(17MAR15) HW-Short Answers (Varibles and Controls)
General Instructions
A) Write your answers on your own paper.
B) Write your answers in complete sentences.
____ 1. SPI 0807.Inq.1A (Variables and Controls)
Question: A student designs an experiment to determine how surface type affects the amount of force needed to roll a ball 20 meters. What is the independent variable?
Correct Answer: the type of surfaces used
6-Part Task
The experiment above is described in general terms. Imagine that you were actually doing this experiment at school, and write a more detailed description with specific examples.
Address ALL six of the following items
A) Who: (Who is doing the experiment?)
B) What: (What is the independent variable? What is the dependent variable?)
C) Where: (Where is this experiment taking place?)
D) When: (What year, month, day, and time is the experiment taking place?)
E) Why: (Why is this experiment being done?)
F) How: (Describe in step by step detail how exactly this experiment is being done. a. Write your answer on your own paper.
b. Write complete sentences.
____ 2. SPI 0807.Inq.1A (Variables and Controls)
The picture below illustrates an experiment designed to test plant growth using potted green bean sprouts placed in front of a window.
Question: Which of these is the independent variable in this experimental design?
Correct Answer: the distance of the plants from the light source
Task
After finishing the experiment described above, you decide to do a second similar experiment with these plants.
However this time you want to determine how the amount of water affects the plant growth.
A) Write a paragraph describing how you would conduct this similar experiment.
---The independent variable will be the amount of water given to each plant.
---Identify the responding variable (dependent variable)
---Describe how much water you would give to each plant
---Describe how long you would conduct the experiment
---Describe how you would record your observations, etc. a. Write your answers on your own paper.
b. Write complete sentences.
____ 3. SPI 0807.Inq.1A (Variables and Controls)

Question: A student wants to test how the concentration of phosphorus in a fertilizer affects plant growth. In designing this experiment the independent variable would most likely be the...?
Correct Answer: amount of phosphorus used per plant.
Wrong Answer: height each plant grows after being given the fertilizer.
Two-Part Task
A) What is incorrect about the wrong answer shown above?
B) What is the meaning of the word “concentration” in this question?
C) What is phosphorus? a. Write your answers on your own paper.
b.
____ 4. SPI 0807.Inq.1A (Variables and Controls)
Question: Students want to determine which type of plant will best survive and thrive in a hot, dry environment. They use four different types of plants.
Five Constants They use identical pots, and they use the exact same type of soil for each plant. Furthermore, they put all of the plants the same distance from the same large window, and they give each plant the same amount of water every day.
Three-Part Task
A) What is the manipulated variable (independent variable) in this experiment?
B) What is the responding variable (dependent variable) in this experiment?
C) Why is it important to include the five constants mentioned above? a. Write your answer on your own paper.
b. Write complete sentences.
____ 5. SPI 0807.Inq.1A (Variables and Controls)
A student wondered if drinking an energy drink could enable you to run faster.
Experimental Setup: So she asked ten 8th grade students (5 girls and 5 boys) to act as an experimental group. Each student ran 30m as fast as they could after drinking 355mL (12oz) of energy drink. All three trials were conducted in the gym, and for each trial the temperature was 22.2 degrees Celsius (same as 72 degrees Fahrenheit).
Three trials shown below
1st Trial: Day 01, Time: 8:00 A.M., run 30m after drinking Red Bull energy drink
2nd Trial: Day 02, Time: 8:00 A.M., run 30m after drinking Monster energy drink
3rd Trial: Day 03, Time: 8:00 A.M., run 30m after drinking Rock Star energy drink
Five-Part Task
A) Identify the independent variable in this experiment.
B) Identify the responding variable (dependent variable) in this experiment
C) Describe a control experiment that could be done to confirm the results of the main experiment.
D) What are three constants described above for this experiment?
E) Why would it be a problem if you gave each runner a different amount of energy drink? a. Write your answers on your own paper.
b. Write in complete sentences.

(17MAR15) HW-Short Answers (Varibles and Controls)
Answer Section
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. ANS: A
2. ANS: A
3. ANS: A
4. ANS: A
5. ANS: A
PTS: 1
PTS: 1
PTS: 1
PTS: 1
PTS: 1
STA: SPI 0807.Inq.1
STA: SPI 0807.Inq.1
STA: SPI 0807.Inq.1
STA: SPI 0807.Inq.1
STA: SPI 0807.Inq.1