A Guide to Experimental Design v4.

3
with Science & the Scientific process Reference Guide

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& practice with the embedded animations. by: John Schmied
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Study Subject (SS): The subject (animal, plant, object etc.) being studied in an investigation.
Variable: Any changed or changing factor used to test a hypothesis or prediction in an investigation that could affect the
results of the investigation. There are 4 types:
• Manipulated Variable (MV): The variable that is changed for the purpose of testing the hypothesis. There’s only one
MV.
(Also called the Independent or changed variable.)
• Responding Variable: (RV): The variable being measured to test the Hypothesis. Usually changes in response to
changes in
the manipulated variable. There can be more than one RV. (This is also called the Dependent or measured Variable)
• Controlled Variables: (Not MV or RV) = A variable kept the same in an experiment
• Uncontrolled Variables: [that Matter] (Not MV or RV) = Variables that are not controlled & can affect the results of an
experiment (cause error)
Control Trial: The “natural” or “normal” situation. The Control trial data is compared to the Experimental trial data to see if
there is a change caused by the manipulation. (The CT Does not have the MV)
Experimental Trial: The trial(s) containing the manipulated variable, that is/are compared to the control trial(s) to test the
hypothesis. (The ET’s have the MV)
Observation:
a. The skill of recognizing & noting some fact or occurrence in the natural world, includes measuring.
b. A systematic observation is one type of investigation in which data on the study subject is taken
systematically. (regularly)
Data: Quantitative or Qualitative observations recorded from nature or experiments.
Evidence: Observations, measurements, or data that is used to support a scientific conclusion.
Scientific Question: A testable question describing a problem. Includes the manipulated & responding variables and the
study subject.
Predict/Prediction: A statement forecasting a future event or process. (If -> Then format)
Hypothesis: A testable explanation for a specific problem or question. Stated in an If-then-because format predicting a
relationship between two variables (the MV & the RV).
Error: Mistakes of perception, measurement, or process during an investigation; causing an incorrect result or difference
 Qualitative measurement: data using descriptive words (e.g., hard/soft, hot/warm/cold)
Quantitative measurement: data using numbers (e.g.‚ 42.0 °C , 10.0 sec., 6.0m)
Reliability: Practically, we try to get good reliability by repeating our trials multiple times to assure that our data is similar in
each trial. Reliability describes the consistency of the results during at least three trials.
Average: Commonly called the mean. This is the average of the numbers: a calculated "central" value of a set of numbers.
To calculate: Just add up all the numbers, then divide by how many numbers there are.
Conclusion: A statement telling the findings of an investigation which explains, with reasons using evidence, why the
hypothesis is accepted or rejected.
Infer: To arrive at a decision or logical conclusion by reasoning from evidence. An Inference is a logical conclusion based on
evidence.
Reasoning: the process of forming conclusions, judgments, or inferences from facts or premises. Also the reasons, arguments,
proofs, etc., resulting from this process.
Trend: a general tendency or movement of data towards a particular answer. (Trending higher…)
Validity: A characteristic of an investigation describing the quality of the data collected during an experiment. Strong, or high,
validity answers the investigative question with confidence by showing the change in the manipulated variable actually caused a
change in the responding variable. This can be done in a couple different ways, usually involving a “check experiment” to see if
similar results were obtained.
Trade Off: an exchange where you give up one thing in order to get something else that you also desire.
Analyze: The definition of analysis is the process of breaking down something into its parts to learn what each does and how
each relates to one another.
Scenario: a detailed outline of an experiment or situation
Investigation: An organized way to study the natural world.
Experiment(ing): Testing to determine if a hypothesis is accepted or rejected and WHY. In an experiment one compares the
experimental trial(s) to the control trial(s) to identify any differences..
Model: A simple representation of a system. Models are used when studying systems that are too big, too small, or too
dangerous to study directly. Modeling can be a form of investigation.
System: A set or arrangement of interrelated parts through which matter can cycle and energy or information can flow.

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The scientific process is relatively easy to understand.
You:
 Develop a question that can be tested.
 Create a hypothesis.
 Experiment to see if the hypothesis
is accepted.
 Explain what happened.
In practice, it’s just a bit more complicated.
The entire process is laid out in detail on the next page.
Match up the steps & identify the differences from the
overall process with the outline above.
 Key Parts of the Scientific Process
3
Perform an

Identify a Create a
Testable
Experiment
Process of testing to see if
Problem question data from this procedure
accepts or rejects the
hypothesis.
Evidence

Data

Evidence
Make
Observations 4
Make
Observations Record & Analyze
Results / Data

Hypothesis Rejected?
Start over
7 6 5

Communicate Hypothesis Accepted? Draw

Results Repeat and Recheck Conclusions
Answer the question!
Write up Results
a. Peer Review
Results at least 3x Tell if results Accept or Reject
hypothesis
b. Publish Discuss data: Hi/Lo
c. Defend range/average Tell:
Sources of error
d. Use Assess reliability
jschmied©2015 information! Explain how to improve
validity
 The Scientific Process:
The next part of this learning program goes through the steps
of the scientific process using an example experiment.
- In this experiment we will test to see if:
adding fertilizer to tulips will affect the height of tulip flowers.

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 First step
1. Identify a Problem

a. Decide what to study

b. Identify key elements

(SS, MV, RV)
c. Create a scientific Question

Here’s an example question:

Will tulips grow taller with fertilizer?

3 Key elements

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Develop a testable question: Identify the Key Variables
When you are creating a testable question you’ll need to know:
a. The Study Subject (SS)
The subject (animal, plant, object etc.) being studied in an investigation.
In this case the SS is the tulips

b. The Manipulated Variable (MV)

The variable changed for the purpose of testing the hypothesis.
In this case the MV is adding fertilizer to tulips.

c. The Responding Variable (MV)

The variable being measured to test the Hypothesis.
In this case the RV is the height of the tulips
 Writing a testable question
-> Know the SS, MV & RV

Study Subject = Tulip

s
Manipulated Variable = adding Fertilizer
Responding Variable = Height of tulips

Use this format:

How will/can… the MV / SS… affect…. the RV?

Example:
How will adding fertilizer to tulips affect the tulip’s height?
How will MV SS RV

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 2. Form a Hypothesis
Hypothesis = Prediction with a reason
If, Then – compared to, Because format

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2. Form a Hypothesis

Writing the Prediction

Use the If, Then - compared to Prediction format

If fertilizer is applied to tulips,

MV SS
Then the tulips with fertilizer will grow taller
Exp trial Definite prediction
about RV

compared to tulips without fertilizer

Compare to Control trial
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2. Form a Hypothesis

Create A Hypothesis => A Prediction with a reason

If - Then – Compared to - Because format
Because includes SS, MV, RV & specific reasoning
Prediction:
If fertilizer is applied to tulips,

Then the tulips with fertilizer will increase in height

compared to tulips without fertilizer….

Add a reason
Because fertilizer has nutrients that increases tulip
MV Specific
reasoning SS
growth. Therefore tulips with fertilizer will
grow taller.
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 3. Perform the Experiment
Key elements

a. Materials

b. Trials

c. Variables

d. Procedure

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3. Perform an Experiment
a. Get all Materials

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3. Perform an Experiment: b. Plan the Control & Experimental Trials
1. What are the Control (CT) & Experimental Trials (ET)?

The MV

The RV is measured
in both trials

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3. Perform an Experiment: b. Plan the Control & Experimental Trials

Question 2: What are the two types, or groups,

of Trials in an Experiment ?

The Control Trial = CT

The
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3. Perform an Experiment: b. Plan the Control & Experimental Trials

Question 3: What are the key differences

between the CT & ET?
1. The Experimental Trial
contains the Manipulated
The Control Trial = CT
Variable & tests the
Hypothesis.

The Experimental Trial = ET

2. The Experimental trial results

are compared to the Control
Trial to see if there is a difference
& if the Hypothesis is accepted.

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3. Perform an Experiment - Identify Key Variables

c. The World of Variables

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3. Perform an Experiment
Identify Key Variables
There can be
There’s only more than
one MV one RV in an
in an experiment
experiment!

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 3. Perform an experiment

c. Controlling Variables

What are two ways to control

Variables?

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3. Perform an Experiment - Controlling Variables

One way is to:

Create a Controlled Environment

This method is usually done in a Lab

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3. Perform an Experiment - Controlling Variables

Another way to control variables is to:

Expose all trials to the same changing conditions.

jschmied©2015 This is often called the field method

3. Perform an Experiment – Identify The Key Variables

Identify which is/are:

Tulip Height

1. A Controlled
variable? 3. Uncontrolled
Variables?
2. The Manipulated
variable? 4. The Responding
Variable?
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 3. Perform an Experiment

d. Develop a Procedure

a. Create list of Materials

b. Develop A Data Table
c. List procedure steps in order
Identify when to take data
Limit possible sources of error

Include: i. Jobs

ii. Safety Equipment (PPE)

& hazards

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iii. Clean Up
 3. Perform an Experiment – Its only as good
as the data gathered.

Week 1
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 3. Perform an Experiment
Be consistent throughout the experiment.

Week Three
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3. Perform an Experiment

Ensure Reliability:
Repeat the experiment multiple
times (at least 3) to assure the data
is similar.

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 The Exp. trial
4. Analyze the Data The Exp. trial Is growing
faster than the
Is growing
taller & faster Control trial up to
than the week 4. Then
Control trial. growth slows to just
about the same as
the Control.

• Calculate Highs, Lows, Averages (ex: ET = Low 20.5 High 34.5)

• Compare Experimental data to Control data (ex: The ET grew 14
cm!)
• Look for Key Differences (ex: The ET grew faster, yet slowed @ week 4.)
• Identify and Interpret patterns & variations (ET is about 2x CT)
• Make inferences from the data. (All tulips grow taller with fertilizer.)
• Identify possible sources of error. (How often/much watering was done?)
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4. Analyze the Data:
Sources of Error: What is error? (See this
prezi.)
An error is a mistake in perception, measurement
or a process. Key types of error are:
a. Experimental Design error:
b. Operator Error.
c. Observation Error:
d. Recording Error:
e. Calculation Error:
f. Measuring tool limitation.

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5. Develop & Communicate a Conclusion: Basic Format
a. Restate the question

b. Restate the Hypothesis & tell if it was

Accepted or Rejected
i. Explain why using evidence (Avg,
Diffs, Hi, Lows etc)
ii. Tell what you conclude from the
data
iii. Make inferences from the
findings
Clearly distinguish between the evidence
and your explanations.

iv. Evaluate the Reliability of the

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5. Develop & Communicate a Conclusion: An EXAMPLE
a.Question: This experiment investigated whether adding
fertilizer to tulips would affect a tulip’s height.
b.Hypothesis: The team thought adding fertilize would
cause tulips to grow taller . The data accepts this hypothesis
i. Data Table 1, shows tulips with fertilizer grew faster
8. cm/wk vs without fertilizer 0.96 cm/wk.
• Also, tulips with fertilizer grew taller 14 cm vs
7.7 cm with fertilizer over the 8 weeks of trials.
• Graph 1 shows that the fertilized tulips grew
faster for 4 weeks, then grew a little faster than
the non fertilzed tulips for the last 4 weeks.
ii. As a result, I conclude that using fertilizer will make
tulips grow faster and taller.

iii.Infer: Finally, I think fertilizer will make all types of

tulips and other bulbs grow faster and taller than
without fertilizer. However, there is no data to support
that fertilizer will make tulips bloom more or longer.

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5. Develop a Conclusion: Example Format Continued

iv.Reliability – this experiment had only one trial. To have

reliable data the team would need to repeat the data two
more times and get similar results.

v. Error: There were several sources of error that could of

effected the results.
• Experimental Design error: The tulips were not
protected from slugs. Both trials tulips were
partially eaten by slugs.
• Operator error: In week 4 the operator only
put ½
the amount of fertilizer required on the
experimental trial. This likely slowed tulip growth
during this period.

vi.Validity: The validity of this experiment could of been

improved by doing the same experiment with a similar
bulb plant, like daffodils.
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 Advanced Elements of an experiment

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 Validity - What is Validity?
Validity: A characteristic of an investigation describing the
quality of the data collected during an experiment.

• Strong, or high, validity answers the investigative question

with confidence by showing the change in the manipulated
variable actually caused a change in the responding variable

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 Improving Validity
To improve validity researchers do other types trials to show that
a change in the MV actually caused the change in the RV observed in
their experiments.
Let’s explore a couple ways that might improve the
validity of the results from the Tulip experiment.

Assume the original class results show the

tulips with fertilizer
added actually grew taller.

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 Validity Example 1
Do more trials, each with different amount of fertilizer.
Goal: See if an increase in tulip height can be positively
linked to adding more fertilizer. This is called finding causality.

Data able 1 - ulip t

T T Heigh 2 ml /wk 3 ml/wk
Date Control 1 ml wk
Jan 11 20.5 20.5 20.5 20.6
Jan 18 22.6 23.9 24.0 23.9
Jan 25 24.8 30.1 30.2 29.6

Recorder: Joe
Observer: Mary
Ann
all readings in
centimeters

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 Validity Example 2
b. Do more trials with another plant, like daffodils.
See if adding fertilizer increases daffodil height.
Data ble 1 ill Height
Ta Daffod Exp Trial
Date Control
Jan 11 20.5 20.5
Jan 18 22.6 23.9
Jan 25 24.8 30.1
Feb 2 25.9 32.3
Feb 9 26.7 33.4
Feb16 27.2 33.9
Feb23 27.8 34.2
Mar 3
Recorder: Joe28.2 34.5
Observer: Mary
Ann
all readings in
centimeters

Daffodil Trials
Week 8
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 Validity Example 3
c. Do Tulip trials with varying concentrations of fertilizer,
but add Daffodil trials too.

Data Table 1 - Tulip Height

Date Control 1 ml wk 2 ml /wk 3 ml/wk
Jan 11 20.5 20.5 20.5 20.6
Jan 18 22.6 23.9 24.0 23.9
Jan 25 24.8 30.1 30.2 29.6

Recorder: Joe
Observer: Mary Ann
all readings in
centimeters

Data Table 1 - DaffodilHeight

Date Control 1 ml wk 2 ml /wk 3 ml/wk
Jan 11 22.6 22.5 22.4 22.6
Jan 18 23.5 24.9 25.0 24.7
Jan 25 25.7 31.3 31.2 30.8

Recorder: Joe
Observer: Mary Ann
all readings in
centimeters

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 Final Review: Use the Scientific Method Flow
1. State the Problem
Take data
diagram to go over the steps of the process
Make Inferences
from data about 2a Create Prediction 2b. Form the
a problem. Finalize details of
Experiment….. Hypothesis
Control & Exp Trials
1b. Create Question
Develop question into 3. Do the experiment
potential experiment. Gather data
Identify SS, MV & RV

Hypothesis 4. Record & Analyze

the data
Rejected?
start over
7. Communicate results
to peers & defend. 6. Hypothesis 5. Draw Conclusions
Information becomes accepted Tell if Hypothesis
part of the world of repeat 3x was accepted or rejected
science. discuss data and methods

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About the author:
John Schmied has been a secondary science school teacher for 20 years and is involved in
developing practical, yet innovative, hands on curriculum for teens. In addition he is a Chemical
Hygiene Officer and an Environmental Educator. He has created, developed and manages a 6 acre
Environmental Center at his school site.
John’s presentations are viewed worldwide & have been in
the top 5% of Slideshare for multiple years.

During this time John served as the Strategic planner for the
Friends of the Hidden River a 501(C)(3) non profit.

• Over the past 13 years Friends helped King County, WA

design, fund, construct & develop the 14,800 sqft
Brightwater Environmental Center in Woodinville WA.
• John is the Director & a principal developer of the
Ground to Sound STEM Environmental Challenge
course, a locally popular cutting edge environmental
program that merges, Science, Tech, Art,
Multimedia and other disciplines with Leadership
studies at the Center

Prior to this period John served as a Coast Guard Officer,

primarily involved in ice, navigation & search and rescue
operations. His specialties are Ship handling, Diving and
Oceanographic Operations.

John can be contacted via Linked In.