4. which step requires a statement proposing an answer to the question that will be explored by scientific method? ask a question. analyze the observations. make a prediction. form a hypothesis.

I want to say the answer is Form a hypothesis

I say this because a hypothesis is one of the first things you do when conducting an experiment and when forming a hypothesis you use the format "if...thenbecause". You are giving a possible answer to your question before you actually perform the experiment. I hope this helped.

answer'(basidium)the spore--bearing structure of a basidiomycete is called a basidiocarp; ///

yes it is weird but true