Know your variables.
Setting up your experiment is easy once you understand how variables will influence your results. There are three main types of variables: independent An independent variable is your changing variable. You control the change. In our plant example on the right, you control how many hours of sunlight each plant gets. dependent The dependent variable is the measurable result of the change of your independent variable. If you change the number of hours of sunlight a plant gets (independent), you will measure the resulting growth of the plant (dependent). controlled These are the variables you keep constant, so they cannot affect your result. For example, give each plant exactly the same amount of water and plant the seeds at the same depth in the same type of soil. Once you have completed your experimental design, click on Step 5's button to get to the next step. |