Biology Name: ______________________________

Scientific Method Review Date: _______________ Hour: ______

1) _____________________ measurements use your 5 senses.

a) Analytical
b) Qualitative * no numbers
c) Quantitative * n for numbers *
d) Statistical

2. In testing the effectiveness of an energy drink on the performance of athletes, 50 athletes

were given water and 50 athletes were given a new energy drink, Yellow Bull. After drinking,
each athlete was asked to perform a one-mile run, a 100 yard spring and 20 pull-ups.

 What was the dependent variable? Athletic performance (* This is the DATA you
collect)

 What was the independent variable? Yellow bull energy drink (this is the variable you
change/ manipulate)

3. A new candy company wants to determine what color they should make their new chocolate
candies to maximize sales. They perform a controlled study at a number of shopping malls,
offering bright purple, royal blue, and lime green colored candies. They ask the participants
to rate their favorite.

 What is the independent variable? Candy color

 What is the dependent variable? Candy sales

4. A student sets up an experiment with two plants that are each exactly five inches tall. One is
given fertilizer and the other is not. After 4 weeks, their height is measured again. What is
wrong with this experiment?

a) There is no control for this experiment

b) Plants grow slowly, the time frame is too short.
c) The plants need to be taller in order to conduct an experiment.
d) Plants naturally grow at different rates. More trials need to be done.

5. How many variables should be manipulated in a correctly performed scientific experiment?

a. One
b. Two
c. Three
d. Zero
6. Which steps should you take when the results of an experiment do not support your
hypothesis?

a. Consider the experiment a failure

b. Assume you made a mistake. The results mean nothing.
c. Learn from the results, use the new knowledge to improve your view of the situation.
Possibly develop a new hypothesis.
d. Change your data to support your hypothesis.

7. Tim does a study to determine whether or not cigarette smoking decreases speed in track
runners.

 What is the IV? Cigarette smoking

 What is the DV? Speed in track races

These are the groups that he set up:

Group A Smokes 1 pack per day

Group B Smokes 2 packs per day
Group C Smokes 3 packs per day

After 1 month, Tim measures the average 40 yard dash time for each group and finds that
group 3 was the slowest, group 2 was in the middle and 1 was the fastest. He concludes that
cigarette smoking decreases speed, but this is not necessarily correct.

What was wrong with this experiment? (HINT: There is something missing.)

NO CONTROL. He should have included a group of nonsmokers.

8. Julie was conducting an experiment to determine if plants grow better when exposed to
classical music. She bought two identical plants and exposed one to classical music while the
other grew without music. From the data, Julie determined that plants do not grow better
when exposed to classical music. Which of these would explain why Julie’s conclusion may not
be valid?

a) There was no control group

b) She should have tested more than two plants.
c) The experiment could never be repeated.
d) She never formulated a question.

9. The _____________________ variable in an experiment could be informally called the

‘cause’, while the ______________________ could be called the ‘effect’.

a. control; dependent
b. control; independent
c. independent; dependent
d. dependent; independent
10. Use the graph below to answer the following questions.

What is the dependent variable?

Bird population (thousands)

What is the independent variable?

Time (months of the year)

During which month was the

population of birds greatest?

October (month 10)

During which month was the

population of birds lowest?

December (month 12)

The title for this graph is not

properly written (it would not score
a point on the EOC). FIX IT.

Population of birds over time.

Pop