Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Will this work for a hypothesis, to determine if a certain type of fingerprint pattern is more prevalent between, male or female? Thanks.

In comparing fingerprint patterns(loop,whorl,and arch) of 60 participants(30male/30female), then there will be a dominant pattern noted based on gender.

Hello and thank you for your question.

A hypothesis is typically constructed as a statement based on certain findings or evidence. For your project, a hypothesis might go along the lines of: "Based on prior fingerprint screening data, we hypothesize that males have a predominantly loop-shaped fingerprint."

The setup of your experiment seems fine. It is a comparative study, and the numbers of participants of each gender should be relatively high (at least 30 I would say) to be able to draw more accurate conclusions.

Let us know if you have further questions and we will be happy to help.

-Pharma