Performance Benchmark N.8.A.4
Students know how to design and conduct a controlled experiment. E/S
Sample Test Questions
1st Item Specification: Given a specific question, design a way to test the question using appropriate variables and controls, defend the use of experimental design, and describe weaknesses or flaws in the test, experiment, or research design.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
1. Which question could be used to conduct a scientific experiment?
A. What is the most popular radio station?
B. How does high Definition TV work?
C. Why do I get headaches in school and at home?
D. Does the color of light affect the growth rate of plants?
2. A scientific investigation is designed to test the effects of salt on the freezing point of water. What is the control group for this investigation?
A. Tap water with nothing added to it.
B. Tap water with 1 cup of salt added to it.
C. Ocean water with 1 cup of salt added to it.
D. Ocean water with nothing added to it.
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
3. Consider the question, “Does cold water freeze faster than hot water?”
What is the BEST way to setup an experiment to test this question?
A. Ask a friend to put one tray of hot water and one tray of cold water into his freezer. Have him record the temperatures of the two trays every 45 minutes, until both trays have froze solid.
B. Ask three neighbors to put one tray of hot water and one tray of cold water in their freezer. Have them record the temperatures of the two trays every 45 minutes, until both trays have froze solid.
C. Put one tray of hot water into your freezer and record the temperature of the tray every 45 minutes, until the tray has froze solid. Then put one tray of cold water into the same freezer and record the temperature of the tray every 45 minutes, until the tray has froze solid. Repeat this procedure three times.
D. Put two identical trays filled with equal amounts of water, one with hot water and one with cold water in your freezer. Check on the trays every 45 minutes to see which one freezes solid first.
4. Identify the flaw in the following experiment. A student asked three friends to put some trays in their freezers, some would have hot water and some would have cold water. They would then time how long it takes for each tray to freeze solid, and then call him to give their results.
A. There are too many variables that could affect the results of the test.
B. There were no time limits given to complete the test.
C. There is no benefit to this test.
D. There will be no quantitative data to collect by the students.
2nd Item Specification: Given an example, identify which variable(s) should be controlled in the experimental design.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
5. Which of the following is the independent variable given the hypothesis; “Does the concentration of salt in water effect the rate at which it freezes?”
A. Temperature
B. Time
C. Concentration of salt
D. Type of container
6. Which of the following is the dependent variable given the hypothesis; “Does the concentration of salt in water effect the rate at which it freezes?”
A. Temperature
B. Time
C. Concentration of salt
D. Type of container
7. Which of the following is the BEST variable to control when testing the hypothesis; “Does the concentration of salt in water effect the rate at which it freezes?”
A. Temperature
B. Time
C. Concentration of salt
D. Type of containers
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
8. A student was asked to design an experiment to test the effects the color of light has on the growth rate of plants. When planning to conduct this experiment, which of the following is the BEST list of variables that should be controlled?
A. Type of plants, amount of soil, amount of light, color of light, growth rate of the plants
B. Type of plants, amount of light, amount of water, color of light, final number of leaves on the plants
C. Amount of soil, color of light, type of plants, amount of water, amount of light
D. The color of light, the growth rate of plants, the final number of leaves on the plants, the amount of soil
9. Which of the following list BEST describes what variables should be controlled when testing the hypothesis; “Does the concentration of salt in water effect the rate at which it freezes?”
A. Temperature of the freezer, amount of salt added to each container, amount of water in each container, total amount of time the containers are in the freezer before they freeze
B. Type of containers used, temperature of the freezer, amount of water in each container, total amount of time the containers are in the freezer before they freeze
C. Temperature of each solution to be tested, the type of containers used, amount of water in each container, the volume of water in each container
D. Temperature of the freezer, the type of containers used, amount of water in each container, the volume water in each container
3rd Item Specification: Use appropriate vocab when designing and conducting a controlled experiment (qualitative and quantitative, observations, inference, benefit, consequence, inferring, predicting, data, problem, hypothesis, conclusion, control, variable)
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
10. The part of the experimental design that does not change from setup to setup is called the
A. control.
B. variable.
C. constant.
D. hypothesis.
11. Any factor that can change DURING an experiment is a
A. data table.
B. control.
C. hypothesis.
D. variable.
12. Which of the following is a quantitative observation?
A. The bag contains five rocks.
B. The bag contains pretty rocks.
C. The bag is heavy.
D. The bag smells bad.
13. After conducting an experiment a student is left with several containers of used chemicals, these containers would best be described as
A. controls.
B. variables.
C. a consequence of the experiment.
D. a benefit of the experiment.
4th Item Specification: Understand how to report data and share findings.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
14. After analyzing data a scientist
A. adds a control group.
B. makes a conclusion.
C. stops the experiment.
D. adds a dependent variable.
15. During an experiment that requires the collection of large quantities of numbers, these numbers would BEST be recorded in
A. a data table.
B. a graph.
C. the final report.
D. the hypothesis.
16. After conducting an experiment and making a conclusion, the next MOST LIKELY step would be to
A. construct a data table and graph.
B. think of a hypothesis.
C. report the findings.
D. design a new experiment.
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
17. When reporting the results of an experiment that collected large quantities of numerical data on the effects of colored light on the growth rate of plants, which of the following would be the BEST way to report the information?
A. Data tables for each plant.
B. Individual line graphs for each plant.
C. A line graph for each color of light used.
D. Data tables for each all colors of light used.
Performance Benchmark N.8.A.4
Students know how to design and conduct a controlled experiment. E/S
Sample Test Questions
1. D, DOK Level 1
2. A, DOK Level 1
3. D, DOK Level 2
4. A, DOK Level 2
5. C, DOK Level 1
6. B, DOK Level 1
7. D, DOK Level 1
8. C, DOK Level 2
9. C, DOK Level 2
10. A, DOK Level 1
11. D, DOK Level 1
12. A, DOK Level 1
13. C, DOK Level 1
14. B, DOK Level 1
15. A, DOK Level 1
16. C, DOK Level 1
17. C, DOK Level 2