General Application of Scientific Methods

General Application of Scientific Methods

Name

Institutional Affiliation

General Application of Scientific Methods

The purpose of every scientific research is to draw findings that are useful in predicting future occurrences and determining the status of a phenomenon. Every scientific research requires a testable hypothesis that compares the variables in the study. The variable in scientific research can either be an independent variable or a dependent variable. An independent variable is a variable that the researcher can manipulate to determine the effect on the dependent variable. The dependent variable, on the other hand, is a variable measured by a researcher to establish the impact created on it.

Part 1

1. Grass does not grow near the large pine tree
2. The hypotheses
3. The pine tree casts shade on the grass, thus preventing the grass from accessing enough sunlight for growth.
4. The pine tree uses up most of the requirements that the grass needs to grow, such as minerals in the soil and moisture content of the soil.

• The pine tree prevents the grass from accessing rainwater directly.

1. The pine tree does not affect the growth of the grass in any way.
2. The testable predictions for the hypothesis are:

• If the grass is grown in a different environment where it receives sunlight, it may grow.
• If the grass is grown on the same soil but beside another plant, it may grow.

1. The independent variable in this experiment will be the environmental conditions, and the dependent variable is grass growth. An ideal control experiment would involve:
2. Growing the grass on another soil under a different shade
3. Growing the grass on the same soil but where it has nothing shading it.

In order to  isolate the investigated variables, variables such as temperature should be controlled. The places where the grass is grown should be exposed to the same temperature and rainfall as the pine tree.

Part 2

I agree with both friends because they have a different understanding of the same technique. Friend A believes that by having a mental image of being successful is more important than acting on the need to be successful. He goes to work and becomes less productive because his thoughts are fixed on something else rather than his current task. Friend B, on the other hand, believes that attracting money directly means getting money that he does not work for. In science, there are no coincidences. Science explains coincidence as a form of probability where each move increases the chance of something to happen. Therefore, a person losing their 20$ bill on the sidewalk increases the likelihood of someone else finding it. By friend B walking along the path where the 20$bill lies, it increases the possibility that he will find the bill. This law of attraction is scientifically unsupported. There has been no controlled experiment to determine why it works of others, and to others, it does not work. Laws that are not scientifically proven are therefore delusional.

In conclusion, science relies on facts and not mere misconceptions and beliefs that act as a form of escape for people to a virtual world. According to science, the placebo effect has only been proven to reduce pain and discomfort in the sick but not to heal them. This, therefore, clearly shows that there has to be a cause-effect relationship in science to explain phenomena.