Name ______Period____Page______

Double Stuff Oreo Lab

RESEARCH QUESTION

Does a DoubleStuf Oreo cookie really contain“double the stuff” of a regular Oreo cookie?

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Imagine this: You’re standing in the cookie aisle at the grocery store, staring at the shelves of Oreos. Staring back are two options: regular Oreos or DoubleStuf. And you wonder if the DoubleStuf truly has that much more filling. Although they are the same price as regular Oreos, you take the DoubleStuf, convincing yourself you got a great deal. And again when you eat it, you wonder. But the time for wondering is over! Today is the day we find out. The purpose of the experiment is to determine if a DoubleStuf Oreo cookie does in fact have double the amount of filling.

There are many ways scientists can design a lab to test this scientific question; we will be conducting this experiment by measuring the mass of each cookie and the cream filling. Mass is the amount of matter in an object and is measured by using a triple beam balance or an electronic scale. We will then be able to compare the data from both cookie types to make inferences, and ultimately a conclusion, about our research question.

HYPOTHESIS(if..then..because..)

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VARIABLES

Independent variable (what you manipulate/change)______

Dependent variable (what you measure/count)______

3 Constants (what is the same for both Oreos)______

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Control (what are you comparing to)______

Experimental (what is being tested)______

PROCEDURE

  1. Obtain the following materials:

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  1. An electronic scalec. 3 regular Oreos
  2. 3 paper towelsd. 3 DoubleStuf Oreos
  3. 1 plastic fork

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  1. Turn on the electronic scale and zero it out. The scale must be zero-ed before you weigh anything; otherwise your data will be incorrect!!
  2. Measure the mass of the paper towel alone. Record your data in the table (A).
  3. Measure the mass of the paper and one whole regular Oreo. Record your data in the table (B).
  4. Using a plastic fork, scrape all of the filling from the cookie you just weighed, and place it on the paper towel. Measure the mass of the paper and filling, and record your data in the table (D). Discard the filling.
  5. Place one of the wafers from the same cookie (should have no filling on it) onto the paper towel and measure the total mass. Record your data in the table (F).
  6. Repeat steps 3-6 with 2 more regular Oreo cookies.
  7. Complete steps 3-6 with a DoubleStuf Oreo.
  8. Repeat steps 3-6 with 2 more DoubleStuf Oreos.
  9. Now that you have all of your experimental data, make the required calculations in columns C, E, and G of the data table.

DATA & OBSERVATIONS

Table A: Lab Group Data

Title:______

A. mass of paper (g) / B. mass of paper & whole cookie (g) / C. mass of cookie (g)
(B – A) / D. mass of paper & filling (g) / E. Mass of filling (g)
(E – A) / F. Mass of paper & single wafer (g) / G. Mass of single wafer (g)
(F – A)
Regular Oreos
Averages / N/A / N/A / N/A / N/A
Double Stuf Oreos
Averages / N/A / N/A / N/A / N/A

Table B: Class Average Data

Title:______

Avg. mass of whole cookie (g) / Avg. mass of filling (g) / Avg. mass of single wafer (g)
Regular Oreo
DoubleStuf Oreo

Graph

  1. Create a bar graph to display the relationship between the type of Oreo and the amount of filling it has.
  2. Graph your data, as well as the class average. You will want to make the bars for your data a different color or pattern than those of the class data. Use the space below the graph to make a key, so that the reader will know which bar represents which set of data.
  3. Include a title, labels (including units) for both axes, and use a ruler to make your bars. Be sure to make the X-axis show the Independent variable, and the Y-axis show the Dependent variable.

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CONCLUSION

Directions:Discuss these questions with your group and answer them in complete sentences. (You may agree or disagree with your group, but the answers should be in your own words, and not identical to your group members.)

  1. Compare the average mass of the two types of whole cookies. (reference your data and what the data indicates)

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  1. Compare the average mass of the filling of the two types of whole cookies. (reference your data and what the data indicates)

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  1. Is the mass of the whole cookie important to this experiment? Explain your answer.

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  1. What conclusion can your group can draw from your results?

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  1. Was your hypothesis supported (correct) or rejected (wrong) by the results? Explain

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  1. Every lab has room for some errors. They may be caused accidentally by humans, or they may be a mechanical error that we cannot prevent from happening.
  2. What were some possible errors in this experiment?

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  1. Describe how you could improve this experiment.

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  1. FUTURE WORK:What are some new research questions that this experiment or observations could lead to? Design an experiment to answer one of these new questions. You may use diagrams to support your answer.

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