You really will run across questions on the GED science test that expect you to know all about the scientific method. It’s one of those things that gives you a science background! So, what’s this scientific method anyhow? It’s a process used in science to find out information about the world. The scientific method has five steps:

1) Observe

The first step is to notice what’s happening around you. Science begins with curiosity about the world. That means looking around you, asking questions, and wondering about what’s going on.

Example: I love the lava lamp on my desk, and I wonder what makes the ‘lava’ inside the lamp float up to the top and come down again.

2)  Hypothesize

Hypothesis is one of the important words that you should understand for the GED test. A hypothesis is an idea that explains what you’ve observed or answers a question that you’ve wondered about. A hypothesis is what you suggest or think might be the answer.

Example: I hypothesize that, since the lava sinks to the bottom when the lamp is off, the light from the lamp makes the lava rise, and when the lava is in the darker, top of the lamp, it falls.

3) Predict

After you have a hypothesis, predict something else that would be true if your hypothesis is true.

Prediction: If the bottom of the lamp only is exposed to any bright light, the lava lamp will work.

4) Experiment

Conduct an experiment to test your prediction.

Example: I put two lava lamps on two light sources. One is the original light source, and the other is a light source that’s equally bright but does not give off heat. I watch the lava lamps to see when they start working. The lava lamp on the original light source is the only one that works. The other lava lamp does not move.

5) Evaluate

Look at the results of the experiment. Is it what you would expect based on your prediction? If not, you need to go back and form a new hypothesis. If so, you can begin to develop your hypothesis (an idea that’s not proven) into a theory (an idea that has evidence behind it. That will require more testing and expanding your idea.

Example: The lava lamp does not work with a light source that only gives off light, not heat. That means that it’s not the light that makes the lava move. I think about what the light in the lava lamp has that was not present in my alternate light source, and I make a new hypothesis that applying heat to the bottom of the lava lamp is what makes the lava move. I’ll need to test my new hypothesis.

There ya’ go! A whole scientific method in five parts. Look for it on the GED science test!

For more information about the GED test and GED test preparation, visit the GED Academy at http://www.passGED.com.

Well, the other day, I saw THIS article: “Dinosaur experts bust up prehistoric party theory” Dudes! It’s just like them comin’ and bustin’ up my party.

Seems like some scientists went to check out the dinosaur footprints, and they said they weren’t footprints AT ALL! Like, they’re potholes, these new scientists say. So, you’ve got one group of scientists saying “Dino footprints!” and another group saying, “Naw, just potholes.” How’s anyone s’posed to know anything?

Seriously, I wanna talk about this, cuz it’s got me thinking. That article calls the dinosaur gathering ground idea a ‘theory,’ and I think it’s a good idea to get to know that word. The word ‘theory’ in science don’t just mean someone’s idea of what’s true… it’s gotta be an idea with evidence behind it. Some scientists thought there was evidence for dinosaurs gathering there, but that was only one group of scientists’ analysis of the rocks there. Now, another group of scientists says somethin’ different. That means, they got to go back and do more work, and maybe the first idea was totally wrong.

There’s lots of studies that scientists do all the time, and any one study could be totally wrong. Maybe the study design is bad. Maybe somethin’ wacky happened. Maybe the scientists are misinterpreting all the info they’ve got. Who knows! That’s why Science (with a big, capital S) isn’t about one study or one person’s idea. It’s about a lot of studies, over time, by different scientists, and what all of them show. The more information is gathered together and talked about and thought about and written about, the more sure scientists are about what they know. That’s how the big Theories (with a big, capital T) with lots of evidence get made, theories like evolution, the Big Bang, and gravity.

Okay. That’s what I got to say! An’ it’s important for your GED, too. I mean, you gotta know how scientists figure stuff out, right? And what they do when they have conflicting ideas. So, onward into more science! The truth is out there… and science is the way to find it!!

For more information about the GED test and GED test preparation, visit The GED Academy at http://www.passGED.com.