Control of Variables

1.

A student wants to know if the weight of a cart affects its speed at the bottom of a ramp.

He can change the weight of the cart by adding different numbers of balls, and he can change the
height of the ramp by using different numbers of blocks.

Which set of tests should he compare (set A, B, C, or D)?

A.

B.

C.

D.

2.
A student wants to find out if a particular kind of plant grows better in the sun or in the shade.
She has two identical plants. She places one plant in sand and sets the plant in the sunlight. She
adds minerals and water to the sand.

Sunlight

Water and minerals

Which of the following conditions should she use for the second plant to determine the effect of
light?

A.

Sunlight

Water and minerals

C.

Sunlight
 Water

E.

Shade

Water and minerals

G.

Shade

Water

3.

A student wants to find out if temperature affects the behavior of goldfish. He has four fish
bowls and 20 goldfish. Which of the following experiments should he do?

A.
 B.

C.

D.

4.

A group of students is making paper airplanes. They think that the kind of paper and the design
of the airplane may affect how far each paper airplane flies.

The students first test if the kind of paper affects how far the airplane flies. They make several
airplanes out of different kinds of paper, using the same design.

Why is it important that all the airplanes have the same design?

A. By using the same design, the students can learn about both the effect of the design and
the effect of the paper.
B. By using the same design, the students can learn about the effect of the design.
C. If they do not use the same design, the students cannot learn about the effect of the paper.
D. It is NOT important for the airplanes to have the same design because the students are not
testing the effect of the design.

5.

A student wants to find out if Bleach X or Bleach Y is better at removing stains.

He plans to use two white shirts, stain each of them with mustard, and then wash each of them
using bleach. He can change the size of the stain on the shirt and the amount of bleach he adds to
the water.

Which two tests should the student set up, the tests in A, B, C, or D?

A.

B.

C.
 D.

6.

Students have a small steel ball and a large steel ball, and they have a short ramp and a tall ramp.

The students want to find out if a ball's size affects how far it can roll. They also want to find out
if the height of the ramp affects how far the ball can roll.

They do the following experiment:

What can they conclude from this experiment?

A. They can conclude that the size of the balls affects how far the balls roll.
B. They can conclude that the height of the ramps affects how far the balls roll.
C. They can conclude that the size of the balls affects how far the balls roll and that the
height of the ramps affects how far the balls roll.
D. It is not possible to conclude from this experiment if the size of the balls affects how far
the balls roll or if the height of the ramps affects how far the balls roll.

7.

A science class wants to find out if the shape and the mass of objects made of the same metal
affect how fast these objects sink in water. One group tests the effect of the shape, and another
group tests the effect of the mass.

The students who test the effect of the shape use three objects that have the same mass but
different shapes. The students drop each object into a large water tank and measure how long it
takes for each object to reach the bottom of the tank.

Why is it important that the students use objects of the same mass?

A. By using objects of the same mass, the students can learn about both the effect of the
mass and the effect of the shape.
B. By using objects of the same mass, the students can learn about the effect of the mass.
C. If they do not use objects of the same mass, the students cannot learn about the effect of
the shape.
D. It is NOT important for all the objects to have the same mass because the students are not
testing the effect of the mass.

8.

A swim team thinks that the swimsuits and swim caps they use may affect the team's
performance.

The swim team decides to test if the swimsuits make a difference on how fast they can swim.
They split the team in two groups. The two groups wear different kinds of swimsuits and the
same kind of swim caps.

Why is it important that both groups wear the same kind of swim caps?

A. By wearing the same kind of swim caps they can learn about the effect of the swim caps
and the effect of the swimsuits.
B. By wearing the same kind of swim caps they can learn about the effect of the swim caps.
C. If they do not wear the same kind of swim caps they cannot learn about the effect of the
swimsuits.
D. It is NOT important to wear the same kind of swim caps because they are not testing the
effect of the swim caps.

9.

A farmer thinks that type of soil and amount of water affect the growth of his carrot plants, and
he wants to find out if he is right.

The farmer first tests if the type of soil affects the growth of the carrot plants. He uses three
different types of soil, and he places 10 carrot plants in each type of soil. He uses the same
amount of water for all the plants.

Why is it important to use the same amount of water for all the plants?

A. By using the same amount of water, the farmer can learn about both the effect of the
amount of water and the effect of the type of soil.
B. By using the same amount of water, the farmer can learn about the effect of the amount
of water.
C. If he does not use the same amount of water, the farmer cannot learn about the effect of
the type of soil.
D. It is NOT important to use the same amount of water because the farmer is not testing the
effect of the amount of water.

10.

A consumer group wants to find out which of two new car models gets the best gas mileage. A
car’s gas mileage is the number of miles a car can go for each gallon of gas it uses.

They decide to fill the gas tanks of each car with the same amount of gas and compare how far
each car goes. They use “regular” grade gas in both cars. Neither car gets the “premium” grade
gas.
Why is it important that the two cars get the same grade of gas?

A. By using the same grade of gas, the consumer group can learn both which car model gets
the best mileage and which grade of gas gives the best mileage.
B. By using the same grade of gas, the consumer group can learn which grade of gas gives
the best mileage.
C. If the cars do not get the same grade of gas, the consumer group cannot find out which
car model has the best mileage.
D. It is NOT important for both cars to have the same grade of gas because they are not
testing which grade of gas gives the best mileage.

11.

A consumer group is interested in the effects of the speed and the weight of a truck on a truck’s
gas mileage. A truck’s gas mileage is the number of miles it can travel for each gallon of gas it
uses.

First the group decides to test if a truck’s speed affects its gas mileage. They take two identical
trucks and drive one at 30 miles/hour and the other one at 45 miles/hour on the same road. They
make sure that the two trucks have the same weight.

Why is it important that the two trucks have the same weight?

A. By using trucks of the same weight, the group can learn about both the effect of the
weight and the effect of the speed on the gas mileage.
B. By using trucks of the same weight, the group can learn about the effect of the weight on
the gas mileage.
C. If the trucks do not have the same weight, the group cannot learn about the effect of the
speed on the gas mileage.
D. It is NOT important for both trucks to have the same weight because the group is not
testing the effect of the weight on the gas mileage.

12.
To conserve energy, a college student wants to find out the lowest water temperature and the
shortest length of time that is needed to wash his clothes and get them clean.

First he tests the effect of water temperature. He washes one shirt in hot water, one shirt in warm
water, and one shirt in cold water. The shirts are identical and have identical stains. He uses the
same detergent and washes the shirts for the same length of time.

Why is it important to wash the shirts for the same length of time?

A. By washing the shirts for the same length of time the student can find out both the lowest
temperature and the shortest length of time that is needed.
B. By washing the shirts for the same length of time the student can find out the shortest
length of time that is needed.
C. If he does not wash the shirts for the same length of time the student cannot find the
lowest water temperature that is needed.
D. It is NOT important to wash each shirt for the same length of time because the student is
not testing the length of time that is needed.

13.

A student is interested in the behavior of fish. He has 4 fish bowls and 20 goldfish. He puts 8 fish
in the first bowl, 6 fish in the second bowl, 4 fish in the third bowl and 2 fish in the fourth
bowl.He places each fish bowl under light, he keeps the temperature at 75°F for all four bowls,
and he observes the behavior of the fish.

What can the student find out from doing just this experiment?

A. If the number of fish in the fish bowl affects the behavior of the fish.
B. If the temperature of the fish bowl affects the behavior of the fish.
 C. If the temperature of the fish bowl and the amount of light affect the behavior of the fish.
D. If the number of fish, the temperature, and the amount of light affect the behavior of the
fish.

14.

A swimming team wants to select one of three fabrics for their new swimsuits. Each fabric is
made of a different material. The team decides to do the following experiment:

They cut the same size pieces from each fabric and wet each piece with the same amount of
water. They hang the pieces in the sunlight and they check every two minutes to see if any of the
pieces are dry.

What can the team find out about the different fabrics from doing just this experiment?

A. If the amount of water affects how long it takes the pieces of fabric to dry.
B. If the type of fabric affects how long it takes the pieces of fabric to dry.
C. If the amount of water and the amount of light affect how long it takes the pieces of
fabric to dry.
D. If the type of fabric, the amount of water, and the amount of light affect how long it takes
the pieces of fabric to dry.

15.

A group of students uses clay to make boats of different shapes. All the boats they make have the
same weight. The students add four tablespoons of salt in the water in a tank and mix the water.
They place the boats in the tank and see if the boats float or sink.
What can the students find out from doing just this experiment?

A. If shape affects whether the boats float or sink.

B. If weight affects whether the boats float or sink.
C. If weight and the amount of salt in the water affect whether the boats float or sink.
D. If shape, weight, and the amount of salt in the water affect whether the boats float or sink.

16.

Students are planning to grow plants from seeds. They want to find out which of two
temperatures, 60°F or 90°F, is better for growing these plants. They also want to find out if one
cup of water or two cups of water is better for growing these plants.

They do the following experiment. They use two trays with identical soil and they plant ten seeds
in each tray. They keep Tray X at 90°F and Tray Y at 60°F. They use two cups of water for Tray
X and one cup of water for Tray Y. After a few days, they count how many plants are growing in
each tray.
What can the students conclude from this experiment?

A. They can conclude that 60°F is better than 90°F for growing these plants.
B. They can conclude that one cup of water is better than two cups of water for growing
these plants.
C. They can conclude that 60°F is better than 90°F for growing these plants and that one cup
of water is better than two cups of water for growing these plants.
D. It is not possible to conclude from this experiment if 60°F is better than 90°F for growing
these plants or if one cup of water is better than two cups of water for growing these
plants.

17.

A farmer wants to find out which type of soil is best for growing his corn. He also wants to find
out which type of fertilizer is best for growing his corn.

He does the following experiment using two different types of soil and two different types of
fertilizer:
What can the farmer conclude from this experiment?

A. He can conclude that Soil B is the best soil for growing his corn.
B. He can conclude that Fertilizer Y is the best fertilizer for growing his corn.
C. He can conclude that Soil B is the best soil for growing his corn and that Fertilizer Y is
the best fertilizer for growing his corn.
D. It is NOT possible to conclude from this experiment which soil is best for growing his
corn or which fertilizer is best for growing his corn.

18.

A student wants to buy a new skateboard. He wants to find out if the size of the wheels affects
how far he can coast on the skateboard. He also wants to find out if the type of material the board
is made of affects how far he can coast on the skateboard.

He decides to compare two skateboard models that are the same size but are made of different
materials and have different size wheels:

He pushes off as hard as he can and stands on the skateboard until the skateboard comes to a
stop. He tries each skateboard 5 times to see how far he can go. He uses the same pavement and
the same starting point for all the trials.

He finds out that he can coast farther with Model 1.

What can he conclude from this test?

A. He can conclude that the size of the wheels affects how far he can coast on the
skateboard.
B. He can conclude that the material of the board affects how far he can coast on the
skateboard.
C. He can conclude that the size of the wheels affects how far he can coast on the skateboard
and that the material of the board affects how far he can coast on the skateboard.
D. It is NOT possible to conclude from this test if the size of the wheels affects how far he
can coast on the skateboard or if the material of the board affects how far he can coast on
the skateboard.

19.

A student thinks that there are two variables (X and Y) that may affect the result of her
experiment.

She decides to change only variable X and let variable Y stay the same.

What can the student find out about the effects of variables X and Y?

A. If variable X affects the result of her experiment.

B. If variable Y affects the result of her experiment.
C. If both variables X and Y affect the result of her experiment.
D. She cannot find out if either variable X or variable Y affects the result of her experiment.

20.

A student thinks that there are three variables (X, Y and Z) that may affect the result of her
experiment.

What should the student do to find the effect of variable X on the result of the experiment?

A. Change variable X and keep variables Y and Z the same.

B. Change variables Y and Z at the same time and keep variable X the same.
C. Change variable X and Y at the same time and keep variable Z the same.
D. Change variables X, Y, and Z at the same time.

21.

A student thinks that there are three variables (X, Y and Z) that may affect the result of her
experiment.

She decides to change only variable X, and let variables Y and Z stay the same.

What is the student trying to find out?

 A. If variable X affects the result of her experiment.
B. If variables X and Y affect the result of her experiment.
C. If variables Y and Z affect the result of her experiment.
D. If variables X, Y, and Z affect the result of her experiment.

Answer Key
Item Number Item Code Correct Answer
1 CV001003 D
2 CV002003 C
3 CV004003 C
4 CV005004 C
5 CV006003 D
6 CV010003 D
7 CV012003 C
8 CV013003 C
9 CV014003 C
10 CV015005 C
11 CV015006 C
12 CV016003 C
13 CV017002 A
14 CV018002 B
15 CV019002 A
16 CV020003 D
17 CV021003 D
18 CV022002 D
19 CV023005 A
20 CV024005 A
21 CV030001 A