Actually,
this image does not contain a problem to solve — it contains
examples of testable scientific questions.
The title “Testable Question Examples” tells us this is meant to illustrate what kinds of questions can be investigated through experiments or observations — i.e., questions that are measurable, observable, and can be answered with data.
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✔ What is a “Testable Question”?
A testable question is one that:
- Can be answered by conducting an experiment or making observations.
- Involves variables that can be measured or compared.
- Has a clear method for gathering evidence.
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🔍 Let’s Break Down Each Example:
#### 1. *Which plant grows taller in two weeks, a mustard plant or lima bean plant?*
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Testable? Yes.
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Why? You can grow both plants under the same conditions (light, water, soil), measure their height after two weeks, and compare results.
#### 2. *Does Coke or Dr. Pepper have more sugar in it?*
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Testable? Yes.
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Why? You can look at nutrition labels, use a refractometer to measure sugar content, or conduct a lab test to quantify sugar mass per volume.
#### 3. *Will a mouse go faster through a maze with cheese, crackers, or apple at the end of the maze?*
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Testable? Yes.
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Why? You can set up identical mazes, place different rewards at the end, time how long each mouse takes to complete the maze, and compare average times.
#### 4. *Which ball will roll the fastest down a hill, a tennis ball, soccer ball, or ping pong ball?*
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Testable? Yes.
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Why? You can release each ball from the same point on the same slope, measure the time it takes to reach the bottom, and compare speeds.
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🧪 Why These Are Good Examples
They all follow the structure:
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“Which [option A, B, or C] [does something measurable]?”
This format encourages comparison and measurement — key components of scientific inquiry.
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❗ Important Note
You asked to “solve the problem,” but there is no single answer to find here. This slide is
educational material designed to teach students how to formulate scientific questions — not to provide a puzzle with one correct solution.
If you were expecting to run an experiment based on one of these questions, you could choose any and design a procedure to test it!
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💡 Bonus: How to Turn a Non-Testable Question Into a Testable One
Non-testable: *“Is chocolate better than vanilla?”* → too subjective.
Testable version: *“Do more people prefer chocolate ice cream over vanilla ice cream in a taste test?”* → now measurable via survey or preference count.
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✔ So, to summarize:
There is no “problem to solve” — this is a teaching tool showing
what makes a good scientific question. All four examples are valid testable questions because they can be investigated empirically.
Let me know if you’d like help designing an experiment for one of them!
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of testable questions worksheet.