Hinglish

How We Find Answers: Observe, Guess, Test

Class 6 Science · Chapter 1: The Wonderful World of Science · NCERT Curiosity section Ch 1

Learn

Sahil's torch will not switch on. Without thinking about it, he does what scientists do. He guesses: "Maybe the batteries are dead." Then he tests the guess: he puts in new batteries.

The torch is still dark, so his guess was wrong. That is not a failure! He has learned something, and makes a new guess: maybe the bulb is broken. He tests that too. This way of finding answers is called the scientific method.

The steps are: 1. Observe something interesting. 2. Ask a question. 3. Guess an answer (a hypothesis). 4. Test the guess with an experiment. 5. Look at the results and decide. If the guess was wrong, go back and make a new one.

A good test is a fair test: change only one thing at a time. To find out if seeds sprout faster in a warm place, use the same seeds, the same soil and the same water in both pots, and change only the place. Then any difference must be because of the place.

Scientists write down what they see, repeat their tests to make sure the result was not luck, and share what they found so others can check it. You can do all of this with a notebook and a pencil!

Explore: put the steps in order, then solve a mystery.

  1. Tap the steps of the scientific method in order.
  2. Now be a detective: test each guess and find why Sahil's torch will not light.

Remember

  • Scientific method: observe, ask, guess, test, conclude. A wrong guess leads to a new guess.
  • A fair test changes only one thing. Write down results, repeat tests and share them.

Quick check

Divit guessed his kite would not fly because the string was too short. He tried a longer string, but it still would not fly. What should he do now?

  1. Make a new guess and test it
  2. Decide kites can never fly
  3. Keep saying the string is the problem
  4. Stop asking questions
Answer

Make a new guess and test it. A wrong guess teaches us something. Make a new guess (maybe there is not enough wind) and test it.

Think about it

Ira thinks that plants need light to stay green. Plan a fair test to check her guess.

One answer

Take two plants of the same kind and size, in the same soil, and give them the same water. Keep one in light and one in a dark cupboard for a week, changing nothing else. Compare their colour every day and write it down.

Practice

Practise with fresh questions at three levels (easy, medium, hard), some answered hands-on, with hints and worked answers. Get 4 of your last 5 right to finish the topic.