The first step of the scientific method is to ask a question or identify a problem. This question should be clear, concise, and framed so that it can be answered through experimentation. It often begins with words like how, what, when, why, where, or who and focuses on something observed that needs explanation or understanding
. This step sets the purpose and goal of the investigation by defining exactly what the scientist wants to solve or learn. A well-formulated question guides the subsequent steps of background research, hypothesis formation, and experimentation
