The Scientific Method is a Powerful Tool

When using the scientific method, there are several steps that one must take. First, one must make observations about something and then must ask a question that needs to be answered about the observation by conducting an experiment. Then a hypothesis needs to be created about the outcome of the experiment. Then testing must be done in the form of an experiment. Results of the experiment either make one reject or accept the hypothesis. An explanation for the original question is given, and then the conclusion usually leads to more questioning. The scientific method may help a person to understand why certain things are happening, but the scientific method usually forms a cycle in which more questions are asked and more experiments are done.

For example, when observing that a plant is growing towards the glass in which light is being let through, one might come up with the question, "What is making the plant grow towards the window? A hypothesis might sound like, "If plants are put near a glass with light coming through it, then the plants will grow towards the light." Testing would include a control. The control would be three different pots that would be placed beside (on the same side) glass with light coming through. Three other pots would be placed beside (on the same side as the other pots) glass with no light coming through. The results would show that all three of the pots that were near the glass with the light grew towards the light, while the plants in the dark did not grow as much and trailed over the edges of the pots - two in a different direction than the other. An explanation would be that plants grow towards the light because light facilitates their growth. This would explain why the pots without light did not grow as much and haphazardly draped over the edges of the pots. Another question might be brought up by this experiment, such as, "What happens if the plants do not have glass filtering the light? Will they grow more or less?"

In addition, I have used the scientific method in real life. I had observed that even though I had forgotten to take the two trash cans to the curb the night before, the garbage pickup crew still took the two garbage cans from the side of the house. I questioned, "If I leave the trash by the side of the house every week, will it be picked up?" My hypothesis was, "If I leave the trash by the side of the house, then the garbage pickup crew will take it away." I had never heard of anything but curb side garbage disposal service, but my fiancé had. To test the experiment, I left the two garbage cans by the side of the house every week for four weeks. The results were that for the first two weeks, the garbage pickup crew took the two garbage cans by the side of the house. The third week they did not take any garbage cans and the fourth week they took both garbage cans. The conclusion was that the two garbage cans left by the side of the house were taken out of courtesy. I did call the garbage disposal service to check to see if this was indeed courtesy, which confirmed my conclusion. If it had been required of the garbage disposal company to pick up the garbage cans off of the property beside the house, they would have picked it up.

In conclusion, the scientific method is a powerful tool that should be followed step by step to support or disprove a hypothesis. These steps include observations, followed by a question about the observation, which then leads to a hypothesis. A carefully controlled experiment occurs, in which the results are carefully observed. Depending on the results, this may or may not support the original hypothesis. A statement is then made to answer the original question. The scientific method may also lead to new questions and new experiments. Not only can the scientific method be used in scientific experiments, but in everyday life!