Experimental Design Basics
Controlled Experiments
Independent vs. Dependent
Characteristics of a good experiment
Bonus Questions
100

When heavy rains occur while apple or orchards are in bloom, the apple crop the following year is much smaller than normal. This information can best be described as a)an inference b)a hypothesis c)a prediction d)an observation

What is an observation?

100
A drug company tested a new medication before putting it on the commercial market. Pills without medication were given to 500 test subjects in Group A, and pills with medication were given to 500 subjects in Group B. In this experiment, the individuals in Group A serve as the
What is control?
100
It is the variable that is changed in the experiment
What is the independent variable?
100

A way to verify the result (improve the validity) of your experiments is ________.

*Answers may vary* What is repeating the experiment?

100

A decrease in pH of the water will decrease of the heights of the radish plants. This statement is known as the ______ in a experiment

What is the hypothesis?

200

1.Define the problem 2.Formulate a hypothesis 3.Perform the experiment 4.Analyze the experimental data

What are the steps of scientific method?

200
A new drug for the treatment of asthma is tested on 100 people people. The people are evenly divided into two groups. One is given the drug, the other group is given a glucose pill. The control group is
What is the group that is given the glucose pill?
200

It is the variable that is being measured.

What is the dependent variable?

200
A student conducted an original, well-designed experiment, carefully following proper scientific procedure. In order for the conclusions to become generally accepted, the experiment must 1) contain several experimental variables 2) support the original hypothesis 3) be repeated to verify the reliability of the data 4) be conducted by a scientist
What is repeating the experiment for reliability?
200

****An experiment was carried out to answer the question “Does the pH of water affect the growth of radish plants?” Two groups of ten radish plants were set up. One group was watered with water having a pH of 3.0, and the other group was watered with water having a pH of 7.0. Both groups of plants received the same amount and intensity of light, the same amount of water, and they were grown in the same type of soil. The heights of the radish plants were measured every 2 days for a period of 2 weeks. Which sentence is a possible hypothesis that was tested in this experiment? (1) Does the pH of water affect the growth of radish plants? (2) Will the amount of water alter the heights of the radish plants? (3) The temperature of the water will affect the heights of the radish plants. (4) The pH of the water will affect the heights of the radish plants.

What is "The pH of the water will affect the heights of the radish plants"?

300

Tomato plants in a garden are not growing well. The gardener hypothesizes that the soil is too moist. To test this hypothesis accurately, the gardener could 1)plants seeds of a different kind of plant 2) Move the tomato plants to an area with less sunlight 3) change the pH of the soil 4) reduce the amount of water available to the plant

What is reduce the amount of water available to the plant?

300
Define controlled experiment.
What type of experiment contains one group receiving an independent variable and one does not?
300
The place where the independent variable is placed on a graph.
What is the x-axis?
300

****An experiment was carried out to answer the question “Does the pH of water affect the growth of radish plants?” Two groups of ten radish plants were set up. One group was watered with water having a pH of 3.0, and the other group was watered with water having a pH of 7.0. Both groups of plants received the same amount and intensity of light, the same amount of water, and they were grown in the same type of soil. The heights of the radish plants were measured every 2 days for a period of 2 weeks. Which activity might help to increase the validity of this experiment? (1) repeating the experiment several times (2) using two different types of radish seeds in each group (3) using the same pH for both groups of plants (4) placing one set of plants in sunlight and one in darkness

What is repeating the experiment several times?

300

*****An experiment was carried out to answer the question “Does the pH of water affect the growth of radish plants?” Two groups of ten radish plants were set up. One group was watered with water having a pH of 3.0, and the other group was watered with water having a pH of 7.0. Both groups of plants received the same amount and intensity of light, the same amount of water, and they were grown in the same type of soil. The heights of the radish plants were measured every 2 days for a period of 2 weeks. What was the dependent variable in this experiment? (1) heights of the plants (3) temperature of the water (2) pH of the water (4) type of soil

What is heights of the plants?

400
Group being tested or receiving treatment
What is experimental group?
400

A student placed five geranium plants of equal size in five environmental chambers growing conditions were the same for each plant except that each chamber was illuminated by a different color of light of the same intensity. At the end of 20 days, plant growth was measured. Identify one constant factor.

What is -fertilizer -location of the plants (sunlight or shade) -temperature

400
The place where the dependent variable is placed on the graph.
What is the y axis?
400

Scientists have been experimenting with different forms of alternate energy to help reduce the amount of fossil fuels that are burned. They studied yeast, which convert plant materials into ethanol, a form of alcohol that can be used in automobiles. These experiments were carried out at room temperature. The scientists wondered whether more ethanol would be produced at different temperatures? - What is the independent variable and dependent in this experiment?

IV= Temperature 

DV= production of ethanol

400

An explanation of natural events that is supported by strong evidence.

What is theory?

500

Define control group

What is a conclusion based on observation or evidence?

500

What is the difference between the control and experimental groups?

The control group is not given the independent variable while the experimental groups is given the independent variable.

500

A scientist is concerned about the effects of acid rain on newly fertilized fish eggs in lakes in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. The scientist would like to investigate the hatching rates of these fish eggs in water at different acidic pH levels. The scientist designed an experiment that could show the effect of an acid pH on the hatching of these fish eggs. ______ is the dependent variable.

What is hatching of the fish eggs?

500

A_____ is a statement that can be tested and falsified (proven incorrect) using an experiment.

What is hypothesis?

500

An experiment was carried out to answer the question "Does the pH of water affect the growth of radish plant?" Two groups of ten radish plants were set up. One group was watered with water having a pH of 3.0, and the other group was watered with water having a pH of 7.0. Both groups of plants received the same amount and intensity of light, the same amount of water, and they were grown in the same type of soil. The heights of the radish plants were measured every 2 days for a period of 2 weeks. What is the experimental question? 1) Does the pH of water affect the growth of radish plants? 2) Will the amount of water alter the heights of the radish plants? 3) The temperature of the water will affect the heights of the radish plants 4) The pH of the water will affect the heights of the radish plants.

What is "Does the pH of the water will affect the heights of the radish plants"?