Stuff for Criterion B/C Flashcards
Describe the independent variable
The independent variable, or the input variable, is the variable that changes in the experiment, and this then affects the dependent variable, so that you can measure it
At our level, there is often only 1 independent variable
Describe the dependent variable
The dependent variable, or the output variable, is the variable that you want to find out about. It is the part of the experiment that you measure, and the thing youre trying to find. The dependent variable depends on the independent variable, and is changed when the independent variable is changed
Describe the constant/control variable
The constant variable, or the key variable, is the parts of the experiments that could have an effect on the result, however stay the same, or constant, to ensure that the test is fair.
Example of variables
This doesnt work on a Phone lol it should work on Laptop tho, lmk if it doesn’t
Independent variable (It changes)
I
“What is the effect of length on resistance in nichrome wire?”
I
Dependent variable (what is measured)
The constant variable is anything else that could have an effect on the dependent variable e.g the power supply, the ammeter, the wire material etc.
What are some of the graphs we can use to present data?
Also what type of information is it used for
- Bar Chart - Used to display categorical data e.g favorite colors, names of river, type of vehicle
- Line Graph - Used to represent quantitative data, e.g temperature, electrical current or population often over the passage of time. A line of best fit is often used to show the data
- Pie Chart - Used to show the value in relation to the total possible values
Theres like 8 more of these on the slides that Mr Kennedy gave us but they all seem incredibly useless rn, so I would ignore them. Also the descriptions of these is pretty friggin confusing so either ask me to elaborate or look it up if youre confused
How do you create a good research question?
Every research question at our level is in the same format.
“What is the effect of [independent variable] on [dependent variable] in [context]”
For example
Independent variable Context
I I
“What is the effect of length on resistance in nichrome wire?”
I
Dependent variable
yea i used the same one as before dont judge me