1.2 Scientific Method: Thinking Like a Scientist
- 7 Identify each activity, a to f,
as an observation, a hypothesis,
an experiment, or a
conclusion.
At a popular restaurant,
where Chang is the head
chef, the following occurred:
a. Chang determined that
sales of the house salad
had dropped.
b. Chang decided d1at the
Customers rated the
sesame seed d ressing as
the best.
house salad needed a new dressing.
c. In a taste test, Chang prepared four bowls of s liced cucumber,
each with a new dressing: sesame seed, olive oil and
balsamic vinegar, creamy Italian, and blue cheese.
d. Tasters rated the sesame seed salad dressing as the favorite.
e. After two weeks, Chang noted that the orders for the house
salad with the new sesame seed dressing had doubled.
f. Chang decided that the sesame seed dressing improved the
sales of the house salad because the sesame seed dressing
enhanced the taste.
1.8 Identify each activity, a to f, as an observation, a hypothesis, an
experiment, or a conclusion.
Lucia want~ to develop a process for dyeing shirts so that the
color will not fade when the shirt is washed. She proceeds with
the following activities:
a. Lucia notices that the dye in a design fades when the shirt is
washed.
b. Lucia decides that the dye needs something to help it combine
with the fabric.
c. hypothesis
f. conclusion Try Practice Problems 1 . 7 to 1 . 1 0
c. She places a spot of dye on each of four shirts and then
places each one separate ly in water, salt water, vinegar, and
baking soda and water.
d. After one hour, all the shirts are removed and washed with a
detergent.
e. Lucia notices that the dye has faded on the shirts in water,
salt water, and baking soda, whereas the dye did not fade on
the shirt soaked in vinegar.
f. Lucia thinks that the vinegar binds with the dye so it does
not fade when the shirt is washed.
Clinical Applications
1.9 Identify each of the following as an observation, a hypothesis,
an experiment, or a conclusion:
a. One hour after drinking a gla~s of regular milk, Jim experienced
stomach cramps.
b. Jim thinks he may be lactose intolerant.
c. Jim drinks a gla~s of lactose-free milk and does not have any
stomach cramps.
d. Jim drinks a gla~s of regular milk to which he has added
Jacta~e. an enzyme that breaks down lactose, and has no
stomach cramps.
1.10 Identify each of the following as an observation, a hypothesis,
an experiment, or a conclusion:
a. Sally thinks she may be allergic to shrimp.
b. Yesterday, one hour after Sally ate a shrimp salad, she broke
out in hives.
c. Today, Sally had some soup that contained shrimp, but she
did not break out in hives.
d. Sally realizes that she does not have an allergy to shrimp.
