The scientific method is a step-by-step process. Which steps should follow directly AFTER a scientist makes an observation?
a. collect data and share the results
b. begin background research and ask a question
c. generate a hypothesis and begin an experiment
d. conduct an experiment and analyze the data
The correct answer is b) begin background research and ask a question. After making an observation, a scientist typically starts by conducting background research to gather information related to the observation. This research helps the scientist gain a deeper understanding of the topic and formulate a specific question to investigate further. Once the research is done and the question is defined, the scientist can move on to generating a hypothesis and designing an experiment to test it.
