Scientific Method and Scientific Notation Study Guide

Step 1: Make an OBSERVATION * Look around the world around you and find patterns and weird phenomena.
Step 2: Ask a QUESTION * How true is my observation in general?
Step 3: Form a HYPOTHESIS * An educated guess that must be testable by experiments.
Step 4: Design an EXPERIMENT * This is a test that you will use to see if your hypothesis accurately explains your observation.
Step 5: Analyze RESULTS * Did your experiment support your hypothesis?
Step 6: Draw a CONCLUSION * Do the results support or disprove your hypothesis?
Step 7: COMMUNICATE your results! * Methods for communication include lab reports, scientific conferences, articles in journals and magazines, etc.

Experiment: The test you use to see whether your hypothesis is correct or not is called an EXPERIMENT.
Independent Variable: The thing(s) that the person running the experiment changes between trials is called the INDEPENDENT VARIABLE.
Dependent Variable: The thing(s) that are different each trial because there was a difference in the independent variable is called the DEPENDENT VARIABLE.
Constants: The things in each trial of the experiment that never change are called the CONTROL VARIABLES, PARAMETERS, or CONSTANTS.

Qualitative Observation: An observation made using your five senses is called a QUALITATIVE observation.
Quantitative Observation: An observation made using measurements, numbers and/or values is called a QUANTITATIVE observation.
Subjective Observation: An observation made based on opinions and perspective is SUBJECTIVE.
Objective Observation: An observation made based on verifiable fact without bias is OBJECTIVE.

Positive Exponents: * A positive exponent indicates you are dealing with a LARGER number. * Increasing the exponent means you move the decimal TO THE RIGHT. * The bigger and more positive the exponent, the larger the number.
Negative Exponents: * A negative exponent indicates you are dealing with a SMALLER number. * Decreasing the exponent means you move the decimal TO THE LEFT. * The more negative the exponent, the smaller the number.

Example 1: $0.000000874$ * Move the decimal SEVEN spots to the RIGHT. * Moving to the RIGHT means you will have a NEGATIVE exponent. * Result: $8.74 \times 10^{-7}$
Example 2: $127,823.6$ * Move the decimal FIVE spots to the LEFT. * Moving to the LEFT means you will have a POSITIVE exponent. * Result: $1.28 \times 10^{5}$
Example 3: $54,600,000$ * Move the decimal SEVEN spots to the LEFT. * Moving to the LEFT means you will have a POSITIVE exponent. * Result: $5.46 \times 10^{7}$

Example 1: $6.38 \times 10^{5}$ * Move the decimal FIVE spots to the RIGHT. * Fill in zeroes once you move past the "8". * Result: $638,000$
Example 2: $9.86 \times 10^{-12}$ * Move the decimal TWELVE spots to the LEFT. * Fill in zeroes once you move past the "9". * Result: $0.00000000000986$
Example 3: $4.23 \times 10^{3}$ * Move the decimal THREE spots to the RIGHT. * Fill in zeroes once you move past the "3". * Result: $4,230$