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MYP -Biology
Unit title Name: Grade Time frame and duration 11
Module 1: The

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Scientific Method and Data Analysis

Section

September _______________________, 2011

AoI Unit Question

Approaches to Learning What is scientific Inquiry?

Designing Experiments
Criterion D: Scientific Inquiry
To design a good experiment several steps must be taken to ensure the results are as scientific as possible. Once the objective of the experiment has be determined, scientists must identify all the variables or factors which will affect the experiment. Scientists must then identify the different ways tests can be conducted to determine the outcome of the experiment. Now the experiment can begin. First a hypothesis identifies a variable will affect the outcome of the experiment and includes a prediction as to what that outcome will be. The variable selected is called the independent variable since it is the one selected and controlled by the experimenters. The effect measured will be the dependent variable since its outcome depends on the independent variable. For example if scientists were looking at how to prevent fruit from spoiling, several factors would be considered such as temperature, adding chemicals, adding radiation or genetically engineering the food. In this case the scientists decide that temperature will have the greatest effect and the prediction is that the cooler the storage temperature, the longer it will take to spoil. The hypothesis would be: If storage temperature affects banana spoilage, then bananas stored at colder temperatures will take longer to spoil. The independent variable is storage temperature and the dependent variable is the time taken to spoil. Now the procedure of the experiment must be worked out. Care is taken to only change the variable mentioned in the so you can be certain that no other factor is also influencing the results. Two sets of experiments are set up. One is called the control and the other is the treatment (test group). In the control group, a standard model is tested repeatedly. Each
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repetition is called a trial. In the treatment group, one variable is changed from the standard control model and the effect is measured repeatedly. If the data collected is measurable, such as mass or time, these are called quantitative observations; whereas, if the data collected is not measurable, such as colour or odour, these are called qualitative observations. The data is collected in a table which shows the results of each trial for both the control and the treatment groups. The average result is also displayed. For our experiment on fruit spoilage, the control group will be using bananas of approximately the same weight (about 300 grams) and degree of ripeness (all yellow, no spots) stored at 25oC until the first brown spot appears. Time,(quantitative observations) will be measured in hours. Five bananas are tested and the results recorded. The treatment group is the same as the control group except the bananas are now stored at 10oC, 5oC and 1oC. The data for 20 bananas is recorded below:

The data is also graphed showing both the control group average result and the treatment group average result. The results are always graphed by placing the independent variable data on the x-axis and the dependent variable data in the y-axis. The title is always Dependent Variable Versus Independent Variable.
For our experiment, the graph would look as follows:

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Now that the data has been studied, the write-up can be prepared. The following sections: Hypothesis (with prediction), Procedure, Observations (includes the data table and graph) and finally the Conclusion. In the conclusion, scientists describe any cause and effect relationships that were apparent. This is used to state whether the prediction and hypothesis were accepted or rejected. Finally an attempt is made to explain the results. The conclusion for our experiment would be as follows: Conclusion: From the graph, it is apparent that bananas spoil faster at a colder temperature which contradicts the prediction made in this experiment, but does support the hypothesis that temperature effects fruit spoilage. This may be due to the fact that the bananas in the colder temperature were stored in a refrigerator without light. Also any gases produced by the fruit over time as it begins to spoil would accumulate faster insider the refrigerator which would then serve to speed up the spoiling process. Furthermore, colder temperatures maybe injure the bananas which quickly increaser spoilage.

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Data analysis
Criterion E: Processing of Data

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Introduction: This is a simple activity that is designed to introduce you to the scientific method and proper data collection and analysis. Follow the laboratory guide You will work individually to collect your data however you will plot each students information on a graph. Directions: 1) Determine your research question, independent variable, dependent variable. 2) Complete the control variable chart. 3) Read the materials and procedure below and follow the teachers directions to make proper data tables in which you can write your data quantitative and qualitative data. 4) Collect materials and follow procedure below. 5) Construct a proper graph with error bars. 6) Write a short conclusion referring to your results. Be sure to accept or reject your hypothesis and discuss why you accept or reject. 7) Construct and complete the evaluation table as shown by your teacher. Candy Procedure: 1) Collect 5 candies. 2) Use a stopwatch to record how many seconds it takes a single candy to dissolve in your mouth. 3) Repeat step two, four more times and record your data in the data table you created. 4) Write your name, average time and highest number and lowest number (shortest time and longest time it takes the candy to dissolve) on the board when you are finished. 5) Construct a bar graph showing each students average candy dissolving time. 6) Create error bars for each student following the guide below. 7) Remember that your graph must include the following: a. A proper title b. Labeled and titled X and Y axis c. Straight lines d. Uncertainties shown on X and Y axis and in the title e. Units used f. Your error bar calculations MUST be shown on the back of your graph paper. Do not forget to include units and proper titles.

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Calculating Error Bars:

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You need to know three numbers for each range error bar you make. Remember that you need to make an error bar for each student. Here are the steps: 1) 2) 3) 4) Find the average. Find the lowest number in your data set. Find the highest number in your data set. Subtract the lowest number from your average. This number represents your low error bar. 5) Take the highest number in your data set and subtract the average. This number represents your high error bar. 6) Plot your average and error bars (your teacher will show you an example). Range Error Bar Calculation General Example: Title: Number of heartbeats per minute (+ 2 beats per minute) Trial 1 65 bpm Average: 73.6 Trial 2 72 bpm Trial 3 67 bpm Trial 4 85 bpm Trial 5 79 bpm

High Number: 85.0 bpm

Low Number: 65 bpm Calculation for Low Error Bar 73.6 bpm - 65.0 bpm 8.6 bpm

Calculation for High Error Bar 85.0 bpm - 73.6 bpm 11.4 bpm

*Plot your error bars for each student as shown by your teachers example.

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Scientific skills (a recall)

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Creating Line Graphs A science class studying frogs counted the number of times the frogs croaked at different temperatures. The results are shown in the data table below.

To help interpret that data, the class then created a line graph. A line graph is used to display data that show how one variable (the _______________________ variable) changes in response to another variable (the _______________________ variable). You should use a line graph when your manipulated variable is continuous, that is, when there are other measurements possible between the ones you tested. For example, in this experiment, temperature is a continuous variable since 27C is between 26 and 28, and 22.5C is between 22 and 23. Temperature, time, mass, and velocity are just a few examples of continuous variables.

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A line graph is a powerful tool because it shows a relationship between two variables. Here, the line graph shows how the number of frog croaks per minute changes as temperature changes. Line graphs also allow you to identify trends and relationships in the data, and thus infer values you did not actually measure. For example, you can infer that at 30C, the frogs might make 20 croaks per minute. At 20C, they might make about 10 croaks per minute. (To find out whether these inferences were true, you would have to do additional research.) What Is a Best Fit Line Graph? Notice that unlike the graph above, the lines on the graphs below were not drawn from point to point. Instead, the graphs are smooth and continuous. They flow through as many of the data points as possible but do not necessarily touch all the points. This kind of graph is called a best fit graph. A best fit graph shows an average, a trend, or a pattern in the data. You may wonder how scientists know when to use a best fit graph. As you continue to study science, you will see that certain kinds of graphs commonly result from scientific experiments. The graphs shown below are three examples.

The first graph shows a straight line. You can read that graph to see that as the volume of a liquid increases, the mass of that liquid also increases. The center graph shows a curve that continues to rise. You can read that graph to see that over time, a corn plants height continues to increase. The graph on the right shows a curve that rises and then flattens out. Here, as time passes, the size of the bacteria population increases steadily until it reaches a certain size. Then, the size of the population becomes constant.

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