Scientific Experimentation

Question 1

Scientific Method

Answer 1

An organized set of investigation procedures.

Question 2

Hypothesis

Answer 2

An educated and careful guess

Question 3

variable usually plotted on the horizontal or x-axis

Answer 3

independent varialble (aka manipulated variable)

Question 4

graph type used to show some fixed quantity broken down into parts

Answer 4

circle graph (pie chart)

Question 5

First step in designing an experiment

Answer 5

State the problem

Question 6

A standard for comparison that helps to ensure that the experimental result is caused by the condition being tested

Answer 6

A Control

Question 7

factor in an experiment that changes from the manipulation of the independent variable

Answer 7

dependent variable

Question 8

A factor that does NOT change in an experiment

Answer 8

A constant (aka “controlled variable”)

Question 9

Studying the effect of one thing on another in order to test a hypothesis is a(n) ____.

Answer 9

experiment

Question 10

A factor that is manipulated in an experiment to change the dependent variable

Answer 10

independent varialble (aka manipulated variable)

Question 11

“aka” means

Answer 11

also known as

Question 12

dependent variable is usually plotted on the

Answer 12

vertical or y-axis

Question 13

dependent variable is aka

Answer 13

responding variable (IM DR)

Question 14

independent variable is aka

Answer 14

manipulated variable (IM DR)

Question 15

“IM DR” is a mnemonic device to help remember

Answer 15

(Independent variable = Manipulated variable) and (Dependent variable = Responding Variable)

Question 16

Why don’t we draw lines between bars on a bar graph?

Answer 16

There is no data between the bars on a bar graph.

Question 17

Why do we draw lines between ponts on a line graph?

Answer 17

To represent the expected values of the unmeasured data between the measured points.

Question 18

Why do we typically avoid putting “breaks” in the axes of graphs?

Answer 18

It distorts the appearance of the data.

Question 19

When do we put “breaks” in the axes of graphs?

Answer 19

When we are willing to live with the distorted appearance of the data so that we can zoom in on a specific region of the data.

Question 20

Scientific experiments investigate the effect of one ___________ on another.

Answer 20

variable

Question 21

Graphs are visual representations of data that help scientists to detect _________ in the data.

Answer 21

patterns

Question 22

Must be in the form of a statement.

Answer 22

A hypothesis

Question 23

In a graph showing temperature change of a material over time, temperature change is the ____.

Answer 23

dependent variable

Question 24

The best type of graph to use to show how some fixed quantity is broken down into parts is_____.

Answer 24

circle graph (pie chart)

Question 25

When designing an experiment, the first step is to ____.

Answer 25

state the problem

Question 26

A factor that does NOT change in an experiment is the ____.

Answer 26

constant

Question 27

A variable that is held constant on purpose is a __________ variable

Answer 27

controlled

Question 28

plotted on the vertical or y-axis

Answer 28

dependent variable

Question 29

What is the definition of a derived unit?

Answer 29

A mathematical combination of two or more units.

Question 30

Why are the points on a bar graph not connected?

Answer 30

There is no data between points that could be graphed.

Question 31

Explain how the lack of a control in an experiment impacts the experiment.

Answer 31

Without a control, there is no basis for comparison.

Question 32

Sometimes an experiment has a whole set of hypotheses. The hypothesis that says that changing the independent varialbe will have no effect on the dependent variable is called what?

Answer 32

The Null Hypothesis

Question 33

True or False.

The “Null Hypothesis” predicts that changes in the independent variable will affect the dependent variable.

Answer 33

False

Question 34

The Null Hypothesis predicts what relationship between the independent and dependent variables?

Answer 34

No relationship at all.

(Changine the independent variable has not effect on the dependent variable.)

Question 35

Which one below means the same as a constant?

A Control

A Controlled Variable

Answer 35

A Controlled Variable.

A controlled variable is one of the possible variables in an experiment that you keep the same on purpose.

Question 36

You are doing an experiment to see if ducks fly faster when listening to music with special “duck” headphones.

You equip 300 ducks with these special headphones and measure their flight speed to be 43mph.

You then conclude that ducks do fly faster with headphones.

What is missing?

Answer 36

A control

You would need “A Control” as a basis for comparison. In other words, you would need to measure the flight speed of a group of ducks without headphones. Then you could compare.

Question 38

Levels of independent variable

Answer 38

This is the number of different values of the independent variable you use in your lab.

Question 39

What is the absolute minimum number of levels of independent variable you can use in a lab and still get a useful line graph?

Answer 39

5

(This is the lowest number of levels of independent variable where your data begins speaking back to you.)