[Physics Class Notes] on Scientific Investigation Pdf for Exam

The research methods and techniques that are used by scientists in order to develop hypotheses, conduct experiments, gather and analyze data, and draw conclusions are known as scientific investigation. Sometimes the evidence does not provide enough solutions but it may lead to new issues for investigation. The methods used by scientists mainly to do scientific investigation involve scientific methods. The steps used by scientists to perform scientific investigation include the following though there may be slight variations-

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Let us study these steps in detail.

Making Observations

Almost every scientific investigation begins with an observation. Suppose you observe in your house that your coffee maker is not working.

Asking a Question

After we observe something unusual we often question ourselves. In this case, you might ask yourself whether there is something wrong with my electrical appliance.

Forming a Hypothesis

The next step comes down to the hypothesis. A hypothesis can be best described as the possible answer to a scientific question. It is very important for the hypothesis to be logical though it can be falsifiable. If we want to prove the hypothesis false, observations must be made that would disprove the hypothesis. In our example, we will see if there is something wrong with only this electrical appliance or all the electrical appliances.

Testing the Hypothesis

Whenever we want to test a hypothesis, a prediction is to be made first. Prediction is a statement that can tell us what might happen under certain conditions. It is often expressed in this manner: If X occurs, Y will happen. Therefore, on the basis of the hypothesis, you make a prediction. In our case, we will plug in another electrical appliance, supposedly a mixer, and check whether it is also not working.

Drawing Conclusions

In this step, we check the results of our test whether the evidence agrees with our prediction and supports our hypothesis or not. It is not always possible that a hypothesis can always be true as someday a piece of evidence might be found that may disprove the hypothesis. In our example, we find out that the mixer we plugged in is working fine.

Communicating Results

This is the last step while performing scientific experiments in which you communicate the results and learnings with others. It is one of the most important steps as it allows others to test your hypothesis. If the other researchers also get the same results while testing your hypothesis, they will add support to the hypothesis. It might also be possible that if the other researchers get different results, in this case, the hypothesis would be disproved. 

Do you know?

Scientific investigation is the heart of science.  A scientific investigation is conducted through a set of procedures- firstly it starts with making an observation, then asking a question, then comes the stage when one has to form a hypothesis and then test it, finally draw a conclusion and communicate the results.  It provides us with answers to matters unbeknownst to us.