From Hypothesis to Wow! How to Nail Your Experiment
How to Do an Experiment
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Choose a Topic
Pick something you're curious about. Example: "Does music affect plant growth?" -
Form a Hypothesis
Make an educated guess.
Example: “If plants listen to classical music, they will grow taller.” -
Plan Your Experiment
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Identify your independent variable (what you change): type of music
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Identify your dependent variable (what you measure): plant height
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Keep controls constant: sunlight, water, plant type
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Gather Materials
List everything you’ll need: seeds, soil, pots, ruler, speaker, etc. -
Run the Experiment
Record data daily or weekly. Take notes and photos. -
Analyze the Results
Make graphs or tables to show patterns. -
Draw a Conclusion
State whether your hypothesis was right or wrong, and explain why.
How to Write a Good Title
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Keep it short, clear, and related to your topic. Try one of these styles:
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Question style: Does Music Help Plants Grow Faster?
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Descriptive style: The Effect of Classical and Rock Music on Plant Growth
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Creative + Scientific: “Beets and Beats”: Testing Music’s Effect on Plant Growth
How to Write an Abstract
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Background – Why did you do the project?
Plants may respond to sound, so we tested if music affects their growth. -
Hypothesis – What did you think would happen?
We hypothesized that classical music would increase plant height. -
Methods – How did you do it?
We grew three sets of plants with no music, classical music, and rock music. -
Results – What happened?
Plants with classical music grew 20% taller on average. -
Conclusion – What does it mean?
Music may influence plant growth, and classical sounds had the most positive effect.
