A decreasing number of fish have been recorded in a nearby lake. Design a research project, utilizing the scientific method, to explain this observation. List and explain every step of your research
What will be an ideal response?
ANSWER: ?The steps within the scientific method involve creating a hypothesis, predicting an outcome, describing that outcome's implications, and proposing ways to test the hypothesis.
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A good hypothesis would be that fish number is decreasing because fish are dying due to an increase in temperature and a lack of oxygen in the water. If this hypothesis is true, fish stocks should continue to decrease until all fish are gone. Implications could include explanations that the overall fish population in the area will decrease, with some species potentially becoming extinct.
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To test the hypothesis, it would be necessary to measure the water temperature of the lake and to compare it to that of nearby lakes. Researching past records of water temperature obtained by other researchers or government agencies (e.g., fish or wildlife services) would also be advantageous. In addition, researchers must collect water samples and test them for oxygen content and potential pollutants. To ensure representative data, each scientific test should contain replicates.
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