Scientific Method/Process Skills Study Guide

1. List the 7 steps of the scientific method in order.

a. ____________________________________________________

b. ____________________________________________________

c. ____________________________________________________

d. ____________________________________________________

e. ____________________________________________________

f. ____________________________________________________

g. ____________________________________________________

2. What is a process used to investigate the world around you?

3. What is an observation that uses numerical means to describe what is being studied? Give an example.

4. What is an observation that uses the five senses to gather information? Give an example.

5. An experiment tests a ________________

6. What are control variables?

7. What is an independent variable?

8. What is the dependent variable?

Measurement

9. What does “SI“ mean, when used in measurements?

10. List the lab equipment and the base unit of measure for distance?

11. List the lab equipment the base unit of measure for liquid volume?

12. List the lab equipment and the unit of measure for mass?

Convert the following units:

13. 104 km = _________m 480 cm = _________ m

14. 5.6 kg= _________g 8 mm= __________ cm

15. 5 L = _________ mL 50 cm = __________m

Identify the variables in this experiment

Henry and Eliza conducted an experiment using plant fertilizer. They added different amounts of fertilizer (0g, 10g, 20g,

30g, 40g, 50g and 60g) to seven pots of bean sprouts. The pots were the same size and had the same type and amount of

soil. They were given the same amount of seeds, light, and water. To find out how the fertilizer affected the growth of the

sprouts, Henry and Eliza calculated the average height of the bean sprouts in each pot. What are the variables in their

experiment?

16. Control

17. Constants

18. Independent variables

19. Dependent variables

Here is the data you collected. Graph the data using the appropriate graph as well as labeling all parts of the graph.

Fertilizer amount applied (grams)

Plant Height 0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Rep1 7.4 mm 8.3 mm 16.2 mm 18.9 mm 24.9 mm 37.2 mm 35.5 mm

Rep2 6.9 mm 7.9 mm 15.9 mm 18.5 mm 22.5 mm 35.6 mm 36.7 mm

Rep3 7.2 mm 8.0 mm 16.5 mm 18.3 mm 23.7 mm 34.8 mm 33.4 mm

Avg

20. What is the mode?

21. What is the median?

22. What is the average?

23. What is the mean?

Draw Graph Here

Identify each picture and describe when to use each piece of lab equipment

24. Fill in the parts of this scope.

25. What is the magnification of the ocular lens?

26. What is the magnification of the scanning objective?

27. What is the magnification of the low objective?

28. What is the magnification of the high objective?

29. What are the 4 types of microscopes and what are

they used for?

30. What re the 4 types of graphs and when are they

used?

Identify what the following measures and list the units of

measure.

35. How Penicillin Was Discovered

In 1928, Sir Alexander Fleming was studying Staphylococcus bacteria growing in culture dishes. He noticed that a mold

called Penicillium was also growing in some of the dishes. A clear area existed around the mold because all the bacteria

that had grown in this area had died. In the culture dishes without the mold, no clear area existed.

Fleming hypothesized that the mold must be producing a chemical that killed the bacteria. He decided to isolate this

substance and test it to see if it would kill bacteria. Fleming transferred the mold to a nutrient broth solution. This solution

contained all the materials the mold needed to grow. After the mold grew, he removed it from the nutrient broth. Fleming

then added the nutrient broth in which the mold had grown to a culture of bacteria. He observed that the bacteria died

which was later used to develop antibiotics used to treat a variety of diseases.

a) Identify the problem.

b) What was Fleming's hypothesis?

c) What was the independent variable?

d) What was the dependent variable?

e) What are the constants?

f) Should the hypothesis be supported or rejected based on the experiment?

g) This experiment lead to the development of what major medical advancement?

36. The Strange Case of BeriBeri

In 1887 a strange nerve disease attacked the people in the Dutch East Indies. The disease was beriberi. Symptoms of the

disease included weakness and loss of appetite, victims often died of heart failure. Scientists thought the disease might be

caused by bacteria. They injected chickens with bacteria from the blood of patients with beriberi. The injected chickens

became sick. However, so did a group of chickens that were not injected with bacteria.

One of the scientists, Dr. Eijkman, noticed something. Before the experiment, all the chickens had eaten whole-grain rice,

but during the experiment, the chickens were fed polished rice. Dr. Eijkman researched this interesting case. he found that

polished rice lacked thiamine, a vitamin necessary for good health.

a) State the Problem :

b) What was the hypothesis?

c) What was the independent variable?

d) What was the dependent variable?

e) What are the constants?

f) Should the hypothesis be supported or rejected based on the experiment?

g) What should be the new hypothesis?