Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Our teacher asked us to come up with a way the scientific method can be used in everyday life and it must NOT include science stuff.. like chemical reactions exc....
It must contain qualitative data and quantitative data so that it is all fact and NO opinions.. i need help... need idea by the 20th of March...
I am a junior and my mind is totally blank currently.

The scientific method involves developing a hypothesis (what you think might happen), testing your hypothesis (trying it out), and analyzing the results (did it work). We go through this decision process CONSTANTLY in our daily lives but don't think about it as the scientific method.

So ideas that come to my mind:
- Do you play video games? Many modern video games require trial and error and the player to guess at what they are supposed to do next. Your hypothesis might be something like "if I open this door then I will get to the treasure." You would then test your hypothesis by opening the door and then analyze your results based on what happened ("there was a monster behind the door, opening it did not get me to the treasure").
- Do you bake? When determining how long to bake cookies, for example, you are using the scientific method. Your hypothesis might be something like "if I bake a batch of cookies for 10 minutes then they will be perfectly cooked." You would then test your hypothesis by baking the cookies for 10 minutes and then checking on their progress. You would then analyze your results based on how they look after 10 minutes ("the cookies are burnt, it took less than 10 minutes to bake them" or "the cookies are perfectly cooked after 10 minutes").

Hopefully these examples can help you brainstorm some of your own ideas. I'm sure you can think of other everyday activities that you subconsciously use the scientific method in.

Audrey

Hello, shaunna11,

Audrey has provided some good examples! Another case, albeit less sophisticated, that comes to mind is trying to determine how long it takes to wake up without an alarm clock. Suppose I hypothesize that I wake up an hour later than if I had decided to set my alarm. Then I would actually test it out for many days (trials), and either reject or support my hypothesis with my findings after having recorded them.

No matter what example you end up choosing, it should exemplify how we as humans are constantly observing, asking questions, experimenting, and trying to explain certain phenomena, however big or small. Keep that in mind and I'm sure the ideas will come flooding in!

Hope this helped,
RM