Name ___________________________________________ Date _______

Scientific Method - Manipulated and Responding Variables

Jordan is doing a science fair project on the effects of music on the growth of tomatoes. He has two tomato
plants, Plant A and Plant B, that he grows in a window and gives the same amount of water. Plant A is
exposed to classical music using headphones attached to the soil. Throughout the growth period, Jordan
counts the number of tomatoes produced by each plant.

Plant A = 35 tomatoes Plant B = 55 tomatoes

1) What is the control group? plant B

2) What is the manipulated variable? classical music

3) What is the responding variable? number of tomatoes produced

4) What should Jordan’s conclusion be? Write this in a complete sentence!

the number of tomatoes produced does not affected by the exposure to the classical music

5) Jordan needs to repeat the experiment, but his teacher says that he needs to improve his design. In his
second experiment, what should he do differently?

increase the number of samples in both experimental and control group

In the same science fair, Tina asks the question “Does caffeine increase the heart rate of an earthworm?” In
Test 1, she measures the heart rate by looking at the earthworm
under a microscope, the earthworm has a heart rate of 50 bpm
(beats per minute). In Test 2, she places a few drops of caffeine on
the earthworm’s skin and measures the rate again. In this test, the
heart rate is 68 bpm.

6) What is the manipulated variable? caffeine

7) What is the responding variable? the heart rate of earthworm

8) Tina’s experiment should have included a hypothesis. In a complete sentence, suggest a hypothesis for
Tina’s experiment.

if we put a lot of amount of caffeine on earthworm' skin, then the heart rate of an earthworm's
increase

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Name Date Class

The Scientific Method with the Simpsons

1. Smithers thinks that a special juice Identify the:
will increase the a. Control Group
productivity of Group B
workers. He creates
two groups of 50 b. Independent Variable
workers each and special juice
assigns each group
the same task (in c. Dependent Variable
this stacks of paper
case, they're supposed to staple a set of
papers). Group A is given the special d. What should Smithers' conclusion be?
juice to drink while they work. Group the productivity of the workers are not influenced by the
special juice
B is not given the special juice. After
an hour, Smithers counts how many e. How could this experiment be
stacks of papers each group has made. improved?
Group A made 1,587 stacks, Group B by repeating the experiments or measure the number of
made 2,113 stacks. stacks papers after more than 1 hour drinking the special
juice

a. What was the initial observation?

2. Homer notices that his shower
his shower is covered in a strange green slime
is covered in a
strange green Identify the:
slime. His b. Control Group
friend Barney shower spray with water
tells him that c. Independent Variable
coconut juice
will get rid of coconut juice
the green slime. d. Dependent Variable
Homer decides to
check this this out appearance of green slime
by spraying half of the shower with
coconut juice. He sprays the other
half of the shower with water. After 3
days of "treatment" there is no
change in the appearance of the
green slime on either side of the
shower.
3. Bart believes that mice exposed to experiment.
radiowaves will become extra
strong. He decides to perform this
experiment by placing 10 mice near
a radio for 5 hours. He compared
these 10 mice to
another 10 mice
that had not been
exposed. His test
consisted of a
heavy block of
wood that blocked
the mouse food. He
found that 8 out of
10 of the
radiowaved mice and 7 out of 10 of the
other mice were able to move the block.

4. Krusty was told that a

certain itching powder
was the newest best
thing on the market, it
even claims to cause
50% longer lasting
itches. Interested in
this product, he buys
the itching
powder and compares it to his usual
product. One test subject (A) is
sprinkled with the original itching
powder, and another test subject (B)
was sprinkled with the Experimental
itching powder. Subject A reported
having itches for 30 minutes.
Subject B reported to have itches for
45 minutes.

5. Lisa is working on a
science project. Her
task is to answer the
question: "Does
Rogooti (which is a
commercial hair
product) affect the
speed of hair growth?"
Her family is willing
to volunteer for the
Identify the:
a. Control Group
10 mice that had not been exposed to radiowaves

b. Independent Variable
10 mice near a radio

c. Dependent Variable
mice ability to move the heavy woodblock

d. What should Bart's conclusion be?

the rate of succesful is not 100% but the mice that exposed to radiowaved able to move the wood block to get the food
compare to the mice that had not been exposed
e. How could Bart's experiment be
improved?
by using stronger electromagnetic radiation or he should replicates the experiment

Identify the:
a. Control Group
subject A

b. Independent Variable
A type of itching powder
B exposure to the experimental itching powder
c. Dependent Variable
period of having itchiness

d. Explain whether the data supports the

advertisements claims about its product.
yes because the period of itchiness from experimental itching powder gives 50% longer lasting itchiness
( 45 minutes ) than the original itching powder with only 30 minutes.

a. Describe how Lisa would perform this

experiment. Identify the control group,
and the independent and dependent
variables in your description.

by using
Subject A : A boy with no exposure with
ragooti
Subject B : A boy using rogooni

control group : Subject A

Dependent variable : speed of hair growth

independent variable : Subject B