In a practical investigation,

what is an:

INDEPENDENT
VARIABLE?
Type of variable Description

Independent ?

Dependent ?

Control ?
Type of variable Description

What is changed each

Independent time

What is measured each

Dependent time

What is kept the same

each time.
Control This is so that we know
that the results are only
due to changing the
independent variable
A student investigates the
effect of using one or two
eyes on judging distance.
The student holds a small disc at arms length
and drops it into a paper cup.
This is done 20 times with both eyes open.
She records the number of times that the disc
falls into the paper cup (“hits”).
She then repeats this with only one eye open.
Type of variable Description

Independent Number of eyes used

Number of times the disc

Dependent fell in the cup / number of
hits
Size of the disc
Height above the cup
Control Material of the disc
Height of the cup
Diameter of the cup
Arm fully straightened
 What Is A
“CONTROL
EXPERIMENT/GROUP”
?
Used for comparison

To show the results are only due to the independent variable

Control group is treated exactly the same as the experimental group

However, (usually) the independent variable is not included (e.g. placebo)

 What control would you set up?
Investigating the effect of drug X on the ability to reduce a person’s blood
pressure

One group of people are given drug X; another group is given a placebo (fake pill)

Investigating the effect of pH on enzyme activity

Repeat the experiment using no enzyme (only water) or boiled enzyme.

Investigating the effect of light intensity on the rate of photosynthesis

Repeat the experiment with no light (in the dark)

Control experiments (for comparing to) are:

 set up to show that only the independent variable, and no other factor,
is responsible for the results recorded
 treated in exactly the same way but lack the independent variable
 TEST BRIEF COLOUR CHANGE If
METHOD PRESENT

STARCH Add IODINE solution

?
REDUCING
SUGAR
HEAT with BENEDICT’S
SOLUTION ?
(GLUCOSE)

PROTEIN Add BIURET SOLUTION:

?
- Copper sulphate
- Sodium hydroxide

FAT (LIPID) Add ETHANOL

Shake well ?
Add an equal volume of
WATER
 METHOD PRESENT

STARCH Add IODINE solution RED/BROWN  BLACK

REDUCING HEAT with BENEDICT’S BLUE  BRICK RED

SUGAR SOLUTION
(GLUCOSE)

PROTEIN Add BIURET SOLUTION: BLUE  PURPLE/VIOLET

(ALL ENZYMES ARE PROTEINS)
- Copper sulphate
- Sodium hydroxide

FAT (LIPID) Add ETHANOL WHITE EMULSION

Shake well
Add an equal volume of
WATER

VITAMIN C Add DCPIP BLUE  COLOURLESS

 WATERBATH pH BUFFERS

DIGITAL
HEART RATE
COLORIMETER O2 PROBE MONITOR
Some Accurate Equipment To Know!
EQUIPMENT WHY IT IS USEFUL

WATERBATH
?
BUFFER SOLUTIONS
?
O2/CO2/pH PROBES
?
COLORIMETER
?
DIGITAL
HEART RATE
?
MONITOR
 EQUIPMENT WHY IT IS USEFUL
Some Useful Equipment To Know!
WATERBATH Keeps temperature constant

BUFFER SOLUTIONS Keeps pH constant

O2/CO2/pH PROBE Accurately measures O2/CO2/pH

Objective – do not rely on your judgement of
different shades of colour / counting bubbles etc.
Accurately measures how dark or clear
a solution is.
COLORIMETER It measures the percentage of light
that can pass through.
Objective – does not rely on your judgement of
different shades of colour

DIGITAL Measures heart rate continuously.

HEART RATE
MONITOR Objective – does not rely on your counting!
We may miss beats if the heart rate is very fast.
Why should we
repeat experiments?
(two reasons)
 Why should we do
repeats?

1. To make the average (mean) more reliable.

2. To identify anomalies
(results that do not fit the pattern/general trend)
What is the difference
between accurate and
reliable?
 ACCURATE RELIABLE

Close to the ‘true’, Similar results are

error-free value obtained when repeated

Could results be:

Reliable but not accurate?

Accurate but not reliable?

 PLANNING AN INVESTIGATION
To investigate the effect of
light intensity on the
rate of photosynthesis
[6 marks]
 PLANNING AN INVESTIGATION
Independent Variable (IV)

(a) how will you control the IV?

e.g. use a lamp different distances from a plant

(b) what range will you use?

e.g. 10 cm to 50 cm, going up 10 cm at a time

Dependent Variable (DV) Control Variables (CVs)

(a) how will you measure it?
e.g. count number of oxygen bubbles /
O2 probe
(b) How often and for how long
will you take readings?
e.g. for 5 minutes
What factors will you keep
the same each time?
e.g. volume of water; volume of
sodium hydrogencarbonate solution;
temperature; time to count bubbles;
power of bulb; count after first bubble
produced; plant species; plant mass

Reliability Safety
Say that you will do at least three repeats Give some safety procedures
and calculate a mean average e.g. wear safety
goggles/labcoat/gloves
Control Experiment
Repeat under exactly the same conditions
But with no light (in the dark)
 PLANNING AN INVESTIGATION
e.g. the effect of temperature on an enzyme’s rate of reaction
Independent Variable (IV)

(a) what range will you use?

e.g. 10oC to 90oC, going up 10oC each time

(b) how will you control the IV?

e.g. use a water bath and monitor with a thermometer

Dependent Variable (DV) Control Variables (CVs)

(a) how will you measure it?
e.g. time that it takes for iodine to no
longer change colour
(b) How often and for how long
will you take readings?
e.g. every minute for 10 minutes
What factors will you keep
the same each time?
e.g. volume of enzyme; pH;
time when reading is taken;
volume of substrate;
concentration of enzyme

Reliability Safety
Say that you will do at least three repeats Give some safety procedures
and calculate a mean average e.g. wear safety
goggles/labcoat/gloves
 PLANNING AN INVESTIGATION
e.g. the effect of pH on the rate of starch digestion by amylase
Independent Variable (IV)

(a) what range will you use?

e.g. pH1 to pH14, going up 1 each time

(b) how will you control the IV?

e.g. use 14 different buffer solutions

Dependent Variable (DV) Control Variables (CVs)

(a) how will you measure it?
e.g. time that it takes for iodine to no
longer change colour using a colrimeter
(b) How often and for how long
will you take readings?
e.g. every minute for 10 minutes
What factors will you keep
the same each time?
e.g. volume of amylase;
temperature; time when reading is
taken; volume of starch;
concentration of starch;
concentration of amylase

Reliability Safety
Say that you will do at least three repeats Give some safety procedures
and calculate a mean average e.g. wear safety
goggles/labcoat/gloves
 Rules For Drawing – Please Read
1. Use a pencil

2. Use most of the space given – make it large

3. Use continuous lines that are unbroken and do
not overlap

4. Label exactly what is asked for accurately.

5. Shading is not allowed.

6. Use the same relative sizes as the original

 How many times was it
done?
Repeats =
- can identify anomalies
(results that do not fit the
pattern/trend)
- the mean is more reliable
IMPROVING
AN
EXPERIMENT
How were the results
measured?
Did it rely on human
judgement or bias?
Could more accurate
equipment be used that
displays numbers? e.g use a
colorimeter to measure any
colour change
Were all variables
controlled?
What factors should have
been kept the same each
time?
e.g. using a waterbath to
keep temperature constant
Was a control done?
= an experiment without the
independent variable
If not, the results may be due to
something else other than the
independent variable
 A student measured his heart rate at different times after he stopped
exercising. His results are shown below:

• 120 at time zero (when he stopped exercising)

• 122 after 2 minutes
Raw Data
• 110 after 4 minutes
• 100 after 6 minutes
• 85 after 8 minutes
• 75 after 10 minutes

Show these results in a table.

 “The independent variable “The dependent variable
(what is being changed each (what is being
time) goes in the left column” measured) goes
in the right column”
Time after exercising Heart rate
/ minutes / beats per minute
Raw Data
Include the units after a “/” sign

0 130

2 122

4 110

6 100

8 85

10 75

“Use a ruler to draw gridlines”

“Do not put the units next to the

numbers themselves”
 “The independent variable “The dependent variable
(what is being changed each (what is being
time) goes in the left column” measured) goes
in the right column”
Processed Data
Include the units after a “/” sign

Time after
exercising Heart rate / beats per minute
/ minutes
Run 1 Run 2 Run 3 Average

0 130 140 132 134

2 122 128 120 123
4 110 118 112 113
6 100 92 96 96
“Split the dependent variable (right hand) column to show each separate
8 85 82 80 82
experiment and the average”
10 75 70 72 72
“All data should have the same number of significant figures or decimal
places. Note that the averages have also been shown as whole numbers”
Discuss in groups: 3 mins

Why do you think

students lose marks when
drawing a graph?
 Amount of carbon Number of bubbles counted
dioxide / g per dm3 in 1 minute

0.0 2

0.2 8

0.4 18

0.6 28

0.8 38

1.0 54
1. “use most of the graph paper” 5. “use a sensible scale and the

2. “use a suitable scale – distance between each

you do no have to start at 0” category should be the
same amount e.g. 5 squares
3. “both axes should have titles
and units (if appropriate)” = 0.1points
6. “plot on theaccurately”
x-axis”

4. “use a key or make it clear

which graph is which” (if appropriate)
 Amount of carbon Number of bubbles counted
dioxide / g per dm3 in 1 minute

0.0 2

0.2 8

0.4 18

0.6 28

0.8 28

1.0 28
Describe and explain the shape of
this graph. [5 marks]
Describe and explain the shape of
this graph. [5 marks]

1. As carbon dioxide concentration increases from 0.0 to 0.6

(g per dm3), number of bubbles increases;

2. (Because) carbon dioxide concentration limits the rate of
photosynthesis/number of bubbles / is a limiting factor;
3. After 0.6, the number of bubbles stays the same/is constant;
4. (Because) another factor/light/water limits the rate of
photosynthesis;
 Time for milk to clear /s
pH
40oC 50oC

5.5 600 850

6.0 360 500

7.0 50 70

7.5 35 65

8.0 45 100
1. “use most of the graph paper”

2. “use a suitable scale –

you do no have to start at 0”

3. “both axes should have titles

and units (if appropriate)”

4. “use a key or make it clear

which graph is which”

5. “use a sensible scale and the

distance between each

category should be the
same amount e.g. 5 squares

6. “plot
= 0.5points
on theaccurately”
x-axis”
 Type of Percentage of Percentage of
seed protein / % fat / %

chickpea 8.0 2.5

lentil 9.0 0.6

lima bean 8.0 0.4

mung bean 7.0 0.4

soya bean 16.0 0.8