How to Use the Scientific Method on a Project About the Earth's Surface
The purpose for doing science projects is to learn about the world around you and to learn about how scientists go about research experiments. When students learn about the steps of the scientific method, they prepare themselves not only for possible careers in the sciences, but also for the analytical thought processes required for success in many professions.
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Instructions
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Ask a question about the earth's surface -- questioning is the first step in the scientific method. For the purposes of this article, the question to ask is how the moon's various phases affect the tides.
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Research the relationship between the motions of the moon as it orbits the earth and the movement of the tides. Terms that you might use in your research include "orbit," "gravity," "earth rotation," "moon phases" and "new moon," among others. You'll find in your studies that the movement of the water toward and away from the shore is the result of the gravitational pull of the sun and moon on the ocean.
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Develop a hypothesis, or an educated guess, based on your research. For this example, your hypothesis might claim that high tides happen during particular moon phases.
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Run your experiment and collect data. For the purposes of this experiment, look at historical data that has already been collected. The U.S. Naval Observatory has data about the moon's phases so that the date of each phase is recorded. Cross-reference this data with tidal data from such sources as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) website (noaa.org).
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Find a way to represent your data. For this experiment, you can graph tidal height on the dependent axis and the date of moon phases on the independent axis. Then, decide whether or not the graphic representation fits your hypothesis, and include that in your report.
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References
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