Handout to explain variables

1. Review Sheet: Experimental Design and Scientific Method
Experimental Design
A. Scientific Method (Remember with “QHEIC” or “Quickly Heather Eats Ice
Cream”)
1. Question – 1st step of Scientific Method – Be able to write a question
that can be explored with an experiment
2. Hypothesis – Be able to write in If-then-because format
3. Experiment – Be able to design and conduct experiments
4. Interpret Data – Be able to design and interpret charts, tables, and
graphs
5. Conclusion – Make a conclusion based on your hypothesis and the
results of your experiment
B. Sources of Error: Be able to identify sources of error and evaluate your
hypothesis based on experimental results
C. Types of Variables and Key Vocabulary
1. Independent Variable = Manipulated Variable = the variable you
purposely change (remember with “IM purposely changing”)
2. Dependent Variable = Responding Variable = the factor that may
change as a result of the manipulated variable (remember with “the DR
is expected”)
3. Experimental Group = the setup whose conditions you manipulate
during an experiment
4. Control Group = the Control = the setup with ‘normal’ conditions;
conditions are NOT being changed; this group is used for comparison
5. Controlled Experiment = a properly done experiment which keeps all
conditions the same for the experimental and control group, except for
the manipulated variable
6. Constants = conditions that are kept the same in the experimental and
control group so you have a controlled experiment