Final answer:
To study the effect of salt on bacterial growth, the steps include observation, forming a question, hypothesizing, experimenting, and publishing the results. The observation that certain bacteria thrive in saltwater leads to an experiment with different salt concentrations and concludes with the scientist publishing their findings.
Step-by-step explanation:
To investigate the effect of salt on bacterial growth, the scientist should follow these steps in accordance with the scientific method which include making an observation, asking a question, forming a hypothesis, conducting an experiment, and publishing the findings:
An observation is made that some bacterial species thrive in saltwater environments.
The scientist asks the question, 'Does salt help the growth of these bacteria?'
A hypothesis is formed that higher concentrations of salt may increase the growth of these bacteria.
The scientist creates an experiment with bacteria in three different salt environments: high salt, medium salt, and low salt concentrations.
The experiment's results show that the high-salt environment has the most bacteria.
Finally, the scientist publishes the report in a scientific journal.
With the step of publishing results in a scientific journal, the process comes full circle, allowing other scientists to review, replicate, and extend the research.