DISCUSSION TOPIC/QUESTION

The Scientific Method in Everyday Life

Before you start, make sure you review the Scientific Method Tutorial - located in Week 1 Learning Resources. You will also likely find the first two recommended videos helpful.

In the main response, describe an example of how you use the scientific method in your daily life. As you decide on an example, think about the two or more scenarios that are being compared. You always need a control group.

Include the following in your description of your experiment:

• Your observations and relevant background information
• A detailed and specific hypothesis
• A description of how you are testing the hypothesis, with replication
• Hypothetical results
• A conclusion. Include whether or not the results support the hypothesis.

Identify the following in your experiment:

• Control and experimental groups
• Independent, dependent, and control variables (also called controlled variables or constants)

And finally,

• Briefly describe the part of the Scientific Method Tutorial that you found most useful.
• What do you find most challenging about the scientific method? If you still have questions, please ask.

PEER DISCUSSION POST

Hello,

How I removed a stuck filter from a camera lens

Step 1: Observation

As I finished testing a new filter I purchased for my camera lens, I noticed that I was unable to remove it by twisting it off normally. It was on there like glue and not matter how much force was used, it just would not come off. It was a very thin filter too, so there wasn't much room to work with.

Step 2: Hypothesis

I had a few solutions to solve the issue. The first one was to get assistance from our camera repairers. Then I would ask the other more experienced shooters. My final choice was to use google to find a solution if everything else failed.

Step 3: Test the hypothesis

One of the camera repairers took the camera and attempted to remove the filter like how I did originally. When that failed, they put a rubber band around the filter. I did not think that it would work until I heard them say "oh."

Step 4: Analyze data

The rubber band was thin enough to go around the whole filter while providing adequate grip to the filter and the person fixing the issue.

Step 5: Conclusions

We agreed that the filter was too thin to be able to remove without the use of a rubber band. Every time I decide to use that specific filter; I must use a rubber band to remove it from the lens.

Control Group: People only using their hands to take off the filter

Experimental Group: Putting a rubber band around the filter

Independent variables: Rubber band, camera repairer

Dependent variables: Stuck lens on camera

Control variables: Light, people, time

The Scientific Method Tutorial

I think the most useful part of the tutorial itself is section 4, where it shows and goes into detail of the scientific method. It gives a good explanation of everything needed to complete the requirements for this discussion. It also provides great insight and examples of each step and other phrases. The most useful steps of the scientific method itself for me would be hypothesis and testing.

My challenges of the scientific method

I still don't have a solid grasp regarding the variables. I had to read into it a bit at first to understand, but I think I'm starting to understand what they basically are.

Respond to the "Peer's Discussion Post" above in not more than two paragraphs. Your reply should be substantial and contribute to their learning. support and relate to their experience. Questions you can ask yourself when replying to other students' posts:

Did they include all the steps of the scientific method? If not, what is missing?

Did they include and correctly identify the experimental and control groups?

Did they correctly identify the 3 types of variables?

Is their hypothesis specific enough?

Does the proposed experiment test the hypothesis?

If not, help them out. How could they improve upon their scientific method example?

Help explain any part of the scientific method that they are still struggling with and consider sharing additional resources that helped you.