Question

A scientist decides to study the effect of salt on a particular type of bacteria. Arrange the steps of the scientific method in the correct order to show how the scientist would proceed with his work.

Answer 1

The scientific method is a problem-solving approach used in Biology and other scientific disciplines. This method has five basic steps which help scientists test their hypotheses. The first step of the scientific method is to make an observation. In this particular example, the scientist observes probably that salt has chemical and physical properties which could affect the life cycle of bacteria. The second step would be to ask a question and that would be to ask whether salt indeed has any effect on that particular type of bacteria that he/she studies. The third step would be to form a hypothesis and that would be to state that the specific bacterial type will be strongly affected by the salt. The fourth step would be to predict that if the scientist exposed this bacterial type to a salty environment, the bacteria would not survive. The fifth and final step is to test this prediction and if the bacteria do not survive, then the scientist can conclude that salt affects this bacterial type. 

Answer 2

This is the correct order of answers for PLATO