Results would be measured in weekly or bi-weekly intervals (depending on the growth rate of the plant used) by a leaf count according to hemispheric position -- that is, the plant would be "divided" into two halves, the one facing the light source and the one facing away, and the leaves per half would be counted -- as well as a measurement of the angle of growth as it deviates from the center of the compartment (plants would need to be centered in the soil for this measurement to be accurate, of course). According to the scientific method, the results of any experiment cannot prove a hypothesis correct. But if it does not prove it incorrect, and the experiment was conducted in a logical and thoughtful way, the hypothesis will be supported by the experimental evidence. I believe that this experiment, if properly conducted, would shed some light on the subject of plant growth.

The Faster Trip: The Scientific Method in Action

My friend and I, who live a block away from each other, got into a friendly disagreement about the faster way to drive to school. It all started with an observation of mine: my friend took a different route to school than I did, and it seemed to take longer. Then came the question: "Why do you take such a long way to school?" This started a brief...

I predicted that if we alternated routes (we had started carpooling) every day for two weeks, and kept track of the time, the numbers would prove that my route was indeed the quicker one. We began the experiment the very next Monday, timing the trip to school and back home, using my route both times, and making a concentrated effort to maintain an even speed, going the speed limit at all times (much more conscientiously than usual). Tuesday we used his route, Wednesday min, etc. The following week, Monday we used his route, Tuesday mine, and so on, in an attempt to control for differences in traffic on different days of the week. We kept track of our times on a little piece of paper attached to the dashboard, and averaged the out at the end.
Our results were a little disappointing. Though my route was slightly faster on average, the difference was negligible -- no more than thirty seconds -- and his route was faster than my average, on several occasions. We learned that both routes were essentially equal, when it came to speed. Our arguments -- which largely consisted of anecdotal evidence -- simply did not hold up to the scrutiny of the scientific method.