Physics 101

Kenji Blackwell

Scientific Investigation Summary

PHY/101

June 19, 2014

Why is creating a testable question and hypothesis important before conducting a scientific investigation?

Creating a testable question is important because it gives you a reason why you must conduct an experiment. In other words it is the question that you must be able to answer when you have concluded all of your scientific investigation.

The hypothesis is important because it is your starting point on what you know prior to conducting your investigation. It is your thoughts on why your subject behaves or reacts a certain way before you have begun your research.

How do you determine which scientific tools to use for a laboratory investigation?

It all depends on what the experiment requires you to have. An example is our lab that dealt with density and buoyancy. In this particular lab we needed ice, aluminum, water, and oil. To measure the density of those items we had to use different sizes of beakers to figure out the buoyancy. Cups and buckets would not have been wise tools while we can put our items in these tools we needed the beakers because they had the specific measuring marks we needed to formulate our answers.

How do you distinguish between a dependent variable, independent variable, and controlled parameters? Why is this important to the investigative process?

You distinguish then by what is needed and what is being tested. The best way is to figure out what each one is and what they mean to your investigation.

An independent variable is the variable that the individual who is conducting the experiment manipulates in order to influence the experiment.

An example would be testing to see if loud car audio contributes to hearing loss. The volume at which you play your music would be the independent variable.

The dependent variable would be the result of your investigation or the one that responds. So in the case of the car audio experiment it would be the amount of hearing...