Experimental Design

In this graph, what is the independent variable? 

• Population
• Day
• Species 5

The parts of the experiment that must be kept the same.

• Constants
• Independent variable

• Dependent variable

• Conclusion

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

Using the picture, identify the control group.

• Trial 1

• Trial 2

• Trial 3

What is the factor that an experimenter changes on purpose?

• Dependent Variable
• Independent Variable
• Constant
• Control

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

Esther became interested in insulation while her parent’s new house was being built. She decided to determine which insulation transferred the least heat. She filled each of 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

Thomas tests different types of liquids to see which will grow his plants the most. 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

How many variables should you change in an experiment?

• none
• only 1

• 2 or more
• depends on the type of experiment

What makes a good scientific question?

• The question can be answered by yes or no.

• The question can be answered by doing an experiment.

• The question can be answered through extended thought.