Scientific Method

An experiment is being done to determine how light affects the growth of small zinnia plants. One plant is placed in full sunlight, the second in a shaded area, the third in an unlit closet. What is the independent variable in the experiment?
1. The amount of light
2. The type of plants
3. The type of soil
4. The length of the experiment
5. The growth of the plant
When conducting the experiment, which of the following procedures should be followed? Choose all that apply.
1. Three different types of plants should be used
2. The plants should be in the same size pots.
3. The same type and amount of soil should be used in each pot.
4. Three plants of the same size and type should be used
5. The same experiment should be conducted more than once
The hypothesis of this experiment could be:
1. Plants grow differently under different conditions
2. Zinnia plants in direct sunlight grow taller than zinnia plants in little or no sunlight.
3. Many things, including sunlight, affect the growth of a plant.
What are the constants in our Zinnia experiment? Choose all that apply.
1. the amount of sunlight
2. the size of each pot
3. the type of soil in which each is planted
4. the amount of water given to each plant
5. the size and type of plants at start of experiment
True or False - Experiments should have many independent variables.
1. True
2. False
True or False - In order to avoid confusing or conflicting results, an experiment should not be repeated.
1. True
2. False
What is the independent variable in the zinnia experiment?
1. The plant growth
2. The amount of sunlight
3. The length of time needed to conduct the experiment
4. The amount of water given daily
What is it called when a scientist repeats an experiment several times in the exact same way?
1. Hypothesis testing
2. Repeated trials
3. Sloppy work
What observations might you make about a nearby cat?
1. The cat is black and white.
2. The cat is fat.
3. The cat is hungry.
4. The cat is eating.
What can you infer about the cat you observed eating?
1. The cat is black and white.
2. The cat is fat.
3. The cat is hungry.
4. The cat is eating.
A forecast about what may happen can also be called -
1. an inference
2. a prediction
3. a conclusion
4. a measurement
Which metric units are used to measure mass? Choose all that apply.
1. liters
2. kilometers
3. millimeters
4. grams
5. centimeters
6. kilograms
7. meters
8. milliliter
Which metric units are used to measure distance or length? Choose all that apply.
1. liters
2. kilometers
3. millimeters
4. grams
5. centimeters
6. kilograms
7. meters
8. milliliter
Which metric units are used to measure the volume of a liquid or the capacity of a container? Choose all that apply.
1. liters
2. kilometers
3. millimeters
4. grams
5. centimeters
6. kilograms
7. meters
8. milliliters