Which sequence lists the first four steps in order?

Which sequence lists the first four steps in order?

• A. Ask a Question → Test the Hypothesis → Form a Hypothesis → Analyze the Results
• B. Ask a Question → Form a Hypothesis → Test the Hypothesis → Analyze the Results
• C. Form a Hypothesis → Ask a Question → Test the Hypothesis → Analyze the Results
• D. Ask a Question → Form a Hypothesis → Analyze the Results → Test the Hypothesis

Answer: (B)

The idea here is the logical flow of a scientific investigation. You begin by asking a clear question that identifies the problem you want to explore. Next, you form a hypothesis—a testable statement that predicts an outcome based on that question. Then you design and carry out a test or experiment to see what happens when you try to challenge or support that hypothesis. After collecting data, you analyze the results to determine whether the data support or refute the hypothesis, which leads to drawing a conclusion. This order matters because each step relies on the one before it: the question guides the hypothesis, the experiment tests the hypothesis, and the analysis interprets the results of the test. If you test before forming a hypothesis, you’d be aiming to find a result without a directed expectation. If you analyze before testing, there’s nothing to analyze.

The idea here is the logical flow of a scientific investigation. You begin by asking a clear question that identifies the problem you want to explore. Next, you form a hypothesis—a testable statement that predicts an outcome based on that question. Then you design and carry out a test or experiment to see what happens when you try to challenge or support that hypothesis. After collecting data, you analyze the results to determine whether the data support or refute the hypothesis, which leads to drawing a conclusion.

This order matters because each step relies on the one before it: the question guides the hypothesis, the experiment tests the hypothesis, and the analysis interprets the results of the test. If you test before forming a hypothesis, you’d be aiming to find a result without a directed expectation. If you analyze before testing, there’s nothing to analyze.