Section 1

Question 1

What is your hypothesis?

Answer 1

As the mass of the weights increases, muscles will fatigue quicker.

Question 2

Explain why you made this hypothesis

Answer 2

• Muscles work harder to support heavier weights
• more energy is needed to allow the muscles to contract. - This energy can be supplied by anaerobic respiration,
• in which glucose molecules are not broken down properly so there is a small release of energy.
• Therefore more lactic acid is produced
• causing faster muscle fatigue.

Question 3

Identify two sources that you used for your research

Answer 3

• AQA GCSE Biology

- tes.com

Question 4

Which of these sources did you find more useful? Why was this source better than the other source?

Answer 4

• aqa textbook was useful because it helped me to use scientific terms to explain my hypothesis.
• tes.com more useful gave full method and ideas for risk involved
• edit method for mass of textbooks/ number of textbooks and added countdown timer

Question 5

Structure for writing method:

Answer 5

• Equipment
• Method
• Risk Assessment
• Control Variables

Question 6

What equipment do you plan to use?

Answer 6

• Five textbooks
• Electronic balance
• Stopclock timer
• Countdown timer
• Lab partner

Question 7

Method

Answer 7

• weigh one of the textbooks using an electronic balance and note down the mass
• ensure lab partner standing in a clear space and holding one textbook at waist height, with the front cover facing the floor
• start the stopclock timer
• partner lift the textbook to be in line with their chin, holding for two seconds keeping the front cover facing the floor and then lowering the textbook back to the starting position, holding for two seconds

Question 8

How long will exercise be continued?

Answer 8

until the partner’s muscles become too sore to continue

Question 9

What happens after partner stops exercise?

Answer 9

• stop the stopclock timer and reset it once the exercise is complete
• start the countdown timer set to 3 minutes.
• After the rest interval, the stopclock timer will be started and the exercise will be repeated using 2 textbooks.
• exercise would continue to be repeated using an additional book each time, ensuring there is a 3 minute rest interval between exercises measured using the countdown timer.

Question 10

How many times will the experiment be repeated and why?

Answer 10

The whole experiment would be repeated twice to have a set of repeated values to calculate a mean.

Question 11

What are the risks?

Answer 11

• Dropping books on feet
• objects on floor
• asthma attack
• Muscle injury

Question 12

What control measures are you going to take to reduce these risks?

Answer 12

• Stand clear of books if you feel like books are going to drop
• clear floor to prevent trip hazards
• if partner sufferes with asthma, make sure they have an inhaler nearby just in case thye have an attack
• Stop the exercise as soon as it becomes too painful to continue. Treat with ice if sprain occurs

Question 13

What are your control variables?

Answer 13

• type of textbook
• height books are lifted to
• rest time between lifting

Question 14

What is the independent variable?

Answer 14

number of textbooks

Question 15

What is the independent variable?

Answer 15

time taken for muscles to fatigue/ seconds

Question 16

What is advantage of comparing results with others?

Answer 16

• allows to check results to reduce anomalies
• allows to see if there is a similar pattern in results
• therefore confirms that results are reproducible