Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Scientific Method
The Scientific Method is a method that uses observation and experimentation to answer scientific questions. Many scientists use the scientific method. The steps of the scientific method are ask a question, research the topic, form a hypothesis, test the hypothesis, and analyze the data. One scientist that I talked to said that she used the scientific method in all of her experiments. Mrs Mcguffin, a science teacher at my old school, said that she would follow it step by step because that is how she was taught. She believes it to be the best way to answer a scientific question. Another scientist Mr. Striegel, who was a chemist for a tobacco company, said that he didn't follow the scientific method too strictly. He would conduct experiments but would not think about doing the scientific method. He roughly followed it, but he didn't go down the list and check off each step. My personal view of the scientific method is that it is a useful tool in answering questions, but I don't believe that it is the only way to go about things.
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I feel like using the scientific method is an "opinionated" subject. You either use it fully or you use it some what but not really.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion I use the scientific method but am unaware I use it. It comes naturally. It's like riding a bike and never forgetting how to ride it unless a serious health issue occurs like a seizure, but in my opinion I think the scientific method is the way to go... naturally it is the way the human mind works. A matter of steps is how we, as humans, function. We cannot function without knowing or at least understanding the process of a piece of work.
I agree with your stance on the scientific method; I believe that you do not necessarily have to follow it step by step. It is always a good place to start an experiment to see what you are attempting to figure out, but I feel from there it is more of a guideline than a strict code.
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