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July 16, 2013
Tarah Wells
The Scientific Method
Each and every day, you are faced with having to make split-second decisions, and the need to solve random problems that you encounter. To reach those decisions and work those problems out you are subconsciously using the scientific method. Apply the steps of the Scientific Method to two situations that could occur in your everyday life. Use the scientific method in the first scenario provided by your instructor to solve the problem at hand. Scenario 1: An overflowing or clogged toilet My youngest son has recently been potty trained, so I took him to use the “big boy” potty. He used the toilet right away, wipe, and then (his favorite part) he flushes the toilet. The water in the toilet just twirled around and filled the toilet with water. I then noticed that the toilet is overflowing because it is clogged. Ask Question: Why is the toilet clogged up? Do Background Research: Look around in the toilet to see what is flowing around. Check to see if anything is flowing that you did not recently put in the toilet. Ask everyone in the house did they share the same experience with the toilet. Check other toilet in the home. In the toilet was only the piece of tissue that was just used. Nothing else seemed to back out of the hole or opening in the toilet. After asking everyone in the house did the toilet seemed to be clogged up, the results shows that this is the first time it occurred. The cause of the problem that came to mind is that, Tissue is clogged up. The reason it flushed the time before is because nothing before then clogged the toilet. Construct Hypothesis: Too much tissue was used during the previous use of the bathroom or shall I say commode. Test with an Experiment: I tried to flush the toilet once more to see what happens. It did not flush just like before. Water just circulated and rose to the top. I then went for the plunger. I
References: How to determine why your toilet is not flushing properly. Retrieved July 2013, from http://www.totousa.com/Support/ProductFAQ/Determinewhytoiletisnotflushing.aspx