What are the basic steps and variables of a science experiment?
Science is a discipline or a branch of learning that deals with measurable or systematic principles as opposed to intuition and natural abilities. In fact, it is science that governs the universe around us. Through scientific theories and experiments, humans are able to further enhance their knowledge. Let us explore what scientific experiment really is and the factors associated with it.
What is a scientific experiment?
A scientific experiment (originated in the 17th century) is an empirical way of learning and expanding knowledge about the universe as well as figuring out the solutions to unanswered questions. In other words, an experiment is a method by which a hypothesis (a proposition or a defined phenomenon) is debunked or validated. In fact, an experiment is an essential part of scientific foundation. The goal is to logically find and analyse results.
What are the steps in a scientific experiment?
There are primarily six basic steps in a scientific experiment. They are:
- Making pre-experiment observations and raising queries.
- Conducting background research while citing sources and references.
- Drawing hypothesis, beginning with causes and ending with effects. Keeping in mind that this hypothesis will either be rejected or be accepted at the end of the experiment.
- Conducting a thorough experiment, laying down observations, and carefully recording data to support the conclusions.
- Analysing all available data, both for and against the hypothesis.
- Drawing inferences based on the collected data.
What are the variables in a scientific experiment?
A variable in a scientific experiment is any factor that can be changed, controlled or measured. In this regard, there are predominantly four kinds of variables in a scientific experiment, namely:
Independent variable: This factor is both changed and purposely controlled and are usually multiple in number. However, one independent variable is changed at a time in order to measure and interpret data easily. For instance, the same size kettle is used to boil different amounts of water, where the quantity of water is the independent variable.
Dependent variable: This factor is first observed for a while and then measured. The changes noticed in case of a dependent variable is often the direct consequence of the changes made on the independent variable. If we take the above example, here, the dependent variable is the time it takes to boil the water.
Constant variable: Also called controlled variable, they neither change nor remain constant throughout an experiment, regardless of the changes made to the dependent or independent variables.
Extraneous variable: This is a factor that may affect an outcome of an experiment but are still not considered during observation or measurement. In fact, this kind of variable often produces errors, but hardly ever affect the final conclusion.