Exercise 2 Testable Observations

EXERCISE 2: TESTABLE OBSERVATIONS Determine which of the observations below are testable. For those that are testable: • • • • • • • • Determine if the observation is qualitative or quantitative. Write a hypothesis and a null hypothesis. What is your experimental approach? What are the dependent and independent variables? What are your controls, both positive and negative? How will you collect your data? How will you present your data (e.g., chart, graph, type)? How will you analyze your data? Observations 1. A plant grows three inches faster per day when placed on a windowsill than it does when placed on a coffee table in the middle of the living room. This observation is testable • Determine if the observation is qualitative or quantitative. o The observation is quantitative • Write a hypothesis and a null hypothesis. o Hypothesis- the plant will grow faster per when placed near light (on a windowsill than when placed out of the sunlight (on a coffee table in the middle of the living room) o Null Hypothesis- the plant will grow the same speed regardless of the light given/placement of the plant. • What is your experimental approach? o The experimental approach I would take would be to plant an equal number of seeds in three exact same pots. They would be treated the exact same (watered the same amount, same room temperature), except one would be in the middle of the room on a coffee table (no direct light), and one would be placed on a windowsill (near direct light) and one would be placed in a dark room (i.e. a closet)l. I could then see if the placement and light exposure influences the plant growth. • What are the dependent and independent variables? o The independent variable is the placement of the plant, the dependent variable is the inches of growth per plant. • What are your controls, both positive and negative? o A positive control would be the plant in the light on the windowsill. o A negative control would be the plant in the dark. • How will you collect your data? o The data would be collected by measuring the plant at different intervals (i.e. days) • How will you present your data (e.g., chart, graph, type)? o The date would be best presented in a line graph with a separate line for each plant. • How will you analyze your data? o The data would be analyzed by comparing the growth over a time period for the different placements of the plants. 2. The bank teller with brown hair and brown eyes is taller than the other tellers. This is observation is not testable 3. When Sally eats healthy foods and exercises regularly, her blood pressure is 10 points lower than when she eats fatty foods and does not exercise. This observation is testable • Determine if the observation is qualitative or quantitative. o This observation is quantitative • Write a hypothesis and a null hypothesis o Hypothesiscompared to when she eats fatty foods and does not exercise. o Null Hypothesisregular exercise. • What is your experimental approach? o My experimental approach would be • • • • • exercise for the same amount of time while recording her BP, and then finally to record her BP when she does not exercise and eats fatty foods. What are the dependent and independent variables? o BP recordings. What are your controls, both positive and negative? o The controls would be the time frame recorded for (two weeks as listed above), the subject, and day/specific time of day the recording were taken. o Positive control would be when Sally is making healthy lifestyle choices o Negative control would be when Sally has not made any lifestyle changes How will you collect your data? o phase periods (no changes, healthy lifestyle, unhealthy lifestyle). The recordings would be taken and at the same intervals during the period (I.e. every 2 days at 12:30pm) How will you present your data (e.g., chart, graph, type)? o Depending on the amount of data, a bar graph or a line graph would be acceptable If there was one BP reading per trial, it would be best to present the date in a bar graph with each bar representing a trial. This would also work for a set of recordings that were reduced to an average. If there were multiple recordings per trial, it would be best to plot each recording in a line graph. All three trials would be plotted on the same graph with the x axis being time of recording (ex: day 2, day 4) and the y axis being BP. How will you analyze your data? o The data would be analyzed by comparing the readings depending on the lifestyle during that trial. If there was a decrease in BP during the healthy- lifestyle trial then the hypothesis is accepted. 4. The Italian restaurant across the street closes at 9 pm, but the one two blocks away closes at 10 pm. This is observation is not testable 5. For the past two days, the clouds have come out at 3 pm, and it has started raining at 3:15 pm. This is observation is not testable 6. George did not sleep at all the night following the start of Daylight Savings Time. This is observation is not testable