Scientific Method

An experiment in which one and ONLY ONE, variable is changed.

• variable
• coordinate
• controlled experiment
• standard

The variable that is being tested or changed

• independent variable
• dependent variable
• control variable

Mr. S. sets up an experiment to see how the mass of a ball affects the distance it rolls off a ramp.  Identify the independent variable.

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

What step does every scientific experiment begin with?

• hypothesis
• question/problem
• procedures
• conclusion

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, sunlight, and listens to the same music. In this investigation, what is the dependent variable?

• Type of plant
• Water, apple juice, milk
• Plant growth

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

The educated guess you make at the beginning of the scientific method is called the....

• variable
• conclusion
• hypothesis
• procedure

The librarians want to know which students are checking out what types of books. They are testing "Which type of book do 7th graders check out most often: fiction or nonfiction?" The number of checked out books is

• the independent variable
• the dependent variable
• a constant variable
• a waste of money

The variable that is being measured

• independent variable
• dependent variable
• control variable

the variable that is kept the same to make sure results are caused by the thing being tested

• independent variable
• dependent variable
• control variable