Step by step activity designed to confirm or disprove the hypothesis
Experiment
Possible explanation for the problem; an educated guess based on something you experienced (background knowledge) or something you infer
Hypothesis
Make 2 qualitative observations and 2 quantitative observations.
Quantitative - 10 beakers
Qualitative - colors
Name the control in the Flower Power Experiment
Bouquet of flowers without the flower food
Sam wants to know why salt water freezes at a lower temperature than fresh water. He fills two beakers with 1 liter of fresh water. Then he dissolves 35g of salt in 1 liter of fresh water. He places both beakers in the freezer for 24 hours. What is the variable in the experimental set-up?
The salt
Conduct the experiment again to make sure that data collection was accurate
Repeat
The "formulaic" way to state the hypothesis
In an "If... then... because ..." statement
While walking in the park, you notice two juniper bushes with their orange leaves turning brown. Make a quantitative observation.
Two juniper bushes
Define the control
The set-up that is just like the experimental set-up except it does not contain the variable
A variable must be _________________?
Testable
Written observations, measurements, and other important information taken during the experiment
Record and analyze data
Create a hypothesis relating extra batting practice and the bating average for a baseball player
If a baseball player takes extra batting practice, then his/her batting average will go up, because practice swings helps with hand/eye coordination
The difference between a quantitative and qualitative observation
Quantitative: Specific descriptions that includes numbers and measurements
Qualitative: General descriptions using your senses
You notice that a marble rolls at different speeds down a ramp when the ramp is tilted at different angles.
Turn this observation into a scientific question.
Why does the marble roll at different speeds down a ramp when the ramp is tilted at different angles?
What happens if you have two variables in an experiment?
You are unable to tell which variable caused the results
The scientific question (problem)
If you brush your teeth every day, then your chances of getting cavities decreases because you remove food and germs from your teeth.
Give 3 qualitative observations.
wooden bat, dirty uniform, Yankee player
In Minnesota, wild rice is a major crop. One year, the amount of wild rice was drastically reduced and people wondered why. They noticed that a huge population increase in wild ducks, which eat wild rice. The only change was that the previous year, residents trapped a great number of skunks, which were a nuisance. An expert told residents that skunks eat duck eggs as part of their diet. How can residents increase the wild rice crop?
Stop trapping the skunks so that the duck population will decrease and then the wild rice crop will increase.
Homer notices that his shower is covered in a strange, green slime. His friend, Barney tells him that coconut juice will get rid of the green slime. Homer decides to check this out by spraying half of the shower with coconut juice and sprays the other half with water. After 3 days of "treatment" there is no change in the appearance of the green slime on either side of the shower. Identify the control. Identify the variable.
Control - treatment using water
Variable - treatment using coconut juice
Gather information; find out as much about the problem as you can
Research
Create a hypothesis relating colder temperatures in NJ to the migration of birds
If the temperature in NJ decreases then the birds will migrate south because they need warmer temperatures and available food to survive
A conclusion made by an observation or previous data
Inference
SpongeBob loves to garden with his friend Sandy. He bought special Flower Power fertilizer to see if it will help plants produce pink flowers. He places two plants of the same size in separate containers with the same amount of soil, watering one with fertilized water and the other with regular water daily. He places them on the windowsill.
What is the variable?
The fertilized water
What is the name of the "fake" medicine given to someone to make them feel better.
The placebo