Study Guide: Variables
Please look back at your Variables journal and review the experiments
and concepts we’ve covered this quarter. You will be responsible to know the
concepts on this page.
VARIABLE: Something that can change and might affect the experiment.
 Examples: length of swinger, number of passengers in a lifeboat,
or the launch angle of a flipper system. Some affect the
experiment’s results and some do not.
CONTROLLED EXPERIMENT: A controlled experiment keeps all variables
the same EXCEPT ONE. If more than one variable are changed we do not
know which variable is responsible for the results.
ACCURACY OF DATA: To improve the accuracy of the results in an
experiment a scientist can repeat the experiment, use a controlled
experiment, or use smaller units to measure results.
PENDULUMS: (“Swingers”)
The variables we tested with our pendulums and which ones
affected the speed of the pendulum.
o Weight did not affect the speed of the pendulum
o Length did affect the speed of the pendulum.
o Release point did not affect the speed of the pendulum.
Short pendulums go faster than long pendulums.
LIFEBOATS:
Lifeboats with larger capacities hold more passengers.
Variables than can affect how many passengers a lifeboat can hold
are:
o Capacity
o Arrangement of the pennies
o Size of the boat
FOSS PLANES:
If passengers are added to a Foss Plane, it does not travel as far as
it does with no passengers aboard. Adding passengers adds MASS.
FLIPPERS:
Launch distance can be increased by increasing the launch angle.
However, a launch angle of 90 or degrees or higher will result in a
decrease in distance because the launch is not aimed upwards.