Variables Practice!

1. Variables Practice!

2. Mrs. Smoot and Coffee • Mrs. Smoot wondered how many scoops of coffee grounds would make the best tasting coffee. She used the same kind of coffee, the same pot, the same amount and type of water, and the same brewing time. What was her manipulated variable? What was her responding variable? What were some controlled variables?

3. Manipulated Variable • Mrs. Smoot wondered how many scoops of coffee grounds would make the best tasting coffee. She used the same kind of coffee, the same pot, the same amount and type of water, and the same brewing time.

4. Responding Variable • Mrs. Smoot wondered how many scoops of coffee grounds would make the best tasting coffee. She used the same kind of coffee, the same pot, the same amount and type of water, and the same brewing time. • The responding variable is TASTE.

5. Controlled Variables • Mrs. Smoot wondered how many scoops of coffee grounds would make the best tasting coffee. She used the same kind of coffee, the same pot, the same amount and type of water, and the same brewing time. • Can you think of others?

6. Maddie and marbles • Maddie wondered how surface smoothness affected how far marbles would roll. She used three marbles that were identical size and weight. The first one she left smooth. The second one she sanded with sandpaper that made it a little bit rough. The third one she sanded until it was very rough. She rolled them on the exact same spot by letting go of them the exact same way and measured how far each one rolled.

7. Eniko and marbles • Maddie wondered how surface smoothness affected how far marbles would roll. She used three marbles that were identical size and weight. The first one she left smooth. The second one she sanded with sandpaper that made it a little bit rough. The third one she sanded until it was very rough. She rolled them on the exact same spot by letting go of them the exact same way and measured how far each one rolled.

8. Angela and praying mantis eggs • Angela wondered whether temperature of a praying mantis egg sac really affected hatching. She caught three praying mantises, each of which made two egg sacs. She put each egg sac in an identical bug keeper. She put one in an unheated garage, one in her bedroom, one under a warm lamp, and one in the freezer. She left two outside near where she caught the mantises. She waited until spring and checked every day to see how many baby manitses were in any of the containers.

9. Angela and praying mantis eggs • Angela wondered whether temperature of a praying mantis egg sack really affected hatching. She caught three praying mantises, each of which made two egg sacs. She put each egg sac in an identical bug keeper. She put one in an unheated garage, one in her bedroom, one under a warm lamp, and one in the freezer. She left two outside near where she caught the mantises. She waited until spring and checked every day to see how many baby manitses were in any of the containers.

10. Mrs. Merk and cinnamon rolls • Mrs. Merk wondered if using pastry flour, enriched flour, or self-rising flour would make the best tasting cinnamon rolls. She used the same recipe, the same pan, the same oven, and the same amount of sweet filling and frosting. She gave her students samples to see which one they thought tasted the best.

11. Mrs. Merk and cinnamon rolls • Mrs. Merk wondered if using pastry flour, enriched flour, or self-rising flour would make the best tasting cinnamon rolls. She used the same recipe, the same pan, the same oven, and the same amount of sweet filling and frosting. She gave her students samples to see which one they thought tasted the best. • Kind of flour

12. Faith and oil pastels • Faith wondered whether more expensive oil pastels would keep her drawings from fading for a longer time. She drew three identical pictures using the same amount of each color. She used the same size and kind of paper and hung all three pictures on the same part of her bedroom wall. The only thing different was the brand of oil pastels she used. She checked each month for signs of fading.

13. Faith and oil pastels • Faith wondered whether more expensive oil pastels would keep her drawings from fading for a longer time. She drew three identical pictures using the same amount of each color. She used the same size and kind of paper and hung all three pictures on the same part of her bedroom wall. The only thing different was the brand of oil pastels she used. She checked each month for signs of fading. • Time of fading

14. Ryan and bike tires • Ryan wondered if fatter tires would make his bike stop sooner when he used the brakes. He tried his bike three times on the same hill, hit the brakes at the same spot, and measured how far until his bike stopped. Then he changed the tires to fatter tires and repeated the steps.

15. Ethen and bike tires • Ryan wondered if fatter tires would make his bike stop sooner when he used the brakes. He tried his bike three times on the same hill, hit the brakes at the same spot, and measured how far until his bike stopped. Then he changed the tires to fatter tires and repeated the steps the same day in the same weather. • Width of tires

16. Mrs. Smoot’s third hour, music, and brain power • Mrs. Smoot’s third hour students wondered whether certain kinds of music really could help people think better. First, the students did multiplication problems in a silent room. Next, they did the same difficulty and number of problems while listening to classical music, then Taylor Swift, then Korn, then Lil’ Wayne. Each time, the students worked on the problems for three minutes. At the end of the time, they checked how many problems they did correctly.

17. Mrs. Smoot’s third hour, music, and brain power • Mrs. Smoot’s third hour students wondered whether certain kinds of music really could help people think better. First, the students did multiplication problems in a silent room. Next, they did the same difficulty and number of problems while listening to classical music, then Taylor Swift, then Korn, then Lil’ Wayne. Each time, the students worked on the problems for three minutes. At the end of the time, they checked how many problems they did correctly.