Once enough background research has been gathered, the next step in the scientific method is to develop a hypothesis. A hypothesis is an educated, evidence-based prediction about what you think will happen and why. It is not simply a guess—it is informed by observations, prior knowledge, and research.
A strong hypothesis is specific, testable, and measurable, allowing scientists to design experiments that can either support or refute their prediction. Many hypotheses are written in an “If…then…because…” format. For example: If bean plants receive more hours of sunlight each day, then they will grow taller because increased sunlight provides more energy for photosynthesis.
A well-written hypothesis serves as a roadmap for the experiment by identifying the relationship between variables and establishing a clear expectation to test. It’s important to remember that a hypothesis does not have to be correct to be valuable. In science, disproving a hypothesis can be just as informative as supporting one because every result contributes to our understanding of how the world works. At STEM From, we encourage learners to see hypotheses as opportunities to think critically, make evidence-based predictions, and remain open to wherever the data leads. Scientific progress isn’t about proving you’re right—it’s about discovering what the evidence reveals.
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