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How to Form a Null Hypothesis

A null hypothesis in simple terms is a hypothesis the researcher tries to disprove or eliminate. In the null hypothesis, one variable has no association with another variable or set of variables. The null hypothesis may declare there is no relationship between the two variables. Forming a null hypothesis is an important part of experiments and is always tested, even unconsciously.

Instructions

- 1
  Identify a problem or choose a subject. Identify the main variables and their relationship to the problem. Form a general hypothesis by making an educated guess about the intended results. A hypothesis should be a simple, declarative sentence. Example: The plants are dying because they are not receiving water.
- 2
  Carry out an experiment and collect data In order to test the hypothesis. For example, you have two sets of plants; you will water one set, but not the other.
- 3
  Look at the variables and decide if they prove or disprove the hypothesis. If both subjects show no difference, neither proving or disproving the hypothesis, results are null.
  
  After one week of watering half of the plants every day, observing them and recording data, you observe that both sets of plants have died.
- 4
  Form the null hypothesis. The death of both sets of plants neither confirms nor denies the hypothesis. The results were random, or the variable was not related to the results. Using the previous example, lack of water did not cause of the death of the plants because both sets of plants were watered; therefore, the variable has become void.

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