1. Vocabulary Words Hypothesis Dependent Variable Scientific Method
Conclusion
Constants
Independent Variable
Quantitative Observations
Dependent Variable
Manipulated Variable
Responding Variable
Density
Procedure
Qualitative Observations
Please put these words in your notebook. You will be quizzed over the definitions on Friday.

2. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
Science answers questions with experiments

3. Begin by asking a question about your topic
DEFINE THE PROBLEM
Begin by asking a question about your topic
What makes a good question for an experiment?
One that is testable with the materials at hand

4. Now we need a hypothesis to guide our investigation.
What is a hypothesis?
Your best thinking about how the change you make might affect another factor Tentative or trial solution to the question. An if ………… then ………… statement.

5. Design an Experiment
Must design an experiment that will test your hypothesis.
This experiment will allow you to change some conditions or variables to test your hypothesis.

6. Variables Variables are things that change.
The independent variable is the variable that is purposely changed. It is the manipulated variable.
The dependent variable changes in response to the independent variable. It is the responding variable.

7. Constants or Controlled Variables in an Experiment
What are constants in an experiment?
Factors that are kept the same and not allowed to change.
It is important to control all but one variable at a time to be able to interpret data

8. Materials and Procedures
A description of what you will use for your experiment, and how you will do it.
Be sure to include:
Listing of the Variables
Repeated Trials
Drawing of Apparatus

9. How will you vary the Independent Variable
How many different values of the independent variable should we test?
3 ? ? ? The more the better?

10. Repeated Trials What are repeated trials?
The number of times that a value of the independent variable is tested.
Why are repeated trials necessary?
They reduce the possibility of chance errors affecting the results.

11. Drawing of Experiment
Include Labels to clearly identify the important parts of the experimental setup

12. Qualitative Observations and Results
What are qualitative observations?
They are what you perceive that occurred during the course of your experiment. They are identification of trends in the data.

13. Quantitative Observations and Results
What are quantitative observations?
Numbers in the form of raw data displayed in data tables and graphs

14. Sample Data Table
Title: The Effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable
Column for independent variable
Column for dependent variable
Column for derived quantity
Label – with units if necessary
Label – with units if necessary – multiple trials included
Label – with units if necessary. Example = average of trials

15. Independent Variable – include units and an appropriate scale
Graphs
Title: The Effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable
Dependent Variable – include units and an appropriate scale
Independent Variable – include units and an appropriate scale

16. Analysis and Interpretation of Results This is where you describe in words what is illustrated by your data as shown in your table and graph You also describe the meaning of the results

17. Possible Experimental Errors
What factors in your materials or procedure might have had an impact on your results?

18. Flower Power
SpongeBob loves to garden and wants to grow lots of pink flowers for his pal Sandy. He bought a special Flower Power fertilizer to see if will help plants produce more flowers. He plants two plants of the same size in separate containers with the same amount of potting soil. He places one plant in a sunny window and waters it every day with fertilized water. He places the other plant on a shelf in a closet and waters it with plain water every other day.

19. Flower Power What did SpongeBob do wrong in this experiment?
SpongeBob loves to garden and wants to grow lots of pink flowers for his pal Sandy. He bought a special Flower Power fertilizer to see if will help plants produce more flowers. He plants two plants of the same size in separate containers with the same amount of potting soil. He places one plant in a sunny window and waters it every day with fertilized water. He places the other plant on a shelf in a closet and waters it with plain water every other day.
What did SpongeBob do wrong in this experiment?
How can SpongeBob improve his experiments design?

20. Snail Snacks
Gary is not the smartest snail in Bikini Bottom and believes he can improve his brain power by eating Super Snail Snacks. In order to test this hypothesis, he recruits SpongeBob and several snail friends to help him with the experiment. The snails ate one snack with each meal every day for three weeks. SpongeBob created a test and gave it to the snails before they started eating the snacks as well as after three weeks.

21. Snail Snacks
Gary is not the smartest snail in Bikini Bottom and believes he can improve his brain power by eating Super Snail Snacks. In order to test this hypothesis, he recruits SpongeBob and several snail friends to help him with the experiment. The snails ate one snack with each meal every day for three weeks. SpongeBob created a test and gave it to the snails before they started eating the snacks as well as after three weeks.
Test Results
Snail
Before
After
Gary
64%
80%
Larry
78%
Barry
82%
84%
Terri
72%
70%
Based on the data provided, do the Super Snail Snacks work?
Explain your answer.