EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
MATERIALS AND
PROCEDURES
Due Date: January 8, 2010
Creating a Materials List and Writing Your Experimental Procedure
Adapted with permission from www.sciencebuddies.org
When you create your materials list, you want to be as specific as possible. If you
make a complete list ahead of time, then you are planning well! You also want to
gather together everything you need before you start your KIC project.
Here is an example of a
good materials list:
Here is an example of a
bad materials list:
300 ml of distilled water
Timer with a 0.1 second accuracy
AAA alkaline battery
Potato
water
clock
battery
3 potatoes
When you create your materials list, make sure you:
1) List all materials used
2) Describe your materials in as much detail as possible
When you write your experimental procedure:
1) The first step is to decide how you will change the variable and how you will
measure the change. Remember, that to guarantee a fair test, you must
make sure that you are changing only one variable in your experiment.
Everything else must remain the same.
2) Write the procedure like a recipe, listing each step for your science
experiment. A good procedure is so complete and detailed that someone else
can do the exact same experiment you did just by reading and following your
procedure.
3) An important step is repeating your science experiment. This will make your
results more valid (believable and reliable). It will show someone that your
results are not just an accident, they are consistent and real. Each time you
run your experiment, we call that a trial.
a. You should repeat your experiment at least three times.
b. If your experiment involves growing plants, then having at least three
plants in three separate pots is the same as doing the experiment
three times.
c. If you are doing an experiment that involves surveying or testing
different groups, you will need to test or survey a large number or
people. This will make your results valid. You don’t need to repeat your
experiment three times, just make sure you are testing or surveying a
lot of people.
Experimental Procedure Checklist
Place a “√” if
you have this
on your
board
Have you included a description and size for your groups that you are
testing?
Did you create a step-by-step list of all of your procedures? (a recipe)
Have you described how you are changing your variable?
Have you described how you are measuring the change caused when
you change your variable?
Have you explained how everything will be kept the same except for
the one variable you are changing?
Have you described how many times you are repeating your
experiment (and is it at least three times)? OR, have you included
enough plants or people to make your experiment valid?
The final and most important question: Can someone else repeat your
entire experiment just by following your experimental procedure?
Experimental Design
Materials and Procedures
Materials: List all of the materials you will use
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Date Due: January 8, 2010
Procedure: List the steps of the experiment. Do not use
“I” or “You” in this procedure. Number your steps.
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Date Due: January 8, 2010