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Problem Statement and Hypothesis
03/25/201245 Comments Picture
Now that you know your independent and dependent variable, the rest of the science fair project is a piece of cake. Your problem statement and hypothesis are extremely easy to write if you have determined your independent and dependent variables.
Lets begin with the problem statement. This statement is ALWAYS written as a question. The question should always start with either which or how. The one you choose will depend on your independent and dependent variable. The form should be Which or How will the independent variable affect the dependent variable.

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Look at the examples to the left. These questions are problem statements based on the independent and dependent variables which were previously decided. How will .... or Which amount .... are excellent ways of starting your problem statement. As you can see, both of these problem statements fit the format described above. How or which independent will affect the dependent.

Okay, now it is time for you to write your problem statement for your science fair project.
1. What is your problem statement?

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Our next step is to write a hypothesis. The hypothesis is very much like the problem statement except it is the answer to your question. The hypothesis should always start with I THINK ...., the you will choose one of the three independent variables you think will have the least or most affect on the dependent variable. The format should be I think (choose an independent variable) will (affect on the dependent variable). You can see the two examples of the hypothesis written for the examples within the PowerPoint slides.

Now it is time for you to write a hypothesis for your science fair project.
2.