Atoms are the smallest pieces of an element

Density is the amount of atoms in an object.

Diffusion is the movement of atoms from high concentration to low concentration.

Matter cannot be created or destroyed, only changed.

What you change in the What you change in the experimentexperiment

(to make life easier for your students, you may (to make life easier for your students, you may want this “change” to be measurable - i.e. weight, want this “change” to be measurable - i.e. weight,

mass, volume, height, etc..)mass, volume, height, etc..)

The INDEPENDENT VARIABLE and the The INDEPENDENT VARIABLE and the DEPENDENT VARIABLE are close DEPENDENT VARIABLE are close

relatives and can be found relatives and can be found throughout the following steps of throughout the following steps of

scientific inquiry:scientific inquiry:

QUESTIONSQUESTIONSHYPOTHESISHYPOTHESISDATA TABLESDATA TABLES

and and

GRAPHSGRAPHS

All scientific All scientific experiments begin experiments begin

with simple with simple questions….questions….

It is this sense of It is this sense of inquiry that ESP inquiry that ESP

begins its journey….begins its journey….

……with a with a QUESTIONQUESTION

QuestionsQuestions

How does theHow does the ___________________

(Independent (Independent Variable)Variable)

  affect theaffect the ___________________? (Dependent Variable)(Dependent Variable)

Now that you’ve Now that you’ve asked a asked a QUESTION, QUESTION, it is time to change it is time to change it into a measurable it into a measurable

and educated and educated guess….guess….

… … a a HYPOTHESISHYPOTHESIS

HypothesisHypothesis 

If theIf the __________________________ isis

____________,____________,

(Independent Variable)(Independent Variable) (increased/decreased)(increased/decreased)

then thethen the ________________________ willwill ___________.___________.

(Dependent Variable) (increase/decrease)(Dependent Variable) (increase/decrease)

All data that is collected All data that is collected within an experiment must within an experiment must

be in an easy format for be in an easy format for future study. The future study. The

following following DATA TABLE DATA TABLE should remain the same should remain the same throughout each of your throughout each of your student’s experiments. student’s experiments. With practice, they will With practice, they will

become very proficient in become very proficient in recording data that can be recording data that can be

easily analyzed.easily analyzed.

Data TableData Table

IndependeIndependent Variablent Variable

Dependent Dependent VariableVariable

Data TableData Table

Trial Trial OneOne

TrialTrial TwoTwo

Trial Trial ThreeThree

AveragAveragee

While analyzing the data in an While analyzing the data in an experiment, you are typically experiment, you are typically

looking for patterns and looking for patterns and relationships between what relationships between what

you are changing you are changing (the INDEPENDENT (the INDEPENDENT

VARIABLE)VARIABLE) and your data and your data (the DEPENDENT (the DEPENDENT

VARIABLE).VARIABLE).

A A GRAPHGRAPH can help visualize can help visualize the data in a way that is easier the data in a way that is easier

to see any of these possible to see any of these possible relationships.relationships.

GRAPHS

GRAPHS

Independent Independent VariableVariable

Dependent Dependent VariableVariable

TitleTitle

The The TITLETITLE of any of any GRAPHGRAPH should restate the should restate the HYPOTHESISHYPOTHESIS of the of the

experiment….experiment….

…….this helps the person who is .this helps the person who is reading your graph to easily reading your graph to easily identify what the data is all identify what the data is all

about!!!about!!!

GRAPH TITLESGRAPH TITLES

The effect of theThe effect of the ________________________________

(Independent (Independent

Variable)Variable)

on theon the _________________._________________.

(Dependent Variable)(Dependent Variable)