Testable or Not?
True/False: A testable question must include a variable that can be changed and one that can be measured.
True.
Which variable is changed on purpose in an experiment?
The independent variable
A student predicts, “If I sleep longer, then I will score better on tests.” Which step of the scientific method is this?
Hypothesis!
A student tests whether adding sugar makes bread dough rise faster. Identify the independent variable.
amount of sugar added
Which of these is NOT testable: “Do plants need sunlight to grow?” OR “Why do plants exist?”
"Why do plants exist?" is NOT testable
Which variable is measured or observed in an experiment?
The dependent variable
Put these in order: Collect data, Draw conclusions, Make a hypothesis.
Hypothesis → Collect data → Draw conclusions.
A coach wants to see if different sports drinks affect how quickly athletes rehydrate after practice. Identify the dependent variable.
the time it takes athletes to rehydrate
A good testable question should include which 2 types of variables?
Independent and Dependent Variable
What do we call the variables that are kept the same throughout an experiment?
Constants or controlled variables
During which step would you create graphs and tables to show data trends?
1. Observation 2. Question 3. Hypothesis
4.Experiment 5.Collect/Analyze Data 6.Conclusion
7. Share the Results
5. Collect/Analyze data
A gardener wants to see if planting depth affects how quickly seeds sprout. Identify the independent variable.
Planting depth of the seeds
“Why are roses prettier than daisies?” is not testable because...
It is an opinion. A scientist cannot collect data/evidence for this experiment.
In “Does the amount of light affect plant growth?”, name the IV and DV.
IV = amount of light; DV = plant growth.
A scientist publishes their results so other scientists can test the same experiment. Which step of the scientific method is this?
Sharing/communicating the results.
A student wants to know if drinking energy drinks before gym class makes them run faster. What would be the control group?
The group of students who do not drink an energy drink.
Often times a good experiment includes a group that is given no effect and is used as a baseline to compare the rest to. What is that group called?
Ex: Given a sugar pill in a medicine experiment, even though every other group got some sort of pain medicine.
Control group
A scientist tests whether adding different amounts of salt to water changes how long it takes the water to boil. Identify the independent variable, the dependent variable, and one constant.
- independent variable (amount of salt)
- dependent variable (time to boil)
- constant (same pot, same stove, same amount of water, same amount of heat/temperature)
The scientific method has no beginning and end, it is a cycle. If your results from the experiment don’t clearly support your hypothesis, this is what scientists must do.
Revise the experiment and test again
A student studies whether music volume affects how many math problems classmates can solve in 5 minutes. Identify a constant, the independent variable, and the dependent variable.
Constant = same math problems, same time limit, etc.
IV = volume of music
DV = number of problems solved.