Pre-Test Nature of Science & Experimental Design

When experimenting with the growth of a plant, a scientist uses three (of the same type of) plants, two different fertilizers, equal light, and equal water. What type of variable is the fertilizer?

• Dependent
• Independent
• Control
• Constant

Should experiments be repeated over and over to see if the results are the same each time?

• yes
• no

a procedure of steps carried out under controlled conditions to test a hypothesis/answer a question

• model

• investigation

• experiment

• research

Which of these questions would be part of a true scientific experiment?

• What happens when you add Mentos to coke?

• Does the type of salt affect the fluffiness of the cake?

• What is the best soda brand?

• How do you make homemade play-doh?

Which is the best scientific question?

• Who prefers multicolored bouncy balls over solid colored bouncy balls?

• What makes a ball bounce?

• Why do some bouncy balls bounce higher than others?

• Does increasing the temperature of a bouncy ball change the height it bounces?

The factors that are different because they are responding to the experiment, not because the person experimenting changed them are:

• Controls

• Independent variables

• Observations

• Dependent variables

A control is:

• Something kept the same in an experiment.

• Something changed in an experiment.

• A standard of comparison in an experiment (the normal).

• Not a part of experimental design.

How many independent variables should be tested at a time in a scientific investigation?

• none
• one
• two
• three

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS1-3

The _ is an organized set of investigation procedures used by scientists.

• scientific method

• scientific law

• scientific theory

A _ is an explanation based on experiments or the most logical explanation.

• hypothesis

• scientific law

• scientific theory