A student finds after applying a certain lotion to a scar, the scar is gone in two days without any side effects. He asks several of his friends who also have scars to use the same lotion. What step of the scientific method is he using?
A) gathering data
B) stating the problem
C) testing a hypothesis
D) drawing a conclusion
Is the answer C?
Nvm, it was C. I was correct. Oh well
Disagree. How is the student testing his hypothesis? He is just asking questions.
So then he's gathering data?
Thank you Ms. Sue!
You're welcome, T.
PsyDAG has been a tutor on Jiskha for many years.
It would make sense that he's gathering data but my school said that was wrong.
Three of us experienced tutors -- two with PhD degrees -- agree that A is correct.
We find many of these online school answers are wrong.
Ohh okay
His data gathering has a specific implied purpose. So yes he is gathering data (or will be - see below), and only gathering data to assess the validity of an implied hypothesis along the lines of "This lotion removes/heals scars from human skin." Because of this implied hypothesis he has only distributed his request to other humans that he knows have a scar, and is requesting that they try that specific lotion.
If he were merely gathering data, he would additionally be noting whether each person/animal/plant/object he came contact with had a certain temperature/color/flavor/etc.
In this case his data gathering is not random, but is focused and directed to the answering of a specific question.
Finally, his data gathering has not yet begun in the scenario given. He has no results to record at this time, only the request of participation and a vague procedure with which to explore his hypothesis.