SCIENTIFIC METHOD REVIEW: Identifying Variables Worksheet - ppt ... - Free Printable

Let's analyze both scenarios (problems 7 and 8) to identify the Independent Variable (IV), Dependent Variable (DV), and Controlled Group (CG) — or in some cases, just clarify what’s being tested.

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🔹 Problem 7: Cleaning Your Bedroom

Scenario:
You throw clothes from different parts of the room:
- 1/3 of the room → thrown into the closet
- 1/3 of the room → thrown straight up in the air
- 1/3 of the room → left on the floor

After 30 minutes, you observe how clean the room is.

#### Given:
- IV: *The way you throw clothes*
- DV: *How clean the room is*
- CG: *The clothes left on the floor*

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#### ✔ Explanation:

- Independent Variable (IV): This is what you change on purpose. Here, you are changing how you handle the clothes in each third of the room — throwing into closet, throwing up, or leaving them. So, "the way you throw clothes" is correct as the IV.

- Dependent Variable (DV): This is what you measure or observe. You're assessing how clean the room is after the process — this depends on how you threw the clothes. So, "how clean the room is" is correct.

- Controlled Group (CG): This is the group that does not receive the experimental treatment — it serves as a baseline. In this case, the clothes left on the floor are not moved at all — they’re untouched. This group shows what happens when no action is taken. So, “the clothes left on the floor” is the control group, which makes sense.

> ⚠️ Note: The term “controlled group” is usually used in experiments with living subjects or treatments. But here, it's metaphorical — the part of the room where nothing is done acts as a control condition.

✔ So, all labels are correctly assigned.

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🔹 Problem 8: Juggling Soccer Balls

Scenario:
You test size 3, 4, and 5 soccer balls to see which is easiest to juggle. You measure how long the ball stays in the air using feet, knees, and head.

#### Given:
- IV: *The size of the ball*
- DV: *The time the ball stays in the air*

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#### ✔ Explanation:

- Independent Variable (IV): You are changing the size of the ball (size 3, 4, 5). That’s the variable you manipulate. ✔️ Correct.

- Dependent Variable (DV): You are measuring how long the ball stays in the air — this depends on the ball size. ✔️ Correct.

- Controlled Variables (not listed but implied): To make the test fair, you must keep things like:
- The person juggling (same person)
- The method of juggling (feet, knees, head allowed)
- The surface
- The force used (as consistent as possible)

But since only IV and DV are asked, and no CG is mentioned, that’s fine — there’s no control group here because all conditions are experimental (you’re testing three sizes).

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✔ Final Summary:

| Problem | IV | DV | CG |
|--------|----|----|-----|
| 7 | The way you throw clothes | How clean the room is | The clothes left on the floor |
| 8 | The size of the ball | The time the ball stays in the air | None (not applicable) |

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🟩 Conclusion:

Both problems have correctly identified IV and DV.
Problem 7 also correctly identifies the control group (clothes left on the floor), which acts as a baseline for comparison.

✔ These are well-designed thought experiments for understanding variables in scientific inquiry!