The is what stays the same in an experiment
Constants or controls
The first step of the scientific method
Ask a question and make observations
What type of observation? The clouds are dark
Qualitative
Mrs. Dalton notices that when she leaves apples in the refrigerator, they stay fresher for longer. She wants to test this hypothesis. She purchases 4 apples, places 2 in the refrigerator, and leaves 2 on the counter. She makes observations every 2 days.
What's the IV?
location of the apples
A student predicted that all objects with a mass greater than 9 grams (g) will sink in water. After finding the masses of four objects, the student placed each object in a pan of water to determine if it would sink or float.
What's the IV?
mass of the object
This is what is being changed in the experiment
Independent variable
an educated guess based on research
hypothesis
What type of observation? I ate 35 cookies
Quantitative
Mrs. Dalton notices that when she leaves apples in the refrigerator, they stay fresher for longer. She wants to test this hypothesis. She purchases 4 apples, places 2 in the refrigerator, and leaves 2 on the counter. She makes observations every 2 days.
What's the DV?
freshness of the apples (how long they stay fresh for)
A student predicted that all objects with a mass greater than 9 grams (g) will sink in water. After finding the masses of four objects, the student placed each object in a pan of water to determine if it would sink or float.
What's the DV?
Sinking or floating
This is what is being measured in the experiment
dependent variable
If, then, because
What type of observation? The floor is 6 ft long
Quantitative
Mrs. Dalton notices that when she leaves apples in the refrigerator, they stay fresher for longer. She wants to test this hypothesis. She purchases 4 apples, places 2 in the refrigerator, and leaves 2 on the counter. She makes observations every 2 days.
What could a constant be?
type of apples, etc.
A student predicted that all objects with a mass greater than 9 grams (g) will sink in water.
What proves their prediction was incorrect?
wooden block (16g) floated
factors in an experiment
variables
what is the information that we gather during an experiment that can be displayed on tables or graphs?
Data
What type of observation? The banana is rotten
Qualitative
A student predicted that adding vinegar to plants will help them grow taller. They will add vinegar to two plants, and leave 2 plants without vinegar. After a month, they will measure the height of the plants.
What's the DV?
height of the plants
In our ball and ramp experiment, what was the IV?
the height of the ramp
How many independent variables can we have in an experiment?
1
What is the final step of the scientific method?
communicate your results/ conclusion
What type of observation? The area of the garden is 250 ft squared
Quantitative
A student predicted that adding vinegar to plants will help them grow taller. They will add vinegar to two plants, and leave 2 plants without vinegar. After a month, they will measure the height of the plants.
What's the IV?
adding vinegar
In our ball and ramp experiment, what type of energy does the golf ball have when placed at the top of the ramp (before rolling down)?
potential energy