Scientific Method Paper

Scientific Method Paper

Anthony J. Hebdo

Ohio Christian University

June 16, 2018

Scientific Method Paper

The scientific method is an efficient way of asking and answering questions about the world and it’s many facets (The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, 2018). The scientific method is used to gain knowledge through a series of steps. The steps involved are; observation, hypothesis (question or problem), testing or experiments, analysis and the conclusion (Faulkner, Gollmer, Ross, & Whitmore, 2015).

Observation is the first step; whether it’s noticing something odd or interesting, or whether someone is confronted with a problem of some kind, the first thing to do is observe. One must formulate an observation, that leads to them

The hypothesis is a possible explanation that can be tested to see if it is correct, or if one needs to make a new hypothesis. The hypothesis is the person’s prediction of what they believe will be the outcome, or what one should discover (Faulkner et al, 2015). After the hypothesis comes the testing and experiments. To test the hypothesis, one needs to formulate an observation or perform an experiment associated with the prediction. During these tests one would record data. After all the testing and experiments are done then one would collect all the data. The data results of a test could either support or contradict the

Alexander Fleming accidentally discovered penicillin. Fleming had returned from a vacation and found the lab to be a mess. He noticed mold had gotten in his petri dishes (Markel, 2013). Upon looking at the petri dishes under the microscope he found that the mold prevented growth of the bacteria (Markel, 2013). It took him weeks to grow more mold to be able to confirm his conclusions. His conclusion turned out to be something amazing and something that is still used today. The penicillin mold somehow prevented the spread of bacteria. More significantly it might be connected to combating infectious diseases (Markel, 2013). The first thing Fleming did was formulate an observation that bacteria could not grow do to the penicillin mold. A possible hypothesis might have been mold can prevent the spread of bacteria. He then tested his hypothesis. He grew more mold and conducted his experiments. He then collected his data and analyzed it. His conclusions were that his testing supported his hypothesis. The bacteria could not grow do to the penicillin mold. He also found from his experiments that the penicillin could also fight infectious