VARIABLES
We have been studying the concept of variables and how something small and/or
simple can change the outcome of an experiment. Students have created
pendulums and found that although there was slight changes with mass and
release point, they were not significant enough. However, when modifying the
length of the "swinger", a definite change could be seen. The students found
that the longer the string, the less times the pendulum will swing.
We've also discussed the idea of CONTROLLED EXPERIMENTS in which you change
only one variable at a time. This will allow you to understand exactly what
made the change if indeed one occurs. If you modify two or more things in an
experiment, you won't know what it was that made the difference. Therefore,
when we experiment, we need to try to stay consistent and true to the test at
hand.
We are currently working with paper cup lifeboats to see how many passengers
fit inside before sinking. Students have found that many variable can exist
while doing so: passengers shift, some are dropped into the boat, waves can
sink a boat, wet passengers weigh more than dry, etc. We've also discussed
the idea of capacity and how we test for that in this particular scenario.
controlled experiment - an experiment where only ONE variable is changed
variable - anything that can effect the outcome of an experiment
capacity - the amount something can hold (in our case, the amount of water the
boat can take)