Being A Good Scientist & Lab Safety

Being A Good Scientist

Follow directions Ask relevant questions  Make detailed observations (all 5 senses if appropriate)

Lab Safety

Tie back long hair, avoid baggy clothing, and take off jewelry NO HORSEPLAY Always wear safety glasses (unless you have regular glasses) If you break something, especially glass, tell the teacher Follow lab procedures as written Never return chemicals to original container, could contaminate the chemicals remaining in the bottle Never directly smell chemicals Do not pour chemicals down the drain unless instructed to Never leave a flame unattended No food or drink at the lab

Scientific Method

5 Steps: State problem/make observation Form a hypothesis (educated guess) Test your hypothesis (experiment) Record and analyze data in the form of charts and graphs Write a conclusion or restate your hypothesis

Making A Hypothesis

Cannot be an opinion Has to be written as an if, then statement Must predict something will happen Cannot be previously proven or already known (by the general population) MUST BE TESTABLE Has to be descriptive and not vague