How to Generate a Hypothesis Statement

The purpose of your experiment is to support or reject your original hypothesis.

A good hypothesis statement must be a testable, falsifiable question, narrowing your topic and directing all of the rest of your experimental work. Your hypothesis guides you through your research phase and is the final test for your experimental evidence. The last responsibility of your experiment returns you to your hypothesis with a final determination of whether you support or reject it, based on the evidence you discovered. Such an important element of your work requires careful attention before you begin creating experiments, ensuring that your hypothesis will serve its ultimate function as your final test.

Instructions

1. Decide on your topic and the method you intend to use to approach your topic. Use your topic as the foundation for your hypothesis, while your method will determine how your hypothesis is written or how your hypothesis will address the topic. For instance, you may decide to test the difference in gravity at various heights. Your topic is gravity at different heights, while your method is a physical test of these differences.

2. Narrow your topic down to something you can address with an experiment. Reassess any areas of your hypothesis that are too vague or that require too extensive of tests to address. As an example, the phrase, "at various heights," is too broad and requires you to test gravity either randomly or at every height level. Narrow your topic by stating that you will test gravity at sea level and at increments of 500 feet.

3. Turn your hypothesis into a question that your experiment will hope to answer. Keep your question specific to the evidence you intend to gather from your experiment. For instance, you decide to reword your hypothesis to say, "Is gravity different if measured at sea level and then at 500 foot increments above sea level?"

4. Ask yourself if your hypothesis is testable. Consider your physical limits and the limits of technology around you. Remind yourself that a good hypothesis is always testable, and retestable by other scientists who share an interest in your topic. As an example, after determining how you can build a device to measure gravity, you select a few points near your home that will allow you to measure gravity at sea level and up to 1,500 feet. You now have a testable hypothesis.

5. Make sure that your hypothesis is falsifiable, able to be proven incorrect through another test. Remind yourself that an unfalsifiable hypothesis is unacceptable for a hypothesis statement. For instance, if a scientist questioned your method for measuring gravity, he could repeat your experiment by substituting a different tool for measurement and repeating your process.

References

• Batesville Community School Corporation; Hypotheses; J.L. Stanbrough; 2009
• University of Wisconsin: Generating A Research Hypothesis