Testable Research Questions

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Testable Research Questions
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What is a Testable Question?

• A testable question is one that can be answered
  by designing and conducting an experiment.

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A Testable Research Question

• Ask about objects, organisms, and events in the
  natural world.
• Connect to scientific concepts rather than to
  opinions, morals, feelings, or personal beliefs.
• Can be answered or investigated through
  experiments, surveys or observations.
• Lead to gathering evidence and using data to
  explain how the natural world works
• Do NOT relate to the supernatural or to
  non-measurable phenomena
• MUST Have a IV, DV and a Control

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Testable Questions have

• A responding variable (Dependent)
• A manipulated variable (Independent)
• Controlled variables

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What is aManipulated Variable?

• The single condition that will be changed in an
  experiment

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What is aResponding Variable?

• The condition that will be measured in an
  experiment

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Controlled Variables?

• The conditions that are kept the same
  (unchangeable) in an experiment

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Testable Question 1

• Does changing the height of the ramp affect the
  speed of the car going down the ramp?

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Testable Question 1
Manipulated Variable

• Does changing the ____________ affect the
  ______________ going down the ramp?

Responding Variable
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Testable Question 2

• Does changing the amount of light affect the
  growth rate of plants?

Underline the MANIPULATED variable Box in the
RESPONDING variable
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Testable Question 3

• Does the temperature of water affect the time it
  takes a sugar cube to dissolve?

Underline the MANIPULATED variable Box in the
RESPONDING variable
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Testable or Not Testable Review

• Testable Questions need 2 parts
• Independent variable
• Dependent variable

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Testable Question Formats

• Does changing _______ affect _______?
• How does changing _____ affect _____?
• If I change ______ will it affect ______?
• What effect does ______ have _______?

manipulated variable
responding variable
manipulated variable
responding variable
manipulated variable
responding variable
responding variable
manipulated variable
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How to Turn aNon-Testable Questioninto a
Testable Question

• Step 1 Read the question carefully.
• Which brand of shoe makes you run faster Nike or
  New Balance?

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How to Turn aNon-Testable Questioninto a
Testable Question

• Step 2 Determine the cause and the effect in the
  question.
• Which brand of shoe makes you run faster Nike or
  New Balance?
• In this case, the idea is that the brand of shoe
  causes your speed to change.
• So, the shoe brand is the cause, the speed that
  you run is the effect.

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How to Turn aNon-Testable Questioninto a
Testable Question

• Step 3 Plug the cause and the effect into the
  format
• What is the effect of ____ on ____.
• The cause goes in the first blank, and the effect
  goes in the second blank.
• So the correct testable question looks like
• What is the effect of shoe brand on running
  speed?

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Sample Problem 1

• Non-Testable
• Does carbon dioxide in the atmosphere cause the
  atmosphere to warm?
• Testable
• What is the effect of carbon dioxide on
  atmosphere temperature?

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Sample Problem 2

• Non-Testable
• Is achievement in school higher when students are
  tested frequently?
• Testable
• What is the effect of testing on student
  achievement?