Variables Vocab
Independent Variables
Dependent Variables
Graphing
Scientific method mash-up
100
The basic procedure used in a controlled experiment before changing any variables
Standard
100
Ryan wanted to grow cucumbers from seeds. He read that using a heating pad to heat up potting soil could help make seeds germinate, or sprout, faster. Ryan wondered whether the temperature of the heating pad would affect how quickly the seeds germinated.
What is the independent variable?
Temperature
100
Ryan wanted to grow cucumbers from seeds. He read that using a heating pad to heat up potting soil could help make seeds sprout faster. Ryan wondered whether the temperature of the heating pad would affect how quickly the seeds sprouted.
What is the dependent variable?
Time it takes to sprout
100
The axis on which the independent variable is graphed.
x-axis
100
The process of obtaining information by using the senses is called a/an
Observation
200
Anything we can change in an experiment that can affect the outcome
Variable
200
Jaden gathered eight identical bird feeders. He filled four with sunflower seeds. He filled the remaining four feeders with crushed peanuts. Jaden then placed the bird feeders in his backyard. Over the next five days, he counted the number of woodpeckers that visited each bird feeder each morning.
What is the independent variable?
Different type of food
200
Jaden gathered eight identical bird feeders. He filled four with sunflower seeds. He filled the remaining four feeders with crushed peanuts. Jaden then placed the bird feeders in his backyard. Over the next five days, he counted the number of woodpeckers that visited each bird feeder each morning.
What is the dependent variable?
Number of woodpeckers who came to the feeder.
200
This is created to make predictions, and to report results
Two-coordinate graph
200
This is an "if"/ "then" statement that states what a scientist believes will happen in an experiment.
Hypothesis
300
An experiment where are the variables are kept the same except the one being tested
Controlled experiment
300
In biology class, Annie learned that ripe fruits produce a gas called ethylene that can cause other fruits to ripen. Annie prepared four paper bags with five unripe avocados in each bag. She added one ripe banana to two of the bags and no bananas to the remaining two bags. After three days, she opened each bag and counted the number of ripe avocados in each bag.
What is the independent variable?
Whether or not there are bananas in the bags
300
Dillon placed a cardboard sleeve on each of three paper cups. He left three other cups without sleeves. Then, he poured the same amount of coffee into each of the six cups. He measured the temperature of the coffee in each cup every minute for ten minutes.
What is the dependent variable?
temperature
300
This part of the graph helps us to make predictions for other data that has not been recorded.
Trend line
300
What is a control (constant) in an experiment
The part of the experiment that does not change
400
The variable that is being measured / graphed on the y-axis
Dependent variable
400
Dr. Warren made six filtering straws: three that were five inches long and three that were ten inches long. She prepared six one-liter batches of water, each containing 10,000 Giardia. Then, Dr. Warren passed one batch of water through each straw. After each batch passed through the straw, she used a microscope to count the number of Giardia that remained in a small sample of the water.
What is the independent variable?
Length of the straw
400
Dr. Alvarado prepared six culture tanks. He filled each tank with the same amount of a mixture of water and nutrients. Then, he added 1,000 live algae cells to each tank and sealed the tank. In three of the tanks, he added C. rotunda cells. In the other three, he added T. cordiformis cells. After five days, Dr. Alvarado measured the amount of oxygen in each culture tank.
What is the dependent variable?
Amount of oxygen in the tank.
400
What is the relationship between the number of hours walked and the distance walked?
As the number of hours walked increases, the distance walked increases.
400
In an experiment, the variable that is changed or made different is the _________ variable.
independent
500
Name 2 (of 3) things that can make an experiment more accurate.
-Conduct multiple trials
-Change one variable at a time
-Use smaller units of measurement
500
Farid noticed that some of the footballs his team used during practice were not fully inflated. He wondered whether fully inflated footballs would travel farther than footballs with a lower air pressure.He fully inflated ten of them to an air pressure of 13 pounds per square inch. He inflated the remaining ten to an air pressure of 10 pounds per square inch. He measured the distance the football traveled and then launched the next ball.
What is the independent variable?
The Air Pressure
500
Elise divided a large bottle of soda equally among six glasses. Elise added five whole ice cubes to each of the first three glasses while her brother crushed five ice cubes into small pieces before adding them to each of the other three glasses. Ten minutes after all the ice had been added to the glasses, Elise used a thermometer to measure the temperature of the soda in each glass.
What is the dependent variable?
Temperature
500
Predict the maximum amount of toy cars a 40m model bridge would hold.
100 toy cars
500
Creating graphs is part of which step of the scientific method?
Analyzing Data