Quarter 2

The Things that I have Learned during the Experimental Process:

• I have learned that the qualitative value is simply saying the change in words, not with numbers or statistics, for example: The plant has grown faster with sunlight than the plant that has no sunlight.
• I have learned that the quantitative value uses numbers and statistics for example: The plant has grown 7 cm in 2 months with sunlight and the plant with no sunlight has only grown 2 cm in 2 months. Using quantitative experiments, you can compare the results with more accuracy and you can prove it with better evidence.
• I have learned that the hypothesis is the statement or prediction you make before you conduct the experiment. In the hypothesis, you would write it in the form: If ....... then ........ because. This form of writing the hypothesis explains what you're independent variable is, what your dependent variable is and the reason why it will be affected or how. After the 'if' is the independent variable, then after the 'then' is the dependent variable, and after the 'because' is the reason for its change.
• The independent variable is what the scientist conducting the experiment changes. There is always one independent variable in the experiment. When you change the independent variable, the dependent variable is affected forming a sort of 'Cause and Effect' situation where the cause is the independent variable.
• The dependent variable is the variable that gets affected when changing the independent variable. The dependent variable is what you measure in an experiment and the results that you record. When you change the independent variable, the dependent variable is affected forming a 'Cause and Effect' situation where the effect is the dependent variable.
• Constants are the part of the experiment that must stay the same and never change, for example: The constants to see how much the plant grows in the sunlight would be the amount of sunlight, time with sunlight, environment, amount of water, type of plant, height of plant at beginning, type of soil etc. The constants never change.
• The experimental group is identifying the independent variable, for example: The plant in dark soil with 12 hours of sunlight. It also identifies some of the constants around the independent variable like the soil in this case and the 12 hours.
• The control group is what you do not affect with the independent variable and you use it to compare the results of the experimental groups with, for example: The plant in dark soil with no sunlight. You would compare the results of the experimental group and the control group where the control group is the stable one and you are seeing what will happen if I add this or take that away etc.
• The conclusion is where you explain your results of the experiment and state if your hypothesis was correct of it was not correct. You would then add why the dependent variable was affected in this way and summarize the experiment. You would also provide the proof if you are using a quantitative experiment by showing the numbers and statistics on what happened to further prove that your hypothesis was correct or not.
• The procedure is where you list step by step what you do to conduct the experiment. In the first sentence of each step there is a verb like put, take, give and so on ... It tells you how to do and what to do to achieve the experiment therefore making it repeatable by other scientists who want to perform the same experiment.
• During the experiment, you record the results as observations and observe what is happening in the experiment. When you observe, you see all the things that are going on like the change in the appearance or the change in size etc. You also record what is happening to the dependent variable and observing it.
• The operational definition is where you decide if you are going to measure the results in a qualitative manner or in a quantitative manner. If you are using quantitative then you would say what the dependent variable is and how you are going to measure it (cm, ml, kg etc.).