STE

Research 1

RO_Q2_Research I_Module4
 Quarter 2 - Module 4:
Integrated Science Process
Skill: Formulating Hypothesis
 What’s In

In the preceding modules, you were able to identify a research problem,

distinguish variables and develop research problem/question. However, your work on the
problem is not yet over. You still have to do another step which is formulating a hypothesis
for the identified problem.

This module will further discuss on how to use the information you gathered
through accurate and reliable observation to make a tentative answer to a research
problem. This tentative answer to your problem/question is called Hypothesis.

What’s New

Activity 1: Question, Question, Question…

Read the two situations below. Answer questions 1-4. Write your answer on a separate
sheet of paper.

Situation 1: Yesterday was the birthdays of your cousin, classmate and wedding
anniversary of your neighbour. You visited all the houses of these people who
invited you. You were served a lot of food. That night you had a stomachache and
started vomiting.

1. What questions come to your mind when you read the situation? (Write as
many as you can.)
1.1. ____________________________________________________
1.2. ____________________________________________________ 2.
How will you find answers to these questions?
2.1 .___________________________________________________
2.2 .____________________________________________________
3. Why did you choose that method of finding out the answer to your
questions?
3.1 .___________________________________________________
 4. Could these problems be prevented? How?
4.1. ___________________________________________________
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Situation 2: You have seen the commercial on body lotion endorsed by your favourite
celebrity. Her skin looks smooth and glowing. You tried the body lotion itself. After
one week, you observed your skin gets dry and itchy.

1. What questions come to your mind when you read the situation? (Write as
many as you can.)
1.1. ___________________________________________
_________
1.2. ___________________________________________
_________ 2. How will you find answers to these questions?
2.1 .___________________________________________________
2.2 .____________________________________________________
3. Why did you choose that method of finding out the answer to your
questions?
3.1 .___________________________________________________
4. Could these problems be prevented? How?
4.1. ___________________________________________________

Activity 2: I ask. I answer.

Objectives: You should be able to:
1. state the problem
2. write the tentative answers to the problem. Procedures:
1. Read and understand the given situations.
2. Supply the needed data. Use the sample below as your guide.
3. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

Sample only

Luisa has observed that powdered sugar dissolves faster than sugar cubes and
Iodized salt dissolves faster than rock salt.

State the problem in this situation:

1. Does the size of particles of solid affect the time it completely dissolves in water?

Write two (2) or more Tentative Answers to the problem stated:

1. The size of the particles has no effect on the time it dissolves in water.
 2. The size of the particles has an effect on the time it dissolves in water.
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3. If the size of particles is smaller, then it will dissolve faster in water.
4. If the size of particles is bigger, then it will dissolve more slowly in water.

Situation: The vital needs of a plant are very much like our own – light, water and
nutrients. These factors make the plant grow. When one is taken out, the plant
will eventually die.

1. State problem number 1

__________________________________________________________
.
Write two (2) or more Tentative Answers to the problem stated:
1. ___________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________ 4.
____________________________________________

2. State problem number 2

__________________________________________________________
.
Write two (2) or more Tentative Answers to the problem stated:
1. ___________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________ 4.
____________________________________________

3. State problem number 3

__________________________________________________________
.
Write two (2) or more Tentative Answers to the problem stated:
1. ___________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________

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 What is It

Imagine you have a test at school tomorrow. You stayed out late and played
online games instead of studying. You already know that when you study the night before
the test, as you have experienced in the past, you can get low scores. What do you think
will happen in tomorrow’s test?

When you answer this question, you make a hypothesis. A hypothesis is a

specific, testable and accurate prediction. It describes in concrete terms what you expect
will happen in a certain situation.

What you did in Activities 1 (Question, Question, Question…) and 2 (I ask. I

answer.) were somewhat formulating hypotheses - you were able to identify the problems
and supplied tentative answers to those problems. Yet, not all tentative answers to the
problems are considered good hypotheses. As you go along this part of the module, you
will be introduced to the different steps on how to make good ones.

The Purpose of a Hypothesis

A hypothesis is used in an experiment to define the relationship between two

variables. The purpose of a hypothesis is to find the answer to a question. A formalized
hypothesis will force us to think about what results we should look for in an experiment.

The first variable is called the independent variable. This is the part of the
experiment that can be changed and tested. The independent variable happens first and
can be considered the cause of any changes in the outcome. The outcome is called the
dependent variable. The independent variable in the situation mentioned is not studying
for the test. The dependent variable that you are using to measure the outcome is your
test score.

Let us use the situation again to see these ideas. The hypothesis is testable
because you will receive a score on your test performance. It is measurable because you
can compare test scores received from when you did study and test scores received from
when you did not study.

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Remember that a hypothesis should always:
 • Explain what you expect to happen
• Be clear and understandable
• Be testable
• Be measurable
• And contain an independent and dependent variable.

How to Develop a Hypothesis

Another important aspect of a hypothesis is that it should be based on

research. Remember that the purpose of the hypothesis is to find the answer to a question.
If you want to answer a question you should:
• Find as much information on the topic as you can. Spend some time doing
research.
• Start thinking of questions.
• Have an educated guess about how things work. This guess about the
answer to your question is where your hypothesis comes from.

Consider again this example and make a hypothesis based from the steps mentioned
above.

Imagine you have a test at school tomorrow. You stay up late and play online
games instead. You already know that when you study the night before the test, as you
have experienced in the past tests, you can get high scores.

Steps in Developing a Hypothesis Action Made

Find as much information on the topic
You observe from your previous
experiences and your classmates’
experiences that every time you failed to
study you would get low scores based on
the scores reflection on the test paper.

Start thinking of questions Does a student who did not study before
the test get low score?

Have an educated guess about how things Not studying may cause a lower score on
work test.

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How to Write a Hypothesis

For you to learn how to properly write a hypothesis using the given situation,
 examine first the differences in the following statements:

• Not studying may cause a lower score on test.

This statement is not clear enough to be useful. Your hypothesis should be
specific as possible you are trying to find the answer to a question. If the hypothesis
is broad, it is unclear how to find answer to your question.

• If I do not study, then I will get a low score on the test.

Notice that this statement contains the words if and then. They are necessary
in a formalized hypothesis. But not all if-then statements are hypotheses. This a
simple prediction.

• If I do not study and not studying results to low test performance, then I
will get a low score on the test.
This statement is clear enough and understandable. The relationship between
two variables (study habit and test score) is stated. This statement is considered as a
good hypothesis because it follows the sources of hypothesis:
• The resemblance between the phenomena.
• Observations from past studies, present-day experiences and from the
competitors.
• Scientific theories.
• General patterns that influence the thinking process of people.

Reminders: When you construct a scientific hypothesis, you include:

• a view that states what we think is true and
• a reason or cause that we can test with a measurement.

Types of Hypothesis

1. Null Hypothesis (H0)

The null hypothesis states that there is no relationship between the two
variables being studied (one variable does not affect the other).

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 It states results are due to chance and are not significant in terms of
supporting the idea being investigated.

Examples:
• There is no significant change in a person’s health during the times when
they drink green tea only or coffee only.

• There is no significant change in an individual’s work habits whether they

get eight hours or nine hours of sleep.

• There is no significant change in the growth of a plant if one uses distilled

water only or vitamin-rich water.

2. Alternative Hypothesis (H1)

A hypothesis in alternative form states that there is a significant difference

between the results of the two conditions being tested.

• A person’s health improves during the times when they drink green tea
than coffee.

• Work habits improve during the times when one gets 8 hours of sleep than
9 hours of sleep.

• The growth of the plant improved during the times when it receives
vitaminrich water than distilled water.

3. Cause - Effect Hypothesis

A cause and effect statement states that if a certain condition (cause) is true a
supporting observation (effect) occurs.

• If green tea is better than coffee, then people drinking green tea will
improve their health better.
• If an 8-hour sleep has a better effect than 9 hours of sleep, then people
who are sleeping 8 hours will improve their work habits better.
• If a vitamin-rich water has better effect on plants than distilled water, then
the plant receiving a vitamin-rich water will grow faster.

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 Let us again use the sample situation and formulate hypotheses using the three types.

STATED WAYS OF FORMULATING A HYPOTHESIS

PROBLEM NULL (H0) ALTERNATIVE (H1) CAUSE-EFFECT

Do study habits There is no There is a significant If a study habit is

affects student’s significant relationship between a related to test
test score? relationship student’s study habit and test score
between a score performance. performance, then
student’s study a student who
habit and test does not study for
score performance. the test will get a
low-test score.

Does smoking There is no There is a significant If smoking is

result to lung significant relationship between smoking related to the
cancer? relationship and the occurrence of lung occurrence of lung
between smoking cancer. cancer, then a
and the person who
occurrence of lung smokes will get
cancer. lung cancer.

Formulating hypothesis is very important part in the research process. Hypothesis provides
researchers directions about the methodology to be chosen and techniques of data analysis
and an understanding of the researchers about what to expect from the results of the study. It
serves as a framework for drawing conclusions of a research study. Without a hypothesis, a
research would be an aimless wandering.

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 What’s More

Activity 3: N-A-C, N-A-C… Who’s there?

Direction: Formulate hypotheses using the problem stated below and fill in the table. Write
your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

WAYS OF FORMULATING A HYPOTHESIS

STATED
PROBLEM
NULL ALTERNATIVE CAUSE EFFECT

There is no significant There is a significant If adding more

relationship between relationship between marbles will affect
1. What is the the number of the number of the level of water,
relationship
marbles and the level marbles and the level then if you add
between the
of water in a 50-mL of water in a 50-mL more marbles the
number of
beaker. beaker. level of the water
marbles and the
will go up and if
level of water in a
you decrease the
50-mL beaker?
number of marbles
the level of water
will decrease.
There is no significant There is a significant If leaf color
relationship between relationship between change is related
2. Does the leaf the leaf color change the leaf color change to temperature,
color change and temperature. and temperature. then if the
related to
temperature
temperature?
changes it will
affect the color of
the leaf.

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 There is no significant The is a significant If temperature is
relationship between relationship between related to the rate of
3. What is the
temperature and the rate temperature and the rate evaporation, then if
relationship
of evaporation. of evaporation. the temperature
between
changes it may be
temperature and
affecting the rate of
evaporation rate?
evaporation.

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 What I Have Learned

Activity 4: Change for the better

All of these statements may look like hypotheses (plural of hypothesis) but they
are not. Change them into good and useful hypotheses based from the knowledge you
gained in this module. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1. Chocolate may cause pimples.

Answer: If I eat chocolate and eating chocolate results to having pimples, then I will
have a pimple by eating chocolate.

2. Salt in soil may affect plant growth.

Answer: If there is too much salt in the soil, plants may not grow well. I think that the
more salt there is, the worse it is for the plants.

3. Plant growth may be affected by the color of the light.

Answer: If the growth of plant is related to the color of the light, then when the color of
the light changes it will affect the growth of plant.

4. Bacterial growth may be affected by temperature.

Answer: If the temperature affects bacterial growth, then bacteria will die if the
temperature increases because the bacteria don’t like hot.

5. Ultra violet light may cause skin cancer.

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 What I Can Do

Activity 5: I can do it!

Direction: Read and answer the following in your own words. Write your answers on a
separate sheet of paper

1. State in your own words what a hypothesis is.

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

2. In your own words, what is the basis of a good hypothesis?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

3. Why is hypothesis important in problem solving?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

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Generalization
A hypothesis is used in an experiment to define the relationship between two
variables. The purpose of a hypothesis is to find the answer to a question. A formalized
hypothesis will force us to think about what results we should look for in an experiment.

The first variable is called the independent variable. This is the part of the
experiment that can be changed and tested. The independent variable happens first and
can be considered the cause of any changes in the outcome. The outcome is called the
dependent variable.

Remember that a hypothesis should always:

• Explain what you expect to happen
• Be clear and understandable
• Be testable
• Be measurable
• And contain an independent and dependent variable.

How to develop a Hypothesis

Another important aspect of a hypothesis is that it should be based on

research. Remember that the purpose of the hypothesis is to find the answer to a question.
If you want to answer a question you should:
• Find as much information on the topic as you can. Spend some time
doing research.
• Start thinking of questions.
• Have an educated guess about how things work. This guess about the
answer to your question is where your hypothesis comes from.

Reminders: When you construct a scientific hypothesis, you include:

• a view that states what we think is true and
• a reason or cause that we can test with a measurement.

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Types of Hypothesis
1. Null Hypothesis (H0)

The null hypothesis states that there is no relationship between the two
variables being studied (one variable does not affect the other).

It states results are due to chance and are not significant in terms of
supporting the idea being investigated.

2. Alternative Hypothesis (H1)

A hypothesis in alternative form states that there is a significant difference

between the results of the two conditions being tested.

3. Cause and Effect Hypothesis / If and Then Statement

A cause and effect statement states that if a certain condition (cause) is true a
supporting observation (effect) occurs.

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 Assessment

A. Direction: Write Hooray! if the statement states a fact and Hep Hep!, if it is a false.
Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

1. Independent and dependent variables can be found in a good hypothesis.

2. There are mainly two possible decision scenarios in hypothesis testing.

3. Null hypothesis, Alternative hypothesis and Cause-effect hypothesis are types of

hypotheses.

4. All statements with “if and then” are considered as good hypotheses.

5. The null hypothesis states that there is no relationship between the two variables
being studied.

6. Three possible decision scenarios can take place in making hypothesis testing
decisions.

7. The null hypothesis is the statement originally proposed by the researcher as the
suggested answer to the research question.

8. The symbol of Alternative Hypothesis is H0.

9. When you construct a scientific hypothesis, you include a view that states what we
think is true and a reason or cause that we can test with a measurement.
10. Exercising early in the morning may cause health improvement. This statement is a
good hypothesis.

B. Put a check mark (√) if the statement is a hypothesis. If it is not a hypothesis, formulate
a good one based from the given statement.

1. If eating breakfast affects students’ performance in class, then students who eat
breakfast will perform better in class than those who do not eat breakfast.
2. Sleeping late at night may cause insomnia.
3. There is a significant relationship between the volume of water and the amount of
marbles added.
4. If you jump on New Year’s Eve, then you will get tall.
5. If fertilizer is related to plant growth, then adding fertilizer to soil will make the plant
grow faster.

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