Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

ok. i figured out the instructions. but what does it mean by "state your problem"?

tiggerlily58,

What instructions are you referring to? Can you post a link to these instructions or describe them in detail so that we can better help you?

The phrase "state your problem" usually means to tell what question you are trying to answer. What is the problem you are trying to solve or the question you are trying to answer? What is the goal of your project?

i would be more than happy to, but what do you mean by post the instrucions? do you mean say what the sheet tells me to do?

Tiggerlily,

I think Terik thought the instructions you were referring to were online, not from a sheet your teacher handed out. It would help us if you could tell us what the sheet tells you to do, but I suspect Terik is right and that your teacher is looking for the question you are trying to answer.

ohhhh. now i understand. it doesn't exactly tell me to do some thing spacifically. it just says "problem:"

Are you asking about the scientific method?
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/mentorin ... thod.shtml

Are you asking about how to form a specific question or hypothesis?
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/mentorin ... tion.shtml

What grade are you in?

8th. why?

Knowing what grade you are in helps the experts to word our responses in a more grade appropriate way. There is a significant difference between what is expected from third or forth grader doing a lima bean growth experiment and what would be expected from an eight grader.

Project Question: will the bigger or smaller lima bean grow faster when i water it with tap water?

If the above is the scientific question you are attempting to answer, you need to transform this into a hypothesis and apply the scientific method to investigating it.

Please read the links in my previous reply as they contain some good information on the scientific method and how to formulate a hypothesis.

You are going to have to somehow quantify "bigger" and "smaller" lima beans. A sample size of 1 each is NOT going to provide an answer that has a high probability of being correct because there are lots of uncontrolled variations. Part of the scientific method is to eliminate all the uncontrolled variables that you can. You can't entirely eliminate variations with living things so you have to attempt to get some averages over a bigger population or sample size.

You need to do a little reading on plant growth factors (soil, pH, moisture, light, temperature, fertilizers) and determine what things you need to control.

Hope this helps and is what you were asking about.