Testable Experiment Questions
Testable questions/problems
1. Include only one independent variable
2. An experiment can be performed to find the
answer
3. Data can be collected as results
Sentence format for Testable question:
How does changing the IV affect the DV?
Testable Experiment Questions
Background: A good scientist asks many questions. However,
only questions/problems which are testable using the scientific
method are useful to a scientist. Testable questions must meet
the following requirements:
1. Include one IV only
2. An experiment can be performed to find the answer
3. Data can be collected as results
Testable-the following questions meet the three
requirements and are considered testable.
1) Does the temperature in a room change during the
day?
2) Do dogs eat more in the daytime or night time?
3) Which type of insulation will keep hot chocolate
warmer the longest?
4) Which brand of dish soap makes the largest bubbles?
Non-Testable—the following questions are not testable using
the scientific method. They are not testable because they are:
• Someone’s opinion
• Can be found by research alone
• Too broad—can give too many types of answers
The following are not testable.
O
B,r
B
R
O
B
1) What is the best brand of soda?
2) What type of trees can be found in Fulton, MO?
3) Why is eating too much junk food bad for your
health?
4) On which continents are polar ice caps found?
5) Which subject in school is the best?
6) What would happen if you didn’t eat for 48
hours?
• Objective: For this activity you will be looking
at examples of testable and non-testable
questions/problems. You will then decide for
yourself whether a question/problem is
testable or not. Lastly, you will use your
knowledge of testable questions to write your
own.
• Practice: Below are some questions/problems.
Decide whether they are testable or non-testable. If
the question/problem is testable place a check by it.
If the question/problem is non-testable explain why
by writing an O next to the number if it is an opinion,
an R next to the number if it is research, or a B next
to the number if it is too broad.
Your turn to write: Using the following ideas for experiments,
write a good testable question/problem for each statement.
Use the following format to write your own testable
questions. For each testable question you wrote above,
underline the DV.
How does changing the ____________________ affect the
____________________?
Paper Towel
IV
•
•
•
•
•
•
Brand/type
Amount of Sheets
Size
Thickness
Texture
color
•
•
•
•
DV
How much water it can hold
How quickly it picks up
water
How strong it is
Time it takes to burn
Skateboard
IV
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Trucks
Bearings
Wheels
Length
Type of wood
Brand/Type
Grip tape
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
DV
How long it will roll
Strength before it breaks
How high of an Ollie
How long you can grind on
it
How long it takes to stop
Weight
Turn radius
How fast it goes
Hairspray
IV
•
•
•
•
•
Brand
Amount of
Color
Volume
Scent of
•
•
•
•
•
DV
How long it will hold
Height of hair
Greasiness of hair
Flammability
Distance of spray