PS 1.2- Identifying parts of Experiments
#2 Name_____________________________
B/G Hr _____ Date _________________
Read about each experiment below and identify the various factors of that experiment in the matching.
Experiment #1
Brutus loves to ski the fresh snow in Colorado every ski season. Aside from rocking the backcountry bowls, he
avidly slaloms down the slopes. This year, there is a revolutionary new wax that he would like to test against his old wax.
So, he sets up an experiment to test the waxes, hoping that one will allow him a faster time. On the same slalom course,
using the same stopwatch, wearing the same brand and style of skis and the same boots, he tests his waxes.
MATCHING: match the factors from experiment #1 with the terms on the right. (Answers may be used more than once.)
_______ 1. the course A. an independent variable
_______ 2. using different waxes B. the dependent variable
_______ 3. the condition of using his old wax C. a constant
_______ 4. the brand of skis he wears D. control
_______ 5. wearing the same boots
_______ 6. his speed
Experiment #2
Bob likes to pole vault. He has always used a 3 meter long pole in his competitions. A friend asked him to try a
4 meter long pole because he said it would help him increase the height of his jumps. Bob sets up a scientific
experiment by testing each of the poles. He runs on the same track each time, has the same person measure his height
each time, wears the same shoes and clothes each time, and even completes the same stretches for the same amount of
time before each trial. In the end, his average height for the new pole was better, so he decides to switch.
MATCHING: match the factors from experiment #2 with the terms on the right. (Answers may be used more than once.)
______ 7. using his 3 meter pole A. an independent variable
______ 8. wearing the same shoes B. the dependent variable
______ 9. the amount of time he stretches C. a constant
______ 10. the height of his jumps D. control
______ 11. the length of pole he used
______ 12. wearing the same clothes
______ 13. having the same person measure his jumps each time
Experiment #3
Janie has raced the same bike for years; she was certain that it was the fastest bike around. She stayed in great
shape and kept up on bike maintenance, but has been finishing farther and farther behind in recent races. Is her bike
really the fastest around or could she be riding a quicker one?
She looks up different bikes on-line, talks to friends, and finally heads to the local store to buy a new bike. But,
she still wants to know if the new bike is actually faster than the one she has. She decides to test it.
On the same track that she has trained on for years, she times herself on her old bike. Then, she brings out the
new bike and clocks herself 5 different times, recording the data each time. Then she analyzes the data. Not to her
amazement, the new bike is faster. She decides to keep it.
MATCHING: match the factors from experiment #3 with the terms on the right. (Answers may be used more than once
or not at all.)
______ 14. racing on the same track A. an independent variable
______ 15. the different bikes B. the dependent variable
______ 16. having herself being the one to ride the bike each time C. a constant
______ 17. her time around the track D. control
Experiment #4
Hector has been growing tomato plants in the same brand of topsoil for years and has always gotten plants that
aren’t very tall. This year he decides he is going to try a different brand, so he sets up a scientific experiment to help him
make his decision. He sets up two pots, one with the old topsoil and one with the new topsoil. He uses the same seeds
for each plant, the same pots, puts them both in the same amount of sunlight, and uses the same ruler to measure the
plants’ heights.
MATCHING: match the factors from experiment #4 with the terms on the right. (Answers may be used more than once.)
______ 18. using the same pots A. an independent variable
______ 19. the condition with the same topsoil he’s always used B. the dependent variable
______ 20. using the same ruler for measuring the plants’ heights C. a constant
______ 21. using the same seeds D. control
______ 22. measuring the plants’ heights
______ 23. using different types of topsoil
______ 24. giving the plants the same amount of sunlight

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