Scientific Method Case Study Worksheet

Scientific Method Case Studies Read each of the following scenarios, and then provide the information that is asked for. Make sure your answers are spelled correctly and keep the font Times New Roman or Courier New, you can change your answer to an assorted color if you wish. Case Study 1 A shopping mall wanted to determine whether the more expensive “Tough Stuff” floor wax was better than the cheaper “Steel Seal” floor wax at protecting its floor tiles against scratches. One liter of each type of floor wax was applied to each of the 5 test sections of the main hall of the mall. The test sections were all the same size and were covered with the same kind of tiles. Five (5) other test sections received no wax. After 3 weeks, the number of scratches in each of the test sections were counted. 1. Problem/Question: Which floor wax is the most effective? 2. Hypothesis: The tough stuff floor wax is better than the Steel Seal at covering the scratches on the floor 3. Independent Variable: The floor wax 4. Dependent Variable: the number of scratches 5. Constants: floor, amount of wax, size of test area, the timeline of experiment Case Study 2 A student wondered how hormones affected plant growth and wanted to test the hypothesis that rooting hormones will stimulate the production of new roots at a faster rate than would take place without rooting hormones. Two stem cuttings of equal length were taken from a geranium plant. The cut end of one plant was dipped into the hormone and then planted in wet sand. The other cutting was planted in wet sand without dipping it into the hormone. Both cuttings were given water and sunlight. After 4 weeks, both cuttings were removed from the sand and the lengths of the roots that had developed were measured and found to be the same. 1. Problem/Question: Will rooting hormones increase the production of new roots at a faster rate than propagating without rooting hormones? 2. Hypothesis: The rooting hormones stimulate new root growth faster than natural developmental root processes. 3. Independent variable: The growth hormone is being manipulated. 4. Dependent variable: The measurements of the newly planted roots. 5. Constants: the length of each sample, the developing stations (the wet sand), the plant species of each sample, the time frame of the experiment Case Study 3 Peter heard that Venus Flytraps typically grow best in warmer/milder climates, he wondered if cooler temperatures would impact how quickly they closed. He purchased sixteen Venus Flytraps from an exotic plant store. He then placed 8 Venus Flytraps outside during the early part of winter and 8 Venus Flytraps inside his house. After allowing the Venus Flytraps to adjust to their environment for a day, Peter began his experiment. Peter used a small dowel (wooden stick) to activate the Venus Flytraps by touching their “trigger hairs.” Once he did this, he used a stopwatch to determine how many seconds it would take to completely close. 1. Problem/Question: Will cooler temperatures impact how quickly Venus’s flytraps close? 2. Hypothesis: Warmer weather will be the better climate for a Venus flytraps growth. 3. Independent Variable: The fly trap. s environment 4. Dependent Variable: The temperature of the environment 5. Constants: wooden dowel, adjustment time for each plant in their unique environment, the previous environment of each plant, the stopwatch recording the Venus fly traps closing time Case Study 4 Jacob, a landscaper, wondered if a particular tree would grow better in the sun or in the shade. Without collecting information or doing much research, Jacob claimed that if he could limit the amount of sunlight the tree was exposed to, then the tree would grow taller. To evaluate this idea, Jacob planted 10 trees in a shady area and 10 trees in an area with a significant amount of sunlight. Over the next several months, Jacob watered and fertilized each tree in the exact same way. He also took measurements of the tree’s height and averaged them. 1. Problem/Question: Will a particular tree grow better in the sun or in the shade? 2. Hypothesis: Is it a hypothesis if prior knowledge wasn’t considered? The tree will grow faster if the amount of sunshine is restricted. 3. Independent Variable: The ratio of sun vs shade per each tree. 4. Dependent Variable: The growth of the planted tree. 5. Constants: the amount of water and fertilizer each tree got, the land composition: ph. balance, chemical makeup; the species of tree. Case Study 5 In 2010, an explosion on an oil rig caused a terrible oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. As oil started washing up on shore, the area wildlife was drastically affected. A scientist wonders how different amounts of water pollution affect the height of radish plants. He thinks that the plants with the most pollution will not grow as tall. He plants ten seeds in dirt in separate cups and gives them water every day. He has mixed the water with different amounts of motor oil (as pollution). He gives each tree a different level of pollution. He continues this for several weeks and measures the height of each plant. 1. Problem/Question: how do different amounts of water pollution affect the height of radish plants? 2. Hypothesis: He thinks that the plants with the most pollution will not grow as tall. 3. Independent Variable: The ten seeds each in dirt in separate cups 4. Dependent Variable: The height of the seeds as they grow in their situation. 5. Constants: the amount of water given to each plant, the fact that each variable is watered each day (the radish seeds), the scientist gives each tree the same type/brand of pollution, the type of soil the radish seeds were planted in