How to make scientific tests

(Finding the truth)

Scientific test are the core of the scientific method simply because they are the solution to our question and reveal data to conclude the truth. Sadly, however there is no one scientific test that can be used for all scientific tests, there are so many different questions that they all require their own unique test. The real challenge of testing is finding and making the right one for your particular question. Fortunately, there is a way to design an effective experiment.

What exactly are you testing?

The first question you need to ask is, what exactly you are going to be testing? What are we dealing with here? It mostly deals with what the question asks:

If your question is about the growth of a plant the experiment will involve plant growth in some way.

Example

Your question is about what color the sky is, since the question deals with color the test will deal with color and the sky in some way.

What will the test be (and why)?

The next thing to consider is, what exactly will be doing the testing, and why will it be? This part often has to do with copying the observation in a more controlled and detailed way that you can collect data. So, in order to design the correct experiment, we need to look at the observation and decide what will be a correct test:

If we are dealing with plant growth and the question is how fast a plant can grow the experiment needs to deal with plant growth and factors such as water, sunlight, and soil as well as time to grow. This will be because it will prove how fast a plant can grow under certain circumstances.

Example:

Since your observation is about the sky’s color and your question is what color, the sky truly is, the experiment will deal with colors pertaining to the sky and vision. So, we will need different types of color to compare the sky, in this way we can prove what color the sky is.

What will be the measurements?

Another thing we need to deal with is what we will be using to measure the test? Can we use a measuring tape or cup? Or a chart or a table? In order to ask this question, we need to know how exactly we can measure what we are testing. 

If we are testing plant growth, we need to measure how tall and wide they grow and time: how long it takes for them to grow we can use a measuring tape for the growth and a watch for the time. And a table to collect the data and compare.

Example:

If we are testing what color the sky is by comparing colors to the sky, we can use a check system to record the data we see compared to the sky.

Final Step time to design the test

Now, piecing all this together, it is time to decide: what exactly will be the actual test? and What will you do to test? To do this you need to brainstorm ALL other conclusions and come up with a plan for those conclusions.

For instance, you have concluded

1: The experiment is going to be dealing with colors and the sky

2: The test will deal with color in response to the sky’s color

3: The test will measure in a check system to compare data later.

So, taking all this information together you decided the best test to do is to get your crayons from your coloring box and get a piece of paper and color little squares you drew with your pencil and color them in with all different color and label them the color the crayon says they are. Then in the middle cut out a square for the sky to be in. You decided you will go outside on a clear day and hold the paper up to the sky and compare the colors on your paper to the colors in the sky. For the ones that don’t match the sky’s color put an X on them and a Checkmark for the ones that do.

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