Science Common Sense

322 - What is a hypothesis, and how do we test it?

Imagine you have a question about the world, like 'Do plants grow faster in sunlight or shade?' A hypothesis is like a smart guess that tries to answer that question.

To create a hypothesis, you should: 1. Ask a question 2. Think of possible answers 3. Choose one answer as your guess (hypothesis)

Now, to test your hypothesis, you need to: 1. Create an experiment: do something to plants in different situations (sunlight and shade) 2. Measure the results: how fast the plants grow in each situation 3. Compare the results: see if your plants grew faster in sunlight or shade

If your test shows that your hypothesis was correct, it's like solving a puzzle. If not, you can learn from what went wrong and try again.