G7_Scientific Method Practice (Variables)

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
• Compound

What would the INDEPENDENT variable be in an experiment testing which types of paper airplane goes furthest?

• the paper used
• the type of paper airplane
• the distance of each plane's flight
• how hard the plane is thrown

Research Question: Does the type of gasoline put in a car effect how fast the car can drive. What is the independent variable?

• Type of gasoline
• which car the gas is put into
• how fast the car can drive
• how much gas is put into the car

This variable in an experiment is the one being deliberately changed by the scientist. 

• dependent variable
• independent variable
• data
• control group

In a controlled experiment, how many variables can be worked with at a time? 

• one
• none
• two or more
• how ever many makes sense.

The part of the experiment that remains the same for the control and experimental group.

• constants
• control
• independent
• dependent

An experiment is being done to determine how light affects the growth of small zinnia plants. One plant is placed in full sunlight, the second in a shaded area, the third in an unlit closet. What is the independent variable in the experiment?

• the amount of light
• the type of plants
• the type of soil
• the length of the experiment

An experiment is being done to determine how light affects the growth of small zinnia plants. One plant is placed in full sunlight, the second in a shaded area, the third in an unlit closet. The hypothesis of this experiment could be:

• Plants grow differently under different conditions.
• Zinnia plants in direct sunlight grow taller than zinnia plants in little or no sunlight.
• Many things, including sunlight, affect the growth of a plant.

True or False - Experiments should have many independent variables.

• TRUE
• FALSE

An experiment is being done to determine how light affects the growth of small zinnia plants. One plant is placed in full sunlight, the second in a shaded area, the third in an unlit closet. What is the independent variable in the zinnia experiment?

• The plant growth
• The amount of sunlight
• The length of time needed to conduct the experiment
• The amount of water given daily