Scientific Method Worksheet: Hypothesis, Variables,
Inferences/Observations, & Quan/Qual Data (Day 1)
*Write answers on separate sheet of paper*
Directions: Answer the below questions in your own words.
1. What is a manipulated variable?
2. What is a responding variable?
3. What are the 3 required parts of a hypothesis?
Directions: For each scientific question below identify the manipulated variable (MV), responding variable
(RV), and write a hypothesis.
4. How does water temperature affect the respiration rate (breathing rate) of swimmers?
a. MV ______________________
b. RV ______________________
c. Hypothesis
5. How does the amount of salt in water affect the growth of plants?
a. MV _______________________
b. RV _______________________
c. Hypothesis
6. How is the ripening rate of bananas affected by being soaked in lemon juice, fruit freshener, and lime
juice?
a. MV _________________________
b. RV _________________________
c. Hypothesis
7. What kind of soil will hold the greatest amount of water (sand, clay, or dirt)?
a. MV _______________________
b. RV _______________________
c. Hypothesis
8. How is plant growth affected by the amount of earthworms in the soil?
a. MV ________________________
b. RV ________________________
c. Hypothesis
9. How does temperature affect how fast bacteria grow?
a. MV _________________________
b. RV _________________________
c. Hypothesis
10. How does the steepness of a hill affect the erosion rate of soil?
a. MV ____________________
b. RV ____________________
c. Hypothesis
For each question below write “yes” if it is a scientific question or “no” if it is not. Remember that a scientific
question can be answered through a well-designed experiment that can be repeated by anyone and it not
based on opinions.
______11. Which came first the chicken or the egg?
______12. Which car is faster the Ford-mustang or Cheverolate-camero?
______13. Do seeds need light to grow?
______14. Which cell phone is the best?
______15. Which natural disaster (earthquakes, volcanoes, tornadoes, floods) is the worst?
______16. Do plants grow higher with different kinds of music?
For each hypothesis below explain if it is correctly written or not.
17. If a plant receives fertilizer it will grow more than if it didn’t get fertilizer.
Correctly written or not? Explain.
18. If a planet is furthest away from the sun then it will be the coldest because it is the furthest away from
the sun.
Correctly written or not? Explain.
19. If a car goes a speed then there will be force in an accident because speed means force.
Correctly written or not? Explain.
20. The greater the distance a car has to brake before hitting another car then the less damage the other
car will receive because there was more time for the first car to slow down which means less energy
there would be in the accident.
Correctly written or not? Explain.
For each Statement below, write “O” next to it if it is an observation or an “I” if it is an inference.
_______21. Mr. Cain is short for a man.
_______22. The floor in front of the gym is painted black.
_______23. The fish are living in water, therefore they must need water to survive.
_______24. The temperature of the water is 50 oF.
_______25. Gas in soda makes it fizzy.
_______26. My skin is red.
_______27. I have a sunburn because my skin is red.
_______28. My cell phone has cracks in it.
_______29. The cell phone has cracks because it was thrown on the ground.
_______30. I’m 13 years old.
In each below data table identify whether the data is quantitative or qualitative in the bolded columns.
31. Is the data quantitative or qualitative? How do you know?
Plant
Group
A
B
C
D
Soil Type
Potting Soil
Potting Soil
Potting Soil
Potting Soil
Amount of
water (mL)
25
25
25
25
Hours of Sunlight
(hr)
8
8
8
8
Temperature
(oC)
20
30
40
50
Fruit Produced
(whole numbers)
10
30
15
1
32. Is the data quantitative or qualitative? How do you know?
Plant
Group
A
B
C
D
Soil Type
Potting Soil
Potting Soil
Potting Soil
Potting Soil
Amount of
water (mL)
25
25
25
25
Hours of Sunlight
(hr)
8
8
8
8
Temperature
(oC)
20
30
40
50
Color of Fruit
Produced
Lime-Green
Red
Brown
Black
33. Is the data quantitative or qualitative? How do you know?
Day of Observation
0
1
2
3
Description of Growth
No growth or change in dark seeds
Seed is black and feels fuzzy
Tiny white stem is coming out of the seed
Another tiny white stem is coming out of the seed
34. Is the data quantitative or qualitative? How do you know?
Cup
A
B
C
D
E
Temperature (oC)
0
10
20
30
40
Heartbeat Rate (bpm)
32
52
76
80
100