The Scientific Method
The following fictional experiment demonstrates the use of the scientific method.
Read about the experiment and the data then answer the questions that follow.
Many people in the small town of Gooberville, Arkansas are stricken with the disease "The Crud." Most of those stricken with the disease recover within seven to nine days.
The Crud has been shown to be caused by a bacterium called "Buggus pathecus." Antibiotic "X" is a new drug that has been shown to kill the Buggus bacteria cultured in a test tube. Antibiotic X was also found to cure monkeys that were stricken with the Crud.
Researchers decided to test the new drug on some of the people in Gooberville. They hypothesized that the drug would effectively cure the crud in humans. They deduced that if they gave patients antibiotic X, the patients would recover more quickly than those who did not take the antibiotic would.
The researchers prepared tablets containing antibiotic X. They also prepared a second batch of tablets that did not have antibiotic X. A tablet that does not contain any medication is called a placebo.
The researchers studied two groups of people that had just contracted the disease. Twenty-five people in group A were given tablets containing the antibiotic. Twenty-five people in group B were given the placebos.
Twenty of the twenty-five people given the drug recovered within one day. The other five people in group A took from seven to nine days to recover. One of the people given the placebo recovered within one day. The rest of group B took from seven to nine days to recover.
Observation
1. What event initiated the scientific investigation?
Asking a Question
2. Give three examples of questions that scientists might ask about the crud outbreak.
Collecting Data
3. Name three facts that were known before the start of the experiment.
Hypothesis
4. State the researchers' hypothesis.
5. State the experimental prediction.
Experimenting
6. Name the control group and the experimental group.
7. Why is a control necessary?
8. What are the manipulated and responding variables?
9. Why is there only one experimental variable?
10. What would happen if there were more than one experimental variable?
11. Why did researchers first test antibiotic X on a small group instead of giving it to everyone in town who had the disease?
Stating a Conclusion
12. What conclusion do you think the researchers reached?
On a separate sheet of paper, answer the following
Design an experiment to test the effect of fertilizer on pea production in pea plants. Pea growers want to increase crop yields to meet the growing demand for peas. The Rausch Fertilizer Company has asked you to test their latest product, Growmore, on pea production. Include the hypothesis, the equipment needed, the manipulated variable, the responding variable, and the data to take during observations.
The following fictional experiment demonstrates the use of the scientific method.
Read about the experiment and the data then answer the questions that follow.
Many people in the small town of Gooberville, Arkansas are stricken with the disease "The Crud." Most of those stricken with the disease recover within seven to nine days.
The Crud has been shown to be caused by a bacterium called "Buggus pathecus." Antibiotic "X" is a new drug that has been shown to kill the Buggus bacteria cultured in a test tube. Antibiotic X was also found to cure monkeys that were stricken with the Crud.
Researchers decided to test the new drug on some of the people in Gooberville. They hypothesized that the drug would effectively cure the crud in humans. They deduced that if they gave patients antibiotic X, the patients would recover more quickly than those who did not take the antibiotic would.
The researchers prepared tablets containing antibiotic X. They also prepared a second batch of tablets that did not have antibiotic X. A tablet that does not contain any medication is called a placebo.
The researchers studied two groups of people that had just contracted the disease. Twenty-five people in group A were given tablets containing the antibiotic. Twenty-five people in group B were given the placebos.
Twenty of the twenty-five people given the drug recovered within one day. The other five people in group A took from seven to nine days to recover. One of the people given the placebo recovered within one day. The rest of group B took from seven to nine days to recover.
Observation
1. What event initiated the scientific investigation?
Asking a Question
2. Give three examples of questions that scientists might ask about the crud outbreak.
Collecting Data
3. Name three facts that were known before the start of the experiment.
Hypothesis
4. State the researchers' hypothesis.
5. State the experimental prediction.
Experimenting
6. Name the control group and the experimental group.
7. Why is a control necessary?
8. What are the manipulated and responding variables?
9. Why is there only one experimental variable?
10. What would happen if there were more than one experimental variable?
11. Why did researchers first test antibiotic X on a small group instead of giving it to everyone in town who had the disease?
Stating a Conclusion
12. What conclusion do you think the researchers reached?
On a separate sheet of paper, answer the following
Design an experiment to test the effect of fertilizer on pea production in pea plants. Pea growers want to increase crop yields to meet the growing demand for peas. The Rausch Fertilizer Company has asked you to test their latest product, Growmore, on pea production. Include the hypothesis, the equipment needed, the manipulated variable, the responding variable, and the data to take during observations.