Using Graphs to Interpret Results
A group of scientists conducted an experiment to determine if a chemical affected the ability of mice to run a maze. The scientists had a group of 200 mice. The mice were divided into two equal groups. Each group contained 50 males and 50 females. The scientists called one group “A” and the other group “B”. Each day they would inject some of the chemical into the mice in group A. Group B would receive the same volume of water. After ten minutes, the scientists ran each mouse through a complex maze. Average values for these tests are shown below.
Time for Mice to Complete a Maze
Group A
/Group B
Day / Time (s) /Day
/ Time (s)1 / 61 / 1 / 75
2 / 57 / 2 / 74
3 / 52 / 3 / 72
4 / 45 / 4 / 75
5 / 35 / 5 / 68
6 / 29 / 6 / 65
7 / 25 / 7 / 62
8 / 55 / 8 / 55
9 / 20 / 9 / 52
10 / 16 / 10 / 48
11 / 13 / 11 / 42
12 / 14 / 12 / 37
13 / 12 / 13 / 35
14 / 13 / 14 / 30
Graph the data above onto graph paper. Use a different color for each group of mice. Use your completed graph to answer the following questions.
1. A hypothesis is a proposed answer to a question, or a solution to a problem. What could be the hypothesis for this experiment?
2. Did the scientists use a control in this experiment? If so, describe it.
3. Are there any values on your graph which appear to be out of line? Is so, what are they?
4. What conclusions can you draw from this experiment?
5. Could you develop a theory from this experiment? Why or why not?