Name: __________________________________

Date: _______________________

MIXED NUTS
A. Introduction
A scientific method is a way to think about problems and a way to solve problems. Scientists do not always follow
the steps of the scientific method in order. However, after a problem is solved, a scientist can use a scientific
method to explain how the solution was reached. The steps of the scientific method can be broken down into the
following parts:
 Make observations
 Ask a question
 Form a hypothesis. (if/then statement, using tested/controlled variables)
 Experiment.
 Record and analyze data. (may include further experiments)
 Communicate conclusions.

B. Purpose/Hypothesis: How many components are in a pack of DingDong?

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C. Materials

1 pack of Dingdong
Pencil
Paper towel or plate
Lab sheet with chart to record individual data and class data

D. Procedure:
1. Pour the Dingdong onto a clean paper towel or paper plate. (No eating yet!)
2. Sort the components.
3. Count the number of each component. Record in the frequency column.
4. Calculate the percentage of each candy color. (Divide the number of each color by the total number of candies) in
the first data table.
5. Record the totals and % of component.
6. Make a bar graph showing the numbers for each component.

E. Data/Analysis Questions:

Components Count
F. Questions:

1. What kind of mixture is Dingdong?

2. How many components is in a pack of Dingdong?

3. Which component has the greatest count? The least count?

4. Can you separate the components easily? How did you separate the components?

5. Mix the components.

6. Get a spoonful of the mixture. How many components are in that spoonful?

7. Get another spoonful of the mixture. Hoe many components are in the second spoonful?

8. Were you able to get the same number of components in both spoonful?

G. Make a graph of your data: