Experimental Design and Variables

What should Homer's conclusion be? (click on picture to enlarge)

• Coconut juice works to clean green slime off of showers.

• Coconut juice does not work to clean green slime off of showers.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

Maya designed an experiment to answer the following question: How does the amount of water given to a lima bean seed affect how tall it grows? In this experiment, what variable should Maya CHANGE?

• the amount of water

• the kind of plant

• the type of soil

• the amount of sunlight it gets

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

What is the independent variable in this investigation?

• Shoe color

• Running speed

• Track surface

• Weather conditions

A student is testing the effect of shoe sole material on running speed.

What is the dependent variable in this investigation?

• Shoe sole material

• Running speed

• Track surface

• Weather conditions

A student is testing the effect of shoelace tightness on running speed.

What are TWO controlled variables (constants) in this investigation?

• Shoelace tightness

• Running speed

• Track surface

• Race distance

If we increase the length of string on a pendulum, then it will a take longer time period to make one complete cycle back and forth. What is the independent variable in this investigation?

• Time period

• Number of cycles

• Length of string

• Amount of mass on end of string

If we increase the length of string on a pendulum, then it will a take longer time period to make one complete cycle back and forth. What is the dependent variable in this investigation?

• Time period

• Number of cycles

• Length of string

• Amount of mass on end of string

What is the independent variable in this investigation?

• Flight length

• Airplane design

• Amount of mass

• Force of throw

A student is testing the effect of different color paper on the flight length of one specific paper airplane design.

What is the dependent variable in this investigation?

• Flight length

• Airplane design

• Paper color

• Location of test flight

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

A student is testing the effect of different throw forces on the flight length of one specific paper airplane design. What are TWO controlled variables (contants) in this investigation?

• Flight length

• Airplane design

• Throw forces

• Location of test flight