Hypothesis
The two words that must be in a hypothesis
What are IF and THEN?
Identify the dependent variable: Taking a nap in the afternoon makes people more focused for the rest of the day.
How focused people are for the rest of day
Identify the Independent Variable: Zack wants to determine if the amount of time spent on social media has an effect on academic grades of students.
The time spent on social media
Identify the Control Group: The more time people spend using social media, the less they read books.
People who spend no time on social media
Identify the Potential Error: A comprehension test was given to students after they had studied textbook material either in silence or with the television turned on.
The test being different, the textbook material not being the same material as the test, the television playing different shows/noise levels, etc.
Write a hypothesis: The more time people spend using social media, the less they read books.
IF people spend more time on social media THEN they will read less books.
Identify the dependent variable: Mosquito repellant is sprayed on one arm and not sprayed on the other arm. Mosquito bites are counted after 2 hours.
The number/amount of mosquito bites on the arms.
Identify the Independent Variable: Spending time with a family dog decreases the amount of stress someone is feeling.
The amount of time spent with a family dog
Identify the Control Group: Bodhi’s science experiment shows that people’s reaction speed decreases when they get less sleep.
8 hours/normal amount of sleep
Identify the Potential Error: Taking a nap in the afternoon makes people more focused for the rest of the day.
Length of the nap, location of nap, time of nap, etc.
Write a hypothesis: The more coyotes in an environment, the fewer deer.
If there are more coyotes in an environment THEN there will be fewer deer.
Identify the dependent variable:
Bodhi’s science experiment shows that people’s reaction speed decreases when they get less sleep.
Reaction speed
Identify the Independent Variable: The more coyotes in an environment, the fewer deer.
The number of coyotes in the environment
Identify the Control Group: Mosquito repellant is sprayed on one arm and not sprayed on the other arm. Mosquito bites are counted after 2 hours.
The arm not sprayed with repellant
Identify the Potential Error: Students watched a cartoon either alone or with others and then rated how funny they found the cartoon to be.
The cartoon being different, the students having very different senses of humor, etc.
Write a hypothesis: Drinking energy drinks makes people more aggressive.
IF people drink more energy drinks THEN they will be more aggressive.
Identify the dependent variable: Joelle wants to determine the effect of pesticides on the size of the apples in the orchard.
The size of the apples
Identify the Independent Variable: The more time people spend using social media, the less they read books.
The amount of time people spend on social media
Identify the Control Group: Joelle wants to determine the effect of pesticides on the size of the apples in the orchard
No pesticides, the orchard, the type of tree, etc.
Identify the Potential Error: Mary wants to see if a new brand of hair dye lasts longer than the brand she currently uses. She puts the new hair dye on the left side of her head and the old brand on her right side. After 2 weeks she observes which side of her head has more gray hair showing through. She wants to know which of the two brands
Mary might use the wrong dye, she might put different amounts of dye on each side of her head, she might use a different strategy to put the dye on each side.
Write a hypothesis: Shannon wants to see if the amount of time she studies will affect her grades. She normally studies for 30 minutes a night, but decides to double her study time to one hour per night. Over the next three weeks Shannon sees her science grade raise 10%
IF Shannon studies double (one hour per night) THEN her science grade will increase.
Identify the dependent variable: Heidi is a chocolate lover and eats chocolate daily. She has a bad break-out and her friend told her eating chocolate causes pimples. Heidi continues to eat chocolate every day for 2 weeks and counts the number of pimples she has on her face. The following 2 weeks she doesn’t eat any chocolate and counts the number of pimples on her face.
The number of pimples on Heidi's face
Identify the Independent Variable: Students watched a cartoon either alone or with others and then rated how funny they found the cartoon to be.
How many people students watch the cartoon with, watching the cartoon alone or with others
Identify the Control Group: Joe wants to see if his kitten prefers new chicken flavored treats over her usual beef flavored treats. He puts 10 chicken treats in one bowl and 10 beef flavored treats in another bowl. He sees which treats his kitten eats first and repeats this experiment for 3 days.
The kitten's regular treats/ beef-flavored treats
Identify the Potential Error:
Zack wants to determine if the amount of time spent on social media has an effect on academic grades of students.
The type of social media being different, the tests or assignments being different levels of difficulty.