The document describes the scientific method as a systematic process used to explore observations and answer questions through experimentation and testing hypotheses. It outlines the 5 basic steps of the scientific method as: 1) asking an observation-based question, 2) gathering preliminary data, 3) formulating a hypothesis, 4) conducting an experiment to test the hypothesis, and 5) drawing conclusions from the experimental results to either support or disprove the original hypothesis. The document provides examples of how scientists like Lavoisier used these steps, such as formulating the hypothesis of phlogiston to later disprove it and develop the law of conservation of mass through controlled experimentation.

1. The Scientific Method

2. What is the “Scientific Method?”
The Scientific Method is:
• a systematic process for experimentation that is used to
explore observations and answer questions.
• a process or way of arriving at a solution to a problem or
understanding an event in nature that involves testing
possible solutions

3. There are 5 basic steps in Scientific Method:
• Asking an observation-based question
(Conceptualization/Purpose/Finding the Problem)
• Gathering preliminary data
• Formulation of hypothesis
• Conducting an experiment (Testing the
hypothesis)
• Drawing conclusions

4. Step 1: Asking a question
• The scientific method starts when you
ask a question about something that
you observe: How, What, When, Who,
Which, Why, or Where?
• This step is done to define the problem
or issue you wish to resolve.
• The question should be specific for you
to be able to find specific answers.

5. Step 4: Conducting an experiment
• Test the hypothesis and
predictions in an experiment
that can be reproduced.
• Your experiment tests whether
your prediction is accurate and
thus your hypothesis is
supported or not.
• It is important for your
experiment to be a fair test.
You conduct a fair test by
making sure that you change
only one factor at a time while
keeping all other conditions
the same.

6. Step 2: Gathering preliminary data
• Do background research to
learn what others have
discovered about your topic.
• Rather than starting from
scratch in putting together a
plan for answering your
question, you want to be a
savvy scientist using library
and Internet research to help
you find the best way to do
things and insure that you
don't repeat mistakes from
the past.

7. Step 3: Formulation of hypothesis
• A hypothesis is an informed/educated
guess as to the possible answer of the
question.
• Construct a hypothesis to determine
how you think your questions should be
answered.
• The hypothesis may be formed as soon
as the question is posed, or it may
require a great deal of background
research and inquiry.

8. Step 5: Drawing conclusion
• Analyze the data you have
collected during the
experiment and formulate a
conclusion based on your
research and the data you’ve
gathered from your
experiment.
• If the data proves the
hypothesis correct, the original
question is answered.
• On the other hand, if the data
disproves the hypothesis, the
scientific inquiry continues by
doing research to form a new
hypothesis and then conductig
an experiment to test it.

9. Throughout history, various
scientists have used the scientific
method as their fundamental rule in
answering the endless questions the
universe offers.

10. One example is when Lavoiser
disproved the concept of phlogiston
that eventually gave way to the Law of
Conservation of Mass.

11. Step 1: Asking a question
Source:https://www.academia.edu/7030701/Antoine_Laurent_de_Lavoisier_The_Enlightenment_of_Science_From_Alchemy_to_the_Founding_of_Mo
dern_Chemistry_and_Scientific_Method

12. Step 2: Gathering preliminary data
Source: http://www.uta.edu/faculty/sawasthi/Lecture%20Notes%20Chem1451/Law%20of%20Conservation%20of%20Mass.htm

13. Step 3: Formulation of hypothesis
Source:https://www.academia.edu/7030701/Antoine_Laurent_de_Lavoisier_The_Enlightenment_of_Science_From_Alchemy_to_the_Founding_of_Mo
dern_Chemistry_and_Scientific_Method
.

14. Step 4: Conducting an experiment
Source:https://www.academia.edu/7030701/Antoine_Laurent_de_Lavoisier_The_Enlightenment_of_Science_From_Alchemy_to_the_Founding_of_Mo
dern_Chemistry_and_Scientific_Method

15. Step 5: Drawing conclusion
Source:https://www.academia.edu/7030701/Antoine_Laurent_de_Lavoisier_The_Enlightenment_of_Science_From_Alchemy_to_the_Founding_of_Mo
dern_Chemistry_and_Scientific_Method

16. Step 5: Drawing conclusion
Source:https://www.academia.edu/7030701/Antoine_Laurent_de_Lavoisier_The_Enlightenment_of_Science_From_Alchemy_to_the_Founding_of_Mo
dern_Chemistry_and_Scientific_Method

17. Scientific method in everyday life
Scientific method are also often used in encountering everyday life
situations. For example:
• Observation: Light bulb did not light.
• Question: Is the light bulb blown?
• Hypothesis: The light bulb is blown.
• Prediction: If I replace the bulb and it lights, then my hypothesis is
validated. If the bulb does not light, then my hypothesis is invalidated.
• Experiment: Replace the bulb.
• Result: New bulb lights up.
• Conclusion: My hypothesis is validated. The bulb was blown.

19. The scientific method is actually a cycle of systematic
procedures that may be performed over again to get more
concrete answers to questions, and guess what…
There’s still an uncountable number of questions
out there, waiting to be answered!

20. Thank you and stay curious.
