9. DEFINING OPERATIONALLY This is a definition in the context of the experiment, and not the textbook definition.

EXAMPLE 1: An experiment is carried out to investigate photosynthesis and the number of bubbles released is counted. The operational definition of photosynthesis would then be: Photosynthesis is the process where green plants release bubbles in the presence of light, carbon dioxide and water. EXAMPLE 2: An experiment is carried out to investigate photosynthesis and leaves are tested with iodine solution for the presence of starch. The operational definition of photosynthesis would be: Photosynthesis is the process where green leaves in the presence of light, carbon dioxide and water, produce starch which turns iodine solution dark blue. (You must have a phrase which includes the context of the experiment / experimental conditions.) Or even simpler: To define operationally, say the question is asking you concerning Operational Definition of Strong Acids, and the manipulative variable is the acid with various pH value and the responding variable is The Reading of The pH meter. Hence the operational definition is : A strong acid causes the pH meter to show a smaller magnitude reading when the bulb of the pH meter is immersed in each of the samples of various concentrations of the acid, given that the volume of the tested acids is the same and all acids are of the same type.
(Note: The operational definition is supposed to tell a person (whom you assume does not know a single thing about the chemical principles in the first place) what to observe as the responding variable and the conditions in which the experiment is taking place (tell what is the fixed variable and the how the manipulated variable is represented) Another example is: The elasticity of vulcanised rubber Given the experiment is the experiment comparing the elasticity of two strips of rubber, one vulcanised, the other nonvulcanised. Hence, the operational definition of 'the Elasticity of Rubber' is given as: The Elasticity of Rubber is operationally defined as the "Difference between final lengths of the respective rubber strips after the weight used to stretch is removed, and their respective original lengths" given that the two rubber strips have the same initial length but are of different types of rubber, one being vulvanised rubber, the other being non-vulcanised rubber. Another example: define operationally the Rate of Reaction (based on the experiment on this Factor: Temperature of reaction mixture) i.e. the effect of temperature on the rate of reaction between Sodium Thiosulphate solution and dilute sulphuric acid, H2SO4 hence, we define the 'Rate of Reaction' as follows: The rate of reaction is operationally defined as "The time taken for the cross 'X' to disappear" when the "sodium thiosulphate solution is heated to various temperatures" and then reacted with dilute sulphuric acid, given that both the "dilute sulphuric acid and sodium thiosulphate solutions are of standard volumes and concentrations". Note that I have inverted comma-ed the 'responding variable---the factor we are supposed to observe', the 'manipulative variable---the variable being obviously manipulated here' and also the 'fixed variable---the variable being clearly controlled here