Kelly works at an ice cream shop and observes that the number of people buying ice cream varies greatly from day to day. For a couple of weeks, she has recorded the number of people at the shop each day, as well as the daily temperature. If Kelly is using the scientific method to better understand ice cream buying habits, her next step is to
A) conclude definitively that people buy more ice cream when the temperature rises.
B) state her findings as a well-tested economic principle.
C) use the observed data to form a hypothesis about ice cream buying behavior.
D) throw out the data if it does not show a perfect relationship between buying habits and the other information she has collected.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The next step for Kelly is to use the observed data to form a hypothesis about ice cream buying behavior. This involves analyzing the data and looking for patterns or relationships between the number of people buying ice cream and the temperature. From this analysis, Kelly can develop a hypothesis, which can then be tested through further observation and experimentation. It is important to note that while Kelly has observed a relationship between temperature and ice cream buying habits, she cannot definitively conclude that this is a well-tested economic principle without further testing and analysis. Additionally, it would not be appropriate for her to throw out data that does not show a perfect relationship, as this could skew her results and lead to inaccurate conclusions.

Kelly Works at an Ice Cream Shop and Observes That