1. WHAT ARE VARIABLES? INTRODUCTION TO VARIABLES

2. A QUICK DEMONSTRATION Watch carefully as I complete this quick demonstration. Procedure: 1.Put on safety goggles. 2.Add warm water to the canister’s ¼ line. 3.Add ¼ of a tablet of Alka-Seltzer. 4.Snap the lid on tightly. 5.Aim away from everyone. 6.Wait patiently for ~1 minute. 7.Measure the distance it travels.

3. WHAT’S A VARIABLE? vary + able = variable vary = to change able = able variable = able to change

4. WHAT ARE SOME THINGS I CAN CHANGE OR VARY? Goal: To increase the distance that the canister flies (My friend claimed that he could make it go higher!) Things we can change or vary that will cause the canister to go further: Change the size of the alka-seltzer piece Change the temperature of the water Change the amount of water you use

5. YOU CAN ONLY CHANGE 1 THING… WHY? Bob Evans

6. WITH YOUR GROUP…PICK ONE THING TO CHANGE OR VARY? Goal: To increase the distance that the canister flies Select your variable: (thing you can vary that will cause the canister to go further) Change the size of the alka-seltzer piece Change the temperature of the water Change the amount of water you use

7. SCIENTIFIC METHOD What is your claim? What is the cause? What is the effect? Write a testable question! then

8. LET’S TRY IT! Procedure: 1.Present your testable question. 2.All team members MUST put on safety goggles. 3.Add your water. 4.Add your Alka-Seltzer. 5.Snap the lid on tightly. 6.Aim away from everyone. 7.Wait patiently for ~1 minute. 8.Measure the distance it travels.

9. WHERE ARE MY WINNERS? Who can claim the bragging rights? How do you know they were the winners?

10. MORE ON VARIABLES… The effect must be MEASURABLE!!! Otherwise, there will be do data to observe and no conclusion to draw!

11. LET’S REVIEW The key to the scientific method is cause & effect ! Testable Question: Does cause affect effect ? Variables? How are they related to cause and effect?

12. HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO CAUSE & EFFECT? There are only 2 things that can change in an experiment… The cause & the effect! The cause & effect in an experiment are called variables!

13. WHAT ARE INDEPENDENT VARIABLES? Independent variables = Cause (The 1 thing you are testing)

14. WHAT ARE DEPENDENT VARIABLES? Dependent variables = Effect (What you will be measuring)

15. WHAT ARE CONSTANTS? Constants = Everything else except that one thing you are changing (What MUST stay the same)

16. WHAT WERE YOUR VARIABLES? What were your independent variables? What were your dependent variables? What were your constants?