Conducting and Experiment (8/29-9/2)

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Baking_soda_and_vinegar.jpg

Summary:

This week in science we learned about conducting an experiment. We asked a question, made a hypothesis, and then conducted the experiment. My groups question was "Does baking soda and vinegar explode more with dish soap or without dish soap?" From this, we made a hypothesis which was "If the amount of dish soap affects how much baking soda and vinegar explodes, then when we add dish soap, it will explode less.

Asking a Question:

First, we asked a question. Asking a question is the first step of the scientific method. When you have a question, it should start with does, as you can see from my example. If you start with if, then people with think that it is your hypothesis. Another example for a question is “Does a paper airplane fly better with writing on it, or without writing on it?

Constructing a Hypothesis

Next, we made our question into a hypothesis. To do this, you need to define the independent variable, and the dependent variable. The independent variable is what you or the scientist changes (the person conducting the experiment.) The dependent variable is the result of the experiment.

If we used the question that we asked before “Does baking soda and vinegar explode more with dish soap or without dish soap?” The independent variable would be the dish soap, because we would do 2 experiments. One cup would have dish soap, and one cup would not. This is the independent variable because it is what we change.

Using the same question, and knowing that the dependent variable is the result of the experiment, the dependent variable would be how much the cups exploded. The question states that we want to know which cup will explode more, so now we know for sure that this is the dependent variable.

Another thing that we need in a hypothesis is an explanation. The explanation can go at the beginning or at the end of the hypothesis, but it has to be there, or else it will not be a complete hypothesis. The explanation is what you think will happen.

Independent Variable = Green

Dependent Variable = Blue

Explanation = Purple

Here is how you would construct a hypothesis:

If Independent Variable affects Dependent Variable, then Explanation.

If the amount of dish soap affects how much baking soda and vinegar explodes, then when we add dish soap, it will explode slower.



Once we had constructed our hypothesis, we had to write down precise ingredients, and then exact instructions about how we would do the experiment. Once we did that, we got to do our experiment.


Ingredients:

Baking Soda - 5 tbs
Vinegar - 1/4 of a cup
Dish soap (for one of the cups) - 1 tsp
Red Food Coloring - 2-4 drops
Cups - 4
Newspaper - as much as you need so you don't make a mess

Instructions:

1. Measure 5 tbs of baking soda and pour it into each cup.
2. Put 1 tsp of dish soap into each cup
3. Put 2-4 drops of red food coloring into each cup (optional)
4. Measure 1/4 cup of vinegar for each cup, and pour both into each cup at the same time

My groups' hypothesis was incorrect. We thought that the cup without dish soap would explode less, but it turned out that the cup without dish soap bubbled up, but then calmed back down. However, the cup with dish soap was foamy, and kept rising until it was overflowing.

In conclusion, I think that this was a really fun project to do, that tought us how to conduct an experiment. I hope you use my instructions, and create your own experiment with a question, and a formalized hypothesis.

SP3: Planning and carrying out investigations:

My group designed and performed experiments to test our hypotheses. We thought that adding dish soap to baking soda and vinegar would make the explosion bubble less. We thought that the dish soap would separate the baking soda from the vinegar so that it would explode less.