LabBench

Design of the Experiment: The Hypothesis

A controlled experiment begins with a hypothesis, a proposed solution for the problem being investigated. A hypothesis is often written as an IF, THEN statement that predicts the outcome we should expect if the hypothesis is correct. A hypothesis should not only predict results; it must be testable.

Example

Poor:	I think pillbugs will move toward the wet side of a choice chamber.
Better:	If pillbugs prefer a moist environment, then when they are randomly placed on both sides of a wet/dry choice chamber and allowed to move about freely for 10 minutes, most will be found on the wet side.