Name ______Date______
Situations: Read the situation below and design an experiment.
A. Scientist Jaquill Stone has been hired by the city of Virginia Beach to investigate the recent shark attacks off the resort’s coast. He has a budget of $40,000, a 25 foot boat, and three college student assistants to help him. A helicopter has also been donated by a local television station, should he need one.
* * *
1. List 2 hypotheses Jaquill and his crew may have come up with for the recent shark attacks.
a. If______, then ______
b. If______, then ______
2. What materials will Jaquill need to perform this experiment (How will they spend the $40,000. Estimate the cost of the items?). ______
______
3. Where should they perform the experiment (Hint: Where do sharks like to live. Background research may help with this)?______
4. Pick one of the two hypotheses and determine the following:
a. Control Group: ______
b. Experimental Group: ______
c. Dependent Variable: ______
d. Independent Variable: ______
5. What type of data do you think Jaquill will collect (What will be the results of the experiment?)?
______
6. What conclusions will Jaquill be able to make from the results of the experiment? ______
B. Scientist Skylar Smith has been contracted by Nike Inc to design a sneaker that is the most lightweight running shoe ever made. She has been given a budget of $75,000, a testing lab, and 4 other research assistants to help her. Three world class marathon runners have signed on to help her in her quest to design the lightest shoe ever.
* * *
1. List 2 hypotheses Skylar and her staff may have come up with to test how to make he shoe lightweight.
a. If______, then ______
b. If______, then ______
2. What materials will Skylar need to perform this experiment (How will they spend the $75,000. What types of materials do you think they will use?) ______
______
3. Where should they perform the experiment (Hint: Who do you think may buy this product? So you may want to experiment with the buyer in mind Background research may help with this)?
______
4. Pick one of the two hypotheses and determine the following:
a. Control Group: ______
b. Experimental Group: ______
c. Dependent Variable: ______
d. Independent Variable: ______
5. What type of data do you think Skylar will collect (What will be the results of the experiment?)?
______
6. What conclusions will Skylar be able to make from the results of the experiment? ______
Read the following situation and answer the following questions.
Kamia Dowdy wants to know the effect of different colors of light on the growth of plants. She believes that plants can survive best in white light. She buys 5 ferns of the same species, which are all approximately the same age and height. She places one in white light, one in blue light, one in green light, one in red light and one in the closet. All of the ferns are planted in Miracle-Grow and given 20 mL of water once a day for 2 weeks. After the two weeks, Kamia observes the plants and makes measurements.
Hypothesis: If______, then ______
Independent Variable: ______Dependent Variable: ______
Control Group: ______Experimental Group: ______
Constants (items that stay the same through an experiment): ______
What types of measurements can Kamia make on the plants to determine how they did in different types of light?______