The Better-Than-Fair Science Fair Project Quiz

Answer: True

There is really no one person who is given credit for developing the scientific method; it has evolved over time. Aristotle is one of the earliest thinkers who devised methods of observation and classification. In the thirteenth century after studying the writings of Muslim scientists, Roger Bacon began to describe steps that are accepted today as part of the scientific method. Galileo, however, is generally know as the "Father of Scientific Method". According to "Science Buddies", "The scientific method is a way to ask and answer scientific questions by making observations and doing experiments."

Answer: Any of these topics would be great!

The most important aspect of choosing a science fair project is finding a topic that is appealing to the person designing the project. It takes quite some time to formulate a good project, so the topic has to be one that will hold interest. It is also very important to get past the "model of a volcano" mentality that many have.

There are numerous sites on the internet that suggest good projects in a variety of categories; do some investigating beforehand and be aware of the previous experiments of those who investigated the same topic.

Answer: to devise a question

A scientific question usually begins with "How, What, When, Who, Which, Why, or Where"? For example, a person who has had trouble learning, may want to do a project on "How Do People Learn Best"? A person who just found out they have a cavity may do a project on "Which Toothpaste Works Best"? During the course of completing the project, the answer will be found!

Although scientific-method procedures may vary from discipline to discipline, the basic characteristics are: devise a question, complete background research, formulate a theory, test your theory, analyze results, draw conclusions, and write a report.

Answer: hypothesis

The hypothesis is an educated guess about what will be found at the end of the experiment. A good hypothesis will be stated in a way that can easily be measured, and should be constructed in a way to answer the initial question. For example, in the learning experiment, a good hypothesis would be, "I think people learn best when they concentrate, instead of when they are distracted or relaxed." For the toothpaste experiment a good hypothesis would be, "I think Brand X toothpaste will kill the bacteria in my mouth best".

Answer: True

The log is extremely valuable for a lot of reasons. It keeps the work organized, and together in one place. When used properly it will document the project step by step with a detailed and permanent account, which will serve to answer future questions or maybe even lead to another experiment. Lastly, the log will show the time, effort, and thought that went into the project; it is something that science fair judges will take the time to appraise.

Answer: Test the educated guess.

It is very important to test the educated guess, and that is the purpose of the experiment in the first place! It is the only way to find out if the educated guess was correct. In testing the guess, make sure to have a "fair test", and only change one factor at a time while keeping all other conditions the same.

Answer: Independent variable

The independent variable is the thing that causes the change in the experiment. In the learning experiment that took place over three days, the subjects were read a list of words. Then each day one thing changed. The first day after reading the words, the subjects were asked to stare out the window and keep their minds blank for two minutes before being asked to write as many words as they could remember. On the second day, the tester told jokes for two minutes after reading another list of words; subjects were directed to think only about the words for two minutes before making their list on the third day.

The independent variable consisted of the different activities done each day after the words were read. In the toothpaste experiment the independent variable was which toothpaste was used.

Answer: Controlled variable

It is important to have as many controls as can be managed in the experiment in order to better observe the variables introduced. For example, in the learning experiment the controls were: over all three days the same students participated, the test was given at the same time every day, the words were always read at the same speed, and the subjects had exactly two minutes each day before writing the words they could remember. One can see how changing any of the controls could change the outcome on any given day.

Answer: 100+

It is really important to repeat the experiment many times to make sure the first results weren't just an accident. Think of it this way: How conclusive and reliable would a taste test to find the best cola be if the experiment was only done using ten subjects? The larger the sample size, the smaller the margin of error.

For example, the margin of error is estimated to be 31.6% if the sample size is ten; if the sample size is 100, the margin of error goes down to 10%. Before there can be any confidence in the results, a really large number of people need to take the survey; however, it is also important to make sure your sample is representative.

This can be done when determining the controlled variables in your experiment.

Answer: False

What is important is making sure to go through the correct process to prove the educated guess right or wrong - not the fact that the data agreed or disagreed with the original educated guess. The conclusion of the experiment is a good time to reflect on the procedure of the experiment, and suggest possible changes for future study. Finish strongly by including a chart or graph that shows results, and creating a display board that shows each scientific step.