Which sequence correctly represents the typical order of steps in scientific investigations?

• A. Question → Hypothesis → Observations → Test → Report results → Conclusion.
• B. Observations → Question → Hypothesis → Test → Conclusion → Report results.
• C. Observations → Test → Question → Hypothesis → Report results.
• D. Hypothesis → Observations → Question → Test → Report results.

Answer: (B)

Observations first grounds the investigation in what’s actually happening and the data you’ve collected. From those observations, you form a question about what you want to understand or explain. That question leads to a testable hypothesis—an educated guess you can try to prove or disprove through experimentation. Then you conduct a test or experiment to gather evidence, followed by drawing a conclusion based on the results. Finally, you report the findings so others can learn from and evaluate your work. This flow—data to question to hypothesis to testing to conclusion to reporting—captures the logical progression of scientific inquiry, which is why it’s the best fit.