In a test of how fertiliser affects plant height, what is the dependent variable?

• The amount of fertiliser
• The plant height
• The pot size

In an experiment testing how sunlight affects plant growth, what is the independent variable?

• The amount of sunlight
• The height of the plant
• The type of soil

Controlled variables are the things you change on purpose.

Circle one:   True   False

You want to find out if it rains more in winter than in summer where you live. Which type of enquiry fits best?

• Fair test
• Observation over time
• Research using a book

A scientist keeps the sunlight, pot size, and seed type the same for every plant while she tests different amounts of water. Why does she do this?

• So the water is the only thing that could explain any difference
• So the experiment takes less time
• So she doesn't need to measure anything

You want to know if students with more pets tend to have more siblings. Which type of enquiry is this?

• Pattern seeking
• Fair test
• Observation over time

You want to test whether a ball's colour affects how high it bounces. Which plan is a properly controlled fair test?

• Ask friends which colour ball they think bounces highest
• Drop different coloured balls from different heights and see which bounces highest
• Drop different coloured balls from the same height onto the same floor, and measure how high each one bounces

Ben tests if sugar makes seeds sprout faster. He uses warm water for the sugar seeds and cold water for the plain seeds. What went wrong?

• He changed two things at once, so it isn't a fair test
• He didn't measure anything
• He used too few seeds