2 g
Average 20.2 g 19.2 g 18.9 g 21.2 g 19.8 g

10. Steps of the Scientific Method
• Analyze Data—sorting data, graphing it, and
making meaning out of it.

11. Steps of the Scientific Method
• Conclusion—explain results and compare to
hypothesis. Consider errors and retest.
• According to the data and graph, the McDonalds at
location #4 gave the most
fries on average. Therefore, my
hypothesis is incorrect.