Grade 8 SCIENCE Notes

Name: No.
ADDITIONAL COURSE SCIENCE PROJECT SC21101

VARIABLES IN SCIENCE

In science, there are three important variables; Independent Variables (), Dependent
Variables ( ), and Constants ()

Lets Go

2 + ____ =__?__ What does this problem equal? We are not sure, because it
depends. It can be 2+3= 5 or 2+4=6 or 2+50=52

So, you can see that in every example, we changed one number and it affected the answer!
A variable is something that can be changed.
A constant is something that does not change.

So, 2+4= 6 in this problem, 2 is the constant, 4 and 6 are variables.

Science experiments use
Independent variables the one variable changed by the person doing the experiment.
Dependent variables the factor being measured in an experiment.
Constants all the factors that stay the same in an experiment.

Now, looking at this a) 2+3= 5 b) 2+4=6 c) 2+50=52

2 is constant, 3, 4 and 50 are changing all the time. They are called independent variables and 5, 6 and
52 are the dependent variables.
Now, how does it fit with science experiments? Imagine you want to do an experiment to test what
kind of plant food works the best. Miracle Gro, Jobe sticks, or brandpro.
Constants + Independent Variable = Dependent Variable

Same types and Health and Growth of plants

amounts of: Miracle gro Good
water, light, Jobe sticks Best
and soil Brandpro Little
Example 1:
Different rose bushes are grown in a greenhouse for two months. The number of flowers on each bush
is counted at the end of the experiment. What are the constant, independent and dependent variables?
Constant Variable = Time (two months) Independent Variable = Rose bushes Dependent Variable
= Number of flowers

Example 2:
Two groups of fifth graders were tested to compare their speed solving long division problems. One
group had calculators, the other didnt.
What is the dependent variable? Speed solving long division problems
What is the independent variable? Calculators and no calculators
What is the constant variable? Fifth graders

Exercises
Nirapat notices that his shower is Dependent variable
covered in a strange green slime. His
friend Pailiw tells him that coconut juice
will get rid of the green slime. Homer Independent variable
decides to check this out by spraying
half of the shower with coconut juice.
He sprays the other half of the shower Constant variable
with water. After 3 days of "treatment"
there is no change in the appearance of
the green slime on either side of the
shower.
Paul thinks that a special juice will Dependent variable
increase the productivity of workers. He
creates two groups of 50 workers each
and assigns each group the same task (in Independent variable
this case, they're supposed to staple a set
of papers). Group A is given the special
juice to drink while they work. Group B Constant variable
is not given the special juice. After an
hour, Paul counts how many stacks of
papers each group has made. Group A What should Pauls'
made 1,587 stacks, Group B made 2,113 conclusion be?
stacks
Students of different grades were given Dependent variable
the same jigsaw puzzle to assemble. The
time they took to assemble it was
measured. Independent variable

Constant variable
A comprehension test was given to Dependent variable
students after they had studied
textbook material either in silence or
with the television turned on. Independent variable
In this section, make your own experiment and fill out the following information. Make
your hypothesis.