Scientific Method
Experimental or Observational?
What's the Variable?
Tools
The Metric System
100
The last step of the scientific method is:
Conclusion/Communication
100
Someone on the busy street of a New York neighborhood asking random people that pass by how many pets they have, then taking this data and using it to decide if there should be more pet food stores in that area. Observational or Experimental?
Observational
100
Scientists give rats a new medicine to increase brain function and track how fast they complete different puzzles. They repeat the experiment 5 times with 10 rats in each group.
Name 3 constants:
Puzzle type, rats, type of medicine, etc.
100
Tool, what's it measure, what unit?
Graduated Cylinder
Volume
mL or milliliters
100
1,000 mm = ____ m
1,000 mm = 1 m
200
The second step of the scientific method is:
Research
200
in order to test the effects of a new drug intended to treat a certain medical condition like dementia, if a sample of dementia patients is randomly divided into three groups: first group gets a high dosage of the drug, second group gets a low dosage, and the third group gets a placebo. Observational or Experimental?
Experimental
200
Scientists give rats a new medicine to increase brain function and track how fast they complete different puzzles. They repeat the experiment 5 times with 10 rats in each group.
Independent Variable:
(Hint: it's the variable WE CHANGE)
Type/amount of medicine
200
Tool, what's it measure, what unit?
Thermometer
Temperature
Celcius
200
520,000 cm = ____ km
520,000 cm = 5.2 km
300
The part of the scientific method that is the most hands on and fun for students/scientists is:
Performing the experiment
300
A person conducts a study to see if holding a hair dryer by the side of the road makes people slow down on a busy highway. He stands on the side of the road for 30 minutes without the hair dryer, then repeats with the hair dryer. Observational or Experimental?
Experimental.
300
Scientists give rats a new medicine to increase brain function and track how fast they complete different puzzles. They repeat the experiment 5 times with 10 rats in each group.
Dependent Variable:
(Hint: It's what's measured or the result of our change)
How well the rats complete the puzzles
300
Tool, what's it measure, what unit?
Triple Beam Balance
Mass
Grams (g) or milligrams (mg)
300
10 centiliters = ____ liters
10 centiliters = 0.1 liters
400
The first step of the scientific method is:
Asking questions/Stating a problem
400
A study took random sample of adults and asked them about their bedtime habits. The data showed that people who drank a cup of tea before bedtime were more likely to go to sleep earlier than those who didn't drink tea. Observational or Experimental?
Observational
400
Scientists give rats a new medicine to increase brain function and track how fast they complete different puzzles. They repeat the experiment 5 times with 10 rats in each group.
Control:
(It's not outwardly mentioned but what is our baseline data going to be?)
How fast rats complete puzzles without medicine
400
Tool, what's it measure, what unit?
Pipette/Dropper
Volume
Milliliters (mL)
400
10 kilograms = ____ grams
10 kilograms = 10,000 grams
500
After we have our experiment data, we need to do this.
Analyze and organize into a visual
500
What is the difference between an observational study and an experimental one?
Hint: What does the investigator do in each?
Observational: Investigator WATHCHES but doesn't get involved.
Experimental: Investigator gets involved in the experiment. He/she is DOING something to change the result.
500
Scientists give rats a new medicine to increase brain function and track how fast they complete different puzzles. They repeat the experiment 5 times with 10 rats in each group.
Repeated trials:
5 repeated trials
500
Tool, what's it measure, what unit?
Stopwatch
Time
Minutes/Seconds
500
FINAL JEOPARDY
Give me all variables in this experiment (I.V., D.V., Control, Constant, and Repeated Trials):
A student was testing to see if the amount of pollution produced by cars was different depending on how long they were driving. The student had 3 groups with 5 different cars in each: group 1 drove for 5 minutes, group 2 for 30 minutes, and group 3 for an hour.
I.V.: driving time of the cars
D.V.: amount of pollution
Constant: cars, parts, tools, etc.
Control: (do we have one?; create a baseline: 5 minute group)
Repeated Trials: 5 different cars in each of the 3 groups