EXPERIMENT DESIGN

Using any of your 5 senses to describe the world around you.

• Observation

• Inference

• Prediction

• Logical Theory

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-8

What is an inference? 

(hint: we have been using the word "explanation")

• Just a random guess

• A prediction or logical conclusions about our observations

• The same as an observation

• Deciding if an observation is qualitative or quantitative

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-3

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Which two are explanations or inferences?  

• Particles are always moving

• Everything is made of particles

• The food coloring spread even when not mixed

• It took 14 minutes to full spread without mixing

Which of these is an observation?

• The dog is 4 years old.

• The dog is wearing a hat.

Choose 2 inferences about this picture.

• Today is the dog's birthday.

• There is a candle on the cake.

• The dog has a tag on the collar.

• The dog will eat the cake.

Which of the following statements is an inference of the graph?

• Tom had $60 in his account in January
• More money was in the account in July than October
• Tom worked extra hours to earn more money between April and July
• The amount of money increased from January to July

The type of variable that is kept the same to make sure it doesn't become a confounding variable

• Independent
• Dependent
• Controlled

Tags

Confounding Var

The type of variable that you change or manipulate in an experiment.  It is what you are testing.

• Independent
• Dependent
• Controlled

  (so that it's not a confounding variable)

Tags

Indep Var

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

• Independent
• Dependent
• Controlled

  (so that it's not a confounding variable)

Tags

Dep Var

We tested whether the temperature of the water affected the speed of spread of the food coloring. What was the independent variable?

• The temperature of the water

• The temperature of the food coloring

• The speed of the spread

• The type of cup

Tags

Indep Var