We’ve reached the final step of Scientific Method: Analyzing the Results. The information you receive from observing your subject and experimenting is only useful when compared to your hypothesis. By comparing the experiment results with the hypothesis we can determine if our original assumptions were true or false.
The Mythbusters give a perfect example of how to correctly analyze data. They closely study the results of their experiment and find it plausible that sound of any kind helps plants grow. Studying how your hypothesis was correct or wrong can help you refine future experiments.
Each time you perform an experiment it is important to closely examine the results of that experiment. If you continue to get the same results every time you perform the experiment you begin to learn concrete facts about your subject. After repeated experiments, all with the same results, you can begin to describe the phenomena as a scientific principle. This clip shows Isaac Newton first discovering his Laws of Motion.
Every step of the Scientific Method is repeatable to allow the process to be refined. Every time you apply the Scientific Method to your work, you gain more information, and hopefully, uncover more discoveries. No single experiment or scientist is enough to claim a behavior as fact. Multiple experiments and peer reviews from other scientists are required to transform an idea into a fact or a theory. It’s all part of the process of better understanding our world.
Check out our other articles about the Scientific Method:
At ClassHook, we have many other videos from movies and TV shows that exemplify the Scientific Method at work. Check out more of them here.