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Variable & Hypothesis Review

Last updated about 1 year ago
6 questions

Variable & Hypothesis Review

Vocabulary:



Research Question: a testable scientific question that asks about why something happens.
  • "How does the Independent Variable affect the Dependent Variable?

Independent Variable (IV): The ONE thing in the experiment that is purposely changed to see how it affects something else.
  • "I am changing..."

Dependent Variable (DV): The thing that is measured and collected as data in the experiment to see how it is affected by the IV.
  • "I am measuring..."

Hypothesis: a prediction of the outcome of the experiment and relationship between the IV and DV.
  • "If we increase the IV then the DV will ______(increase/decrease/not change)."

PART 1

Watch the "What is a Hypothesis" video below.


PART 2

Directions:
  1. Read each Research Question
  2. Determine what is the independent variable and dependent variables.
  3. Write a hypothesis for each question using the "If... then..." sentence frame.
  • HELPFUL HINT: Copy and paste the sentence frame into the answer box, and then fill in the blanks of the sentence frame with the correct information for each research question.

EXAMPLE






Research Question:
Hagrid wants to know:"How does increasing the amount of food he feeds the flobberworm affect how big it grows?"


Variables:
What is the independent variable?
  • The amount of food he feeds the flobberworm
What is the dependent variable?
  • How big it grows
Hypothesis:
Write a hypothesis predicting the answer to Hagrid's research question using the sentence frame:
  • If we increase the amount of food he feeds the flobberworm then how big it grows will increase.
  • If we increase the amount of food he feeds the flobberworm then how big it grows will decrease.
  • If we increase the amount of food he feeds the flobberworm then how big it grows will not change.
Required
1

Research Question 1:
Wile E. Coyote wants to know:"How does increasing the weight of an anvil affect the size of the hole it makes in the ground when it falls?"


Variables:
What is the independent variable? (HINT: What is Wile E. Coyote is changing?)

1

What is the dependent variable? (HINT: What is Wile E. Coyote is measuring?)

2

Hypothesis:
Write a hypothesis predicting the answer to Wile E. Coyote's research question using the sentence frame:
  • If we increase the ______(IV) then the ______(DV) will ______(increase/decrease/not change)

1

Research Question 2:
Doug the Ram wants to know:"How does increasing the number of Night Howler flowers affect the time it takes for an animal to turn savage?"


Variables:
What is the independent variable?

Required
1

What is the dependent variable?

Required
2

Hypothesis:
Write a hypothesis predicting the answer to Doug the Ram's research question using the sentence frame:
  • If we increase the ______(IV) then the ______(DV) will ______(increase/decrease/not change).