LE: Experimental Design Review

Maya, a young scientist, decided to conduct an experiment for her school science fair. Her question was: Does the amount of water given to a lima bean seed affect how tall it grows?

In this real-world experiment, what variable should Maya CHANGE?

• the amount of water she waters the plant with

• the kind of plant she is growing

• the type of soil she uses for planting

• the amount of sunlight the plant is exposed to

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Esther became interested in insulation while her parents' new house was being built. She decided to determine which insulation transferred the least amount of heat. She filled 5 jars half-full with water.

She sealed each jar with a plastic lid. Then she wrapped each jar with a different kind of insulation. She put the jars outside in the direct sunlight. Later, she measured the temperature of the water in each jar. What is the independent variable?

• The type of insulation

• The temperature of the water

• Number of houses

• The amount of sunlight

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-3

NGSS.MS-PS3-4

When testing the effect of sunlight on plant growth, how many variables should you change?

• none

• only 1

• 2 or more

• depends on the type of experiment

The type of variable that responds to the experiment and is what you measure or count to determine if your hypothesis is true.

• Independent
• Dependent
• Control

Thomas tests different types of liquids to see which will have the greatest effect on plant growth. He has water, soda, milk, and no liquid at all. What is the control group?

• the one with water

• the one with soda

• the one with milk

• the one with no liquid

Dory set up an experiment to see how the mass of a ball affects the distance it rolls off a ramp. What is the dependent variable?

• distance traveled by the ball
• height of the ramp
• mass of the ball
• ball type

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

An experiment is performed on plants to see how different liquids affect plant growth. Each plant in the experiment is given a different liquid; water, apple juice, or milk. Each plant has the same amount of soil and sunlight. In this investigation, the independent variable is ...

• The type of plant
• The amount of sunlight
• The type of music
• The type of liquid

What is the factor that a scientist changes on purpose?

• Dependent Variable
• Independent Variable
• Constant
• Control

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

In this graph, what is the independent variable? 

• Population
• Day
• Species 5

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS2-1

NGSS.HS-LS2-2

In this graph, what is the dependent variable? 

• Walla Walla Island
• Time
• Number of Deer

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4