Sec 1 Science: Introduction to the Scientific Method

Is science made up of facts? Is everything you learn in science just facts that you need to memorise? In primary school, science is taught as if everything were clear-cut, indisputable facts. But in actual practice, science is not always clear-cut. Scientists don’t know everything about the world yet, and with scientific research, some things that we thought were true have been disproven.

So, what is science? Science is the process of learning about the world through observation, experimentation, and testing out theories. This process is also called the Scientific Method – one of the Secondary 1 science topics and also covered in our Secondary Science Tuition classes.

Let’s find out about the scientific method below!

1. Observation

What information can you get from observing the world around you? What have other scientists already found out? Observing the world and noticing any patterns and phenomena are great starting places to kick off any scientific endeavour.

2. Ask

The scientific pursuit begins with curiosity. What do we not know yet? What is something you found strange or interesting from your observations that you wish to find out more about? Begin with a question that you want to find the answer to. This will be your research question, and the goal of the entire process is to find answers for it.

For example, one question you may want to ask is ‘How does the volume of water given to a plant affect its growth?’

3. Form a hypothesis

A hypothesis is an educated guess which can be tested. It is something you think would happen, based on your existing knowledge.

For example, let’s say you know that plants need water to make food (photosynthesis). Thus, you may guess that plants would grow faster if they receive more water. A hypothesis may read something like: The more water a plant receives, the faster it would grow.

4. Experimentation

Now, it’s time to test your hypothesis by conducting an experiment. First, you need to design the experiment to make sure it can answer your research question and test your hypothesis. This involves understanding what variables are and choosing measurable data you can collect and analyse later.

Independent variable

The independent variable is the property that you want to change. For example, if you want to look at how the amount of water affect a plant’s growth, you should be changing the amount of water you use to water the plants. Thus, the volume of water given to each plant is the independent variable.

Dependent variable

Dependent variable is the property you measure. In our example, we want to measure plant growth. We need something we can measure in terms of numbers – so we may decide to measure the height of the plant in centimetres. Thus, the increase in height of the plant is our dependent variable.

Constants

In any experiment, there are many different variables that can affect the outcome. For example, plant growth may also be affected by light, wind, type of soil, and size of the pot. To make sure these other variables are not affecting your results, you should keep all other variables (except the independent variable) the same. These variables which you keep the same are called constants.

5. Data collection

As you conduct your experiment, you should be recording down the data you collect. Generally, you want to be noting down the measurements of the independent variables and dependent variables.

In a proper experiment, you should also repeat your tests several times to ensure your results are reliable and not just a result of coincidence.

6. Data analysis

After conducting the experiments and gathering your data, it is time to analyse them. The most common way is to plot a graph using your results to show whether there is a trend between the independent variable and the dependent variable.

7. Conclusion

Using your data and analysis, determine whether your prediction was true. For example, if you found that plants that were given more water showed a bigger increase in height over one week, then you could conclude that your prediction was correct and that the volume of water makes plants grow faster.

Conclusion

The Scientific Method is not a content-based chapter, but its concepts are essential to know when tackling experimental questions, data-based questions, and – of course – science practical exams. This makes it so important to grasp the details right so that any misconceptions do not snowball into more mistakes in the future.

The same is true for many Sec 1 topics in Science and Math. As such, we provide headstart lessons for upcoming Sec 1 students to teach fundamental topics in Sec 1 Science and Math. For students heading to an IP school, do enquire about our IP Science Tuition and IP Math Tuition which will help students have a firm foundation to tackle their first year of secondary school with utmost confidence!