Year 8 Science · Unit 4 · Lesson 4
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Learning Goals
Order the steps
Number the steps from 1 to 7 to show the correct order for constructing a data table. The investigation is: How does temperature affect the time taken to dissolve sugar in water?
| Order | Step |
|---|---|
| Collect and record the raw data during the experiment. | |
| Identify the IV (temperature) and DV (dissolving time) and decide on the units for each. | |
| Add rows for each value of the independent variable (e.g. 20°C, 30°C, 40°C, 50°C, 60°C). | |
| Calculate averages from the three trial values and record them in the Average column. | |
| Write a clear, descriptive title for the table (e.g. "Effect of Water Temperature on Dissolving Time of Sugar"). | |
| Create column headings with units: Temperature (°C), Trial 1 (s), Trial 2 (s), Trial 3 (s), Average (s). | |
| Add a column for each trial repeat and a final Average column to the right. |
Find the mistake
A student's data table — spot what went wrong
A student recorded data for an investigation on how temperature affects dissolving time. Their table had four problems: (1) no title at the top; (2) units written inside each data cell instead of in the column heading (e.g. the cell read "45°C" instead of just 45 in a column headed "Temperature (°C)"); (3) no Trial 1, Trial 2, Trial 3 columns — only a single recorded value per temperature; (4) an anomalous result had been crossed out with pen so it could not be read.
For each of the four errors, complete the row in the table below: (a) name the error, (b) explain why it is a problem for scientific practice, and (c) describe how to correct it.
| # | (a) Error identified | (b) Why is this a problem? | (c) How to correct it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||
| 2 | |||
| 3 | |||
| 4 |
1. Explain the difference between raw data and calculated data. Give one example of each from a science experiment.
2. Why does placing the independent variable in the first column make a data table easier to use?
Wrap Up
In one sentence, what was the main idea of this lesson?