Salendine Nook High School

Science Department

Data Analysis Planner

Your teacher will set the scene for your experiment. Your task will
then be to,

1. Carry out the experiment

2. Analyse the data you collect (Section I , Analysis)
3. Evaluate how successful you have been (Section E,
Evaluation)
4. Write up your experiment using the information below

1. Carrying out the experiment.

TASK CHECK
Title
Range of readings (highest to lowest).
Decided on reading intervals (how they are spaced out).
Decided how many times you will repeat your results?
Draw a blank results table with labelled headings
including units.

Now carry out the experiment safely and record your results
in the table. Take the results precisely and accurately.

2. Analysing the Data (Section I)

TASK CHECK
Ia Plotting graphs

Plot a graph of my results.

Draw a line of best fit.
Label the x and y axis.
Include the units.
Give my graph a title.
Included on my graph the range bars to indicate the
spread of your data.
Give a clear key for each set of data points.
Ib Conclusion

Write a basic conclusion e.g. if my chosen factor

increases, what happens to the outcome variable.
Comment about any patterns I see in the data.
Choose 2 pairs of results to back up my conclusion

e.g. as one doubles so does the other,

height 50 cm width =

x2

height 100 cm width =

Write down a quantitative conclusion based on

these 2 pairs of results.

Comment on whether the line of best fit goes through the

origin.
Calculate the % error in the scatter of the data.

Ic Explaining the conclusion using Scientific

Knowledge

Using scientific knowledge, explain what I have found out.

Give as much detail as I can.

3. Evaluating the Evidence (Section E)

Ea Evaluating how you carried out the experiment

Comment how accurate I have been taking the readings

(E.g. length to nearest mm or cm).
Could I have improved the accuracy by changing the
apparatus or doing the experiment in different ways?
What difficulties did I have when carrying out the
experiment?
Describe any changes I would make to improve carrying
out the experiment.
Write down any alternative ways I can think of to collect
the data

Eb Evaluating the evidence you have collected

Make a comment about how the data was collected e.g.

did I take an average?
Make a comment about results that are beyond the range
of experimental errors (called anomalous points)
Identify any outliers
Explain what may have gone wrong to cause these
anomalous points and outliers.
Comment on how close these points are to the line of best
fit
Look at my results which have been repeated. Comment
about their scatter.
Discuss in detail if I think my results can be relied on to
make a conclusion.

Ec Evaluating the reliability of the conclusion

Write down whether the data I have collected is good

enough to be certain that my conclusion is correct
Write down if there are any weaknesses in my data
Could I have
• extended the range of my results?
• used different apparatus?
• carried out the experiment in a different way to be
more certain about my conclusion?