Photosynthesis
A group of scientists is measuring the speed of photosynthesis in Dracaena plants under different colors of light (blue, green, and red). To gauge how quickly photosynthesis happens, they will measure the amount of O2 produced by each plant.
What control group should they add?
white/normal sunlight
Leslie wants to test how well mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) survive in different water salinities. She breeds 100 mosquitofish and splits them into tanks. She pours different amounts of salt into each tank (2 kg, 1.5 kg, 1 kg, and .5 kg). Then, she will count how many die after 5 days in each tank.
What is Leslie's testable, specific, relevant research question?
What is the effect of salinity [amount x, y, z] on the survival of Gambusia affinis mosquitofish?
Bob grows duckweed, a plant that floats on water. He wants to know what temperature he should keep the water in his tank so that the duckweed can grow the fastest. He sets up different tanks with baby duckweed plants and measures the surface area of the duckweed. Then, he makes the water in each tank a different temperature. After one week, he measures the surface area of the duckweed again and records the percentage growth.
What is the independent and dependent variable in this investigation?
Independent variable: temperature of the water in the tank
Dependent variable: increase in surface area of the duckweed after 1 week (as an indicator of growth rate)
Seth wants to investigate the mating behaviors of hawk moths (Sphingidae) under different light conditions. He creates 3 large cages in which he places 10 females and 10 males each. He puts a 1500 lumen light bulb in one cage, a 1000 lumen light bulb in another cage, and a 500 lumen light bulb in the third cage. Then he counts the number of eggs and/or new moths in the cage after 2 weeks.
What is Seth's research question?
What is the effect of different brightnesses (lumens) of light on the reproductive activity of Sphingidae hawk moths?
A group of scientists is measuring the rate of photosynthesis in Dracaena plants under different colors of light (blue, green, and red). To gauge the rate of photosynthesis, they will measure the amount of O2 produced by each plant after 1 hour.
What are the independent and dependent variables in this research study?
Independent Variable: Light Color
Dependent Variable: rate of photosynthesis (amount of O2 produced per hour)
Leslie wants to test how well mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) survive in different water salinities. She breeds 100 mosquitofish and splits them into tanks. She pours different amounts of salt into each tank (2 kg, 1.5 kg, 1 kg, and .5 kg). Then, she will count how many die after 5 days in each tank.
What control group should she add to this experiment?
no salinity (0 kg of salt)
Bob grows duckweed, a plant that floats on water. He wants to know what temperature he should keep the water in his tank so that the duckweed can grow the fastest. He sets up different tanks with baby duckweed plants and measures the surface area of the duckweed. Then, he makes the water in each tank a different temperature. After one week, he measures the surface area of the duckweed again and records the percentage growth.
What is Bob's testable, specific, relevant research question?
How does the temperature of the environment [temp x, y, z] affect the surface area growth of duckweed?
Seth wants to investigate the mating behaviors of hawk moths (Sphingidae) under different light conditions. He creates 3 large cages in which he places 10 females and 10 males each. He puts a 1500 lumen light bulb in one cage, a 1000 lumen light bulb in another cage, and a 500 lumen light bulb in the third cage. Then he counts the number of eggs and/or new moths in the cage after 2 weeks.
What control group should Seth add to his experiment? (hint: what do you know about moths?)
a cage with no light OR with regular sunlight/moonlight as in the wild
A group of scientists is measuring the rate of photosynthesis in Dracaena plants under different colors of light (blue, green, and red). To gauge the rate of photosynthesis, they will measure the amount of O2 produced by each plant after 1 hour.
Write down three constants (controlled variables) they should plan for in their experiment.
distance from light, water amount, soil amount, pot size, etc.
Leslie wants to test how well mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) survive in different water salinities. She breeds 100 mosquitofish and splits them into tanks. She pours different amounts of salt into each tank (2 kg, 1.5 kg, 1 kg, and .5 kg). Then, she will count how many die after 5 days in each tank.
What are the independent and dependent variables in this experiment?
Independent variable: amount of salt
Dependent variable: how many fish die (survival rate)
Bob grows duckweed, a plant that floats on water. He wants to know what temperature he should keep the water in his tank so that the duckweed can grow the fastest. He sets up different tanks with baby duckweed plants and measures the surface area of the duckweed. Then, he makes the water in each tank a different temperature. After one week, he measures the surface area of the duckweed again and records the percentage growth.
Write a hypothesis and a prediction for this study.
Hypothesis: The rate of plant growth processes are positively correlated to increases in temperature
Prediction: The plants grown in the highest temperature tank will have the greatest increase in surface area after a week.
Seth wants to investigate the mating behaviors of hawk moths (Sphingidae) under different light conditions. He creates 3 large cages in which he places 10 females and 10 males each. He puts a 1500 lumen light bulb in one cage, a 1000 lumen light bulb in another cage, and a 500 lumen light bulb in the third cage. Then he counts the number of eggs and/or new moths in the cage after 2 weeks.
What are the independent and dependent variables in this study?
Independent variable: lumens (brightness of light)
Dependent variable: how many eggs laid and/or new moths hatched (as an indicator of mating activity)
A group of scientists is measuring the rate of photosynthesis in Dracaena plants under different colors of light (blue, green, and red). To gauge the rate of photosynthesis, they will measure the amount of O2 produced by each plant after 1 hour.
Write a hypothesis and a prediction for this study.
Hypothesis: Plants require green wavelengths to perform photosynthesis.
Prediction: The plants under green light and white control light will produce the most O2 after one hour.
Leslie wants to test how well mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) survive in different water salinities. She breeds 100 mosquitofish and splits them into tanks. She pours different amounts of salt into each tank (2 kg, 1.5 kg, 1 kg, and .5 kg). Then, she will count how many die after 5 days in each tank.
What are three constants (controlled variables) Leslie should plan for in her experiment?
size of tank, amount of water, amount of food given each day, light conditions, etc
Bob grows duckweed, a plant that floats on water. He wants to know what temperature he should keep the water in his tank so that the duckweed can grow the fastest. He sets up different tanks with baby duckweed plants and measures the surface area of the duckweed. Then, he makes the water in each tank a different temperature. After one week, he measures the surface area of the duckweed again and records the percentage growth.
What should be Bob's control group in this study?
average temperature that duckweed grows in the wild (the "normal")
Seth wants to investigate the mating behaviors of hawk moths (Sphingidae) under different light conditions. He creates 3 large cages in which he places 10 females and 10 males each. He puts a 1500 lumen light bulb in one cage, a 1000 lumen light bulb in another cage, and a 500 lumen light bulb in the third cage. Then he counts the number of eggs and/or new moths in the cage after 2 weeks.
List 3 constants (controlled variables) that Seth should plan for in this study.
position of light, size of cage, objects in cage, position of cages (all indoor or all outdoor etc), amount of food, etc.
A group of scientists is measuring the rate of photosynthesis in Dracaena plants under different colors of light (blue, green, and red). To gauge the rate of photosynthesis, they will measure the amount of O2 produced by each plant after 1 hour.
What is this group of scientists' testable, specific, relevant research question?
What is the effect of different colored lights on Dracaena plant photosynthesis rate?
Leslie wants to test how well mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) survive in different water salinities. She breeds 100 mosquitofish and splits them into tanks. She pours different amounts of salt into each tank (2 kg, 1.5 kg, 1 kg, and .5 kg). Then, she will count how many die after 5 days in each tank.
Write a hypothesis and a prediction for this study.
Hypothesis: Salt damages and disrupts the life processes of mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis).
Prediction: Mosquitofish will die most in the tank with 2 kg salt, less in the tank with 1.5 kg salt, etc.
Bob grows duckweed, a plant that floats on water. He wants to know what temperature he should keep the water in his tank so that the duckweed can grow the fastest. He sets up different tanks with baby duckweed plants and measures the surface area of the duckweed. Then, he makes the water in each tank a different temperature. After one week, he measures the surface area of the duckweed again and records the percentage growth.
Write 3 controls Bob should plan for in his experiment.
amount of water, light, duckweed plants in each tank, etc.
Seth wants to investigate the mating behaviors of hawk moths (Sphingidae) under different light conditions. He creates 3 large cages in which he places 10 females and 10 males each. He puts a 1500 lumen light bulb in one cage, a 1000 lumen light bulb in another cage, and a 500 lumen light bulb in the third cage. Then he counts the number of eggs and/or new moths in the cage after 2 weeks.
Write a hypothesis and a prediction for this study.
Hypothesis: Sphingidae hawk moths are most active at night and reproduce mostly nocturnally.
Prediction: There will be most new eggs and moths in the cage with the lowest brightness of light, second most in the slightly brighter cage, etc.