How to Create Hypotheses on Global Warming & Airplanes
Airplanes have given humans the ability to fly half way across the world in less than a day. However, engines require a tremendous amount of power in order to lift off, stay airborne and maintain incredible speeds for hours on end. As of the early 21st century, this power came from fossil fuels, which emit greenhouse gases as exhaust. Consequently, one topic on which researchers can formulate a hypothesis is a connection between airplanes and global warning.
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Instructions
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Identify the relationship between airplanes and global warming you want to test. For a truly scientific study, this should be a relationship that can be quantified, such as comparing gallons of jet fuel to changes in global temperature.
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Conduct a literature review by reading previous studies to see what other researchers have found when examining links between airplane emissions and global warming. This will allow you to create an original hypothesis, rather than repeating the work other researchers have already done.
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Formulate your alternative hypothesis, which describes the relationship your literature review has lead you to think might exist between airplane use and global warming. This can take the form of a statement such as, "The number of gallons of fuel which airplanes burn each year has a positive relationship to global temperatures."
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Formulate your null hypothesis. The null hypothesis is the opposite of your alternative hypothesis, stating that the relationship you think might exist does not. Depending on the statistical attributes of your data analysis, you will either reject this null hypothesis or fail to reject it. Rejecting the null hypothesis means that you have found sufficient evidence to support your alternative hypothesis. Failing to reject the null hypothesis means you did not find sufficient evidence to support your alternative hypothesis.
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References
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