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Variables and Developing a Hypothesis

Variables and Developing a Hypothesis. Variables. What is a variable?  When you vary something, you change it.  Variables are things that can change. Variables. There are three main types of variables: I ndependent D ependent C ontrolled 

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Variables and Developing a Hypothesis

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  1. Variables and Developing a Hypothesis

  2. Variables • What is a variable?  • When you vary something, you change it.  • Variables are things that can change

  3. Variables • There are three main types of variables: • Independent • Dependent • Controlled  • Think about variables for a question such as, “Does a bean plant grow best in sun or shade?”

  4. Independent Variable • 1st: Identify the variable that will be changed. • “Does a bean plant grow best in sun or shade?” • The amount of light that the plant receives is changed. • This is the independent variable.

  5. Dependent Variable • 2nd: Figure out what will be measured.  • “Does a bean plant grow best in sun or shade?” • The amount that the plants grow is what is being measured, so this is the dependent variable.  • The amount that the plants grow depends on the amount of sun they get.  • The dependent variable depends on the independent variable.  • The independent variable is what you change, and the dependent variable is what happens because of the change. 

  6. Controlled Variable • The only way to get reliable results from this experiment is to make sure that all the other variables stay the same, or are controlled.  • There are many variables that would need to be controlled in this experiment.  • How much water each plant gets • What kind of soil the plants are in • Temperature of the air

  7. What is a hypothesis? • A good hypothesis is a statement that predicts how an experiment will turn out based on what you already know, and that proposes an explanation that can be tested. • Testable statement of a relationship

  8. What makes a good hypothesis? • Be a statement • NOT A HYPOTHESIS: “What will happen if I leave an ice cube on a plate for half an hour?” • Rewrite the question as an “If…, then…” statement • “If I leave an ice cube on a plate for one hour, then it will melt.”

  9. What makes a good hypothesis? • Be testable • Need to be able to observe and measure the results.  • “My dog will think brown is the best color” is not testable, because you cannot measure your dog’s opinion. 

  10. What makes a good hypothesis? • Fit existing observations • A good hypothesis should not contradict anything you have already observed or researched about the topic.  • The more information you take into account while constructing a hypothesis, the better it will be.

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