Journal #5
 Why
is it important to make sure that you
change only one factor (variable) at a
time while keeping all other conditions the
same?
 How can the scientific method be
applied to everyday life?
Graphing
Scientific Data
Today’s Learning Goal:
 We
will graph lab results.
 Take
out a pencil
 Get out a piece of graph paper and ruler
Importance of graphing data
 Bar
graphs and line graphs show
relationships between sets of data
 They help analyze and understand data
that has been collected during a
laboratory experiment
 You will use these graphs for most labs in
science.
How to graph data
 Use
graph paper - Choose the size graph
paper that best fits the data
 Use a ruler to draw the edges of graph
 Use pencil so you can easily erase
mistakes
Number the Y-axis (the vertical
one)- Dependent Variable
 Always
start numbering a bar graph at zero
 Only number as high as your highest value (if
the highest value is 18, don’t number to 100!)
 Line up the numbers on the lines, not in the
spaces
 Evenly space out the numbers (number by 1’s,
2’s, 5’s, etc.) to fill up the page
Don’t squeeze your graph into one corner of the
paper!
Draw the bars on the X-axis
(the horizontal one)Independent Variable
 Make
all bars the same width
 Evenly space out the bars (they should
not touch)
 Label what each bar represents
 Color in or shade the bars differently
Label the graph
 Put
a label on the X-axis to tell what all of the
bars represent

months, types of plants, etc.
 Put
a label on the y-axis to tell what the
numbers represent

# of inches in rainfall, # of days, height of
plants, etc.
 Make

sure you include the proper units!
height of plant in inches, temperature in
degrees Celsius, etc.
Give the graph a title
 The
title should describe what the graph is
about (The Effect of Brand of Fertilizer on
How Tall the Plant Grew)
Amount of Time Required to Dissolve a
gummy bear
Liquid
Amount of time (seconds)
Tap water
15
Hot water
5
Cold water
20
Acidic Water
5
Alcohol
20
Salt water
10
You’re Assignment for Today:
Use graph paper and
colored pencils to
graph the results from
your own experiment
Answer these questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Was your hypothesis correct?
After seeing the results of your lab, rewrite your
new hypothesis.
What variables were tested in this lab?
Why do you think you had the results you did?
Did you have any accidents or mistakes during
your lab experiment?
If so, how could you avoid mistakes in the
future?
What did you learn from this experiment?
Do you feel your grouped help you?
Do you feel you helped your group?
Would you recommend this lab in the future?