Fiu Chemistry Experiment Design Paper

Instructions•
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please convert the document to any of the formats accepted by turnitin (we recommend the
pdf format)
Please ensure to check that you have used citations in the text where needed. You must cite
the reference in the body of the question and then you can include the whole list of citations
at the end of the assignment. You can use the APA (American Psychological Association style
of citation or the ACS (American Chemical Society) style of citation. Please pick a style and
stick to that style during the assignment.
Assignment
Every discovery in chemistry comes from experimentation; it is the bread and butter for scientists in
every discipline. Thus, being adept in experimental design is a significant tool. Experimental design is all
about making accurate observations in a controlled environment.
Consider a biologist who is
seeking to determine the effect of sunlight on four plants. She is interested in observing the response in
plant growth to the manipulation of sunlight –how much or how little sunlight the plants receive.
•What is her independent variable? Define independent variable.
•What is her dependent variable? Define dependent variable.
•What is the relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable?
•The goal of the biologist’s study is to determine the relationship between sunlight and plant growth. If
fertilizer and water aren’t being investigated as to how they affect plant growth, should those factors
remain constant or be variable? Why? Define a constant.
•The biologist collects her data over the course of a week. Her first plant received 1 hour of sunlight per
day and grew 1.25 inches. Her second plant received 2 hours of sunlight and grew 2.50 inches. Her third
received 3 hours and grew 4.25 inches. The final received 4 hours of sunlight per day and grew 5.75
inches. Using this info, organize the biologist’s experimental data into a data table (be careful to
represent the numbers exactly as they are given to you and label the table and what your columns and
rows represent).