Variables
What is the variable that the scientist intentionally changes or manipulates in an experiment?
Independent Variable
What type of graph is best suited for showing changes or trends over time?
Line Graph
If you are comparing the total height of five completely different tree species, what graph type should you use?
Bar graph
Every scientific graph requires three basic textual elements to be considered complete: a title, an X-axis label, and what else?
A Y-Axis
Often called the "brain" or control center of the cell, which organelle contains the cell's DNA?
The Nucleus
What is the responding variable that is measured or observed as a result of the experiment?
Dependent Variable
What type of graph should you choose when comparing data across distinct, non-numerical categories?
Bar Graph
In a study tracking the weekly height growth of a single sapling, what is the independent variable?
Time (weeks)
When writing the title for your scientific graph, what two core elements of the experiment must be included in the name?
The Independent Variable and the Dependent Variable
Known as the "powerhouse of the cell," which organelle generates usable chemical energy (ATP) for cellular processes?
Mitochondria
What are the variables that must be kept exactly the same throughout the entire investigation to ensure a fair test?
Constant Variables
Beyond just text labels, what critical information must be enclosed in parentheses on both graph axes?
Units of measurement (e.g., meters, seconds)
Name two environmental factors that must be held constant when testing how soil type affects tree growth.
Amount of water, amount of sunlight (or temperature)
If your data range goes from 0 up to 95, why is counting by intervals of 3 an inappropriate scale choice for your grid lines?
It makes plotting difficult, creates messy decimal placements, and is harder to read than counting by 10s or 20s.
What are the tiny, numerous structures inside a cell responsible for assembling and making proteins?
Ribosomes
On which graph axis do you always plot the independent variable?
The X-axis
What graph type is ideal for showing individual data points to determine if a correlation exists between two numerical variables?
Scatter Plot
If a graph shows tree age on the X-axis and tree trunk diameter on the Y-axis, which one is the dependent variable?
Tree trunk diameter
If you forget to include the units of measurement on your graph axes, why does the data lose its scientific value?
The numbers lose context (e.g., a reader won't know if a distance of "10" means 10 millimeters, 10 meters, or 10 miles).
What is the name of the jelly-like fluid that fills the cell and suspends all the other organelles?
Cytoplasm
In an experiment testing how ramp height affects a rolling marble's speed, identify both the independent and dependent variables.
Independent: Ramp height; Dependent: Marble speed
When creating an axis scale, what does it mean to have an "appropriate scale"?
Choosing consistent, even increments that allow the data to fill most of the grid space without squishing or overextending.
Why does measuring 50 trees of the same species give more accurate scientific data than measuring just one tree?
Larger sample size increases data reliability and accounts for individual variations.
What specific graphing rule must you follow when deciding how much of the available grid paper space your data should occupy?
The data must fill the majority of the graph space (an appropriate scale ensures it doesn't get squished into a tiny corner).
Which organelle modifies, packages, and distributes proteins and lipids throughout or outside of the cell?
Golgi Apparatus