9781422286777

Quick Look: The Scientific Method Here’s something you’ve probably seen in science class—but it’s always good to review! The five steps in the scientific meth- od are observation, hypothesis, prediction, experiment, and conclusion. 1. A scientist observes something and does as much research as pos- sible before she . . . 2. Develops a hypothesis , or general theory about what she thinks about the phenomena, which allows her to make a . . . 3. Specific prediction about what she will be able to prove by an . . . 4. Experiment that is properly and fairly designed to test her hypothesis and arrive at a . . . 5. Conclusion about whether the hypothesis should be accepted or rejected.

say. But is diving really a better way to get on base? The hypothesis: If it is better to dive to the bag, more players should dive. Right? Well, ESPN’s Sports Science program put that hypothesis to the test. The scientists on the show measured the overall speed of a runner who goes through the bag. They com- pared it to the overall speed of a runner who dives at the base. They measured acceleration versus deceleration—that is, increasing speed or decreasing speed. Their simple experiment determined that when a player dives, he gets to the base

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