Experiments

Question 1

What is an independent variable in a science experiment?

Answer 1

Independent: It’s the one variable I(you) change.

Question 2

What is a Dependent Variable in a science experiment?

Answer 2

Dependent variable is WHAT YOU OBSERVE AND MEASURE from your trials.

Question 3

What is the Control in a science experiment?

Answer 3

Control are all of the variables that are the same for every trial.

Question 4

What type of things makes a scientific question NON-testable?

Answer 4

Things to avoid when writing scientific questions:

1. More than one question (you are only allowed one) so don’t accidentally have a bunch of different things you are trying to test. (ex. Which brand of nail polish lasts the longest, reflects the most light, and spreads on nails the smoothest…)
2. No opinions (using words like “best”)(Ex. Which toilet paper is the best?)
3. Using people or animals, you can’t control how they will act or perform for each trial.
4. Not specific enough (Ex. How far can a paper airplane fly?) 5. Lack units of measure or something you can observe.
5. Things that can’t be repeated the same way every time. (Ex. Throwing a paper airplane by hand, you CAN’T exactly throw the same way every time.)

Question 5

Explain what a correct procedure looks like.

Answer 5

Procedures are NUMBERED, Step by Step instructions on how to repeat an experiment so someone can exactly duplicate your experiments. These need to be extremely specific and easily followed by anyone

Question 6

Be able to identify a proper hypothesis.

Answer 6

Hypothesis is your guess to the answer to your original testable question/problem.

Question 7

What is Data in a scientific experiment.

Answer 7

Data are the results from EVERY trial you perform. If you are flying paper airplanes for distance, and you do 200 trials, then you have 200 numbers written down in centimeters in some sort of data chart.

Question 8

The reason behind a “web” design for the science and engineering process.

Answer 8

The science and engineering process is not a one way only path. You can go back and forth in any way between the 8 different parts. This is posted in my classroom and also on Google Classroom in one of the first weeks of class.

Question 9

Identify a quality testable scientific question.

Answer 9

Look at the options and choose one that has the following characteristics: 1. It is repeatable

2. Only one question
3. No humans or animals
4. Measurable (metric units if needed)
5. Not opinion based
6. Clear, specific

Question 10

Identify a non-testable scientific question.

Answer 10

Look at the choices and find one that does not have the characteristics of a good testable question. (see letter “d” above)