NAME ____________________________
Let's Keep Score!
Purpose: To learn how to construct useful data tables.
Introduction: Your job is to first read the "Methods" section below and
construct a table (in your notes) in which you will keep the results of this
simple experiment. You can then perform the experiment and record the results in it!
The purpose of this experiment is to find out the effect of increasing the height above the floor of a paper
airplane on how far the paper airplane travels.
Part A. Group Experiment
Materials: • 1 sheet of scrap paper (8.5" x 11") • 1 metric measuring tape
Methods:
1. Fold the piece of paper into the best paper airplane that
you can!
2. With your shoes off, hold the airplane 2 m
above the floor and make it point towards
open space.
3. Let the airplane go so that it flies a
distance which can be measured.
4. Measure how far the plane flew from
where it was let go and where it stopped. Record this value.
5. Repeat steps 2 - 4 four more times. Record these values.
6. Record the middle value of the 5 measurements you took.
7. Repeat steps 2 - 6, except hold the plane only 1.5 m above the floor.
8. Repeat steps 2 - 6, except hold the plane only 1.0 m above the floor.
NOTE: Keep your results for later!
Part B. Sample Experiments
For each of the following sample experiments, you only have to make the data table. You don't have to do the actual experiment
(unless you want to!).
Experiment #1: The Effect of Increasing Sizes of Balloons on How Much Air They Hold Overnight
1. Five of each of the following sizes of balloons were blown up: 10 cm, 20 cm, 30, cm, 40 cm, 50 cm.
2. All of the balloons were left in a room over night. The next day, the circumference of each balloon was measured.
Experiment #2: The Effect of the Colour of Light on How Large a Plant's Leaves Get
1. Ten plants were grown in red light, 10 plants in orange light, 10 plants in yellow light, 10 plants in green light, 10 plants in
blue light and 10 plants in violet light. All of the plants were geraniums.
2. After 20 days of growth, the width of three leaves from each plant were measured and the middle size for each plant was
recorded.
(Note: For each of the 3 experiments above, only one result variable was measured, since the purpose of this exercise was to make tables!
NAME ____________________________
Let's Keep Score!
Purpose: To learn how to construct useful data tables.
Part A. Group Experiment
Introduction: Your job is to first read the "Methods" section below and then construct a table (in your
notes) in which you will keep the results of this simple experiment. You can then perform the experiment
and record the results in the "data table" which you have made!
The purpose of this experiment is to find
out the effect of increasing the size of a
balloon on how far it travels.
Materials: • 1 balloon
• 1 metric measuring tape
Methods:
1. Find a clear floor space with lots of room to work! Blow up a balloon (DON'T TIE A
KNOT IN IT!) so that the circumference (the distance all around the side of the
balloon is 5 cm. Now, hold it (with the air still in it) about 1 m off of the floor and mark
the spot on the floor directly below the balloon. Hold the balloon sideways so that when
you let go of it, the balloon shoots off to one side. Let go of it and measure the distance
between where it started (the mark on the floor) to the spot on the floor where it landed.
2. Repeat step #1 four more times.
3. Repeat steps #1 and #2, but instead of a circumference of 5 cm, make it 10 cm.
4. Repeat steps #2 and #3, but instead of a circumference of 5 cm, make it 15 cm.
5. Repeat steps #2 and #3, but instead of a circumference of 5 cm, make it 20 cm.
6. Repeat steps #2 and #3, but instead of a circumference of 5 cm, make it 25 cm.
7. Repeat steps #2 and #3, but instead of a circumference of 5 cm, make it 30 cm.
NOTE: Keep your results for later!
Part B. Sample Experiments
For each of the following sample experiments, you only have to make the data table. You don't have to do the actual
experiment (unless you want to!).
Experiment #1: The effect of increasing temperatures on how many mosquitos hatch from their pupae (shells).
1. Take 1 000 mosquito larvae in water and divide them into 10 different groups, with each group at a different temperature, as
follows: i) 5 oC, ii) 10 oC, iii) 15 oC, iv) 20 oC, v) 25 oC, vi) 30 oC, vii) 35 oC, viii) 40 oC, ix) 45 oC, x) 50 oC.
2. After 5 days in these temperatures, count how many mosquitos hatched out of each batch of 100 pupae.
Experiment #2: The effect of the increasing amounts of water on how tall grass grows.
1. In each of 150 trays of soil, evenly spread 1 g of grass seeds. Water all trays equally until all trays have grass growing.
2. Divide the 150 trays into 15 groups, and then begin to water each tray of grass with a different amount of water every two
days, as follows: i) 5 mL, ii) 10 mL, iii) 15 mL, iv) 20 mL, v) 25 mL, vi) 30 mL, vii) 35 mL, viii) 40 mL, ix) 45 mL,
x) 50 mL, xi) 55 mL, xii) 60 mL, xiii) 65 mL, xiv) 70 mL, xv) 75 mL.
3. After 2 weeks of watering, measure the height of the grass in 3 spots in each tray. Record the average height for each tray.
(Note: For each of the 3 experiments above, only one result variable was measured, since the purpose of this exercise was to make tables!