Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 349 views

    Alternative To Practical Notes

    Uploaded by

    Tabitha
    This document provides guidelines for plotting graphs and tables, identifying variables, describing control experiments, noting sources of error, and making drawings in science experiments. It discusses how to properly label axes and scale graphs, plot points accurately, and space bars evenly. Variables are defined as independent (manipulated by the experimenter and plotted on the x-axis), dependent (measured by the experimenter and plotted on the y-axis). Control variables should be kept constant. Sources of error and ways to minimize them are outlined. Guidelines for repeating experiments and setting up control groups are provided.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Alternative To Practical Notes

    Uploaded by

    Tabitha
    349 views8 pages
    This document provides guidelines for plotting graphs and tables, identifying variables, describing control experiments, noting sources of error, and making drawings in science experiments. It discusses how to properly label axes and scale graphs, plot points accurately, and space bars evenly. Variables are defined as independent (manipulated by the experimenter and plotted on the x-axis), dependent (measured by the experimenter and plotted on the y-axis). Control variables should be kept constant. Sources of error and ways to minimize them are outlined. Guidelines for repeating experiments and setting up control groups are provided.

    Original Title

    ALTERNATIVE TO PRACTICAL NOTES

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    This document provides guidelines for plotting graphs and tables, identifying variables, describing control experiments, noting sources of error, and making drawings in science experiments. It discusses how to properly label axes and scale graphs, plot points accurately, and space bars evenly. Variables are defined as independent (manipulated by the experimenter and plotted on the x-axis), dependent (measured by the experimenter and plotted on the y-axis). Control variables should be kept constant. Sources of error and ways to minimize them are outlined. Guidelines for repeating experiments and setting up control groups are provided.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    349 views8 pages

    Alternative To Practical Notes

    Uploaded by

    Tabitha
    This document provides guidelines for plotting graphs and tables, identifying variables, describing control experiments, noting sources of error, and making drawings in science experiments. It discusses how to properly label axes and scale graphs, plot points accurately, and space bars evenly. Variables are defined as independent (manipulated by the experimenter and plotted on the x-axis), dependent (measured by the experimenter and plotted on the y-axis). Control variables should be kept constant. Sources of error and ways to minimize them are outlined. Guidelines for repeating experiments and setting up control groups are provided.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 8

    ALTERNATIVE TO PRACTICAL HINTS

    PLOTTING GRAPHS

    A – axes labelled and scaled evenly;

    S – size;

    P – points plotted accurately ±½ small square;

    L – line

    K – labelling of both lines / key;

    P – all bars plotted accurately ±½ small square;

    B – Bars not touching, of equal width and equally spaced;

    Variables on graphs and Tables

    NB: Independent variable:- ( the one that the experimenter changes and should be
    plotted on the on the X- axis- and should be a heading on the table with
    units

    Dependent variable – the one the experimenter just measures and should be plotted
    on the On Y – axis- and should be a heading on the table with units

    How to draw a table:

    Control variable –the variables kept constant and should not be on the table

    Safety precautions

    use of water-bath – heating / safety goggles – acids/ bases / gloves / test-tube

    holders / point tubes away from people ;

    wear, eye protection / gloves ;

    Benedict’s solution could damage the eyes / skin / is an irritant / toxic ;

    Iodine solution, ethanol, hydrogen peroxide, biuret reagent, DCPIP

    1
    use a water-bath (for heating) / tongs / stand while doing the experiment / wear

    goggles / wear gloves ;

    ref. to use of hot water / dangers of Bunsen burners ;

    Sources of errors

    Procedure Possible error source Improvement


    being done
    Difficulty in measuring the height of measure mass of
    precipitate or when precipitate forms precipitate

    difficult to measure all at the same time do each test separately

    difficulty judging colour by eye idea of using a white / black


    background / colour chart /
    colorimeter
    difficulty observing four tubes at the idea of measuring each
    same time (so miss the colour change) separately
    idea that not enough trials are carried dea that three or more trials
    out should have been done
    (inconsistent) shaking shake continuously
    Difficulty cutting into equal sized pieces measure 5mm slices
    dilution of due to washing use a new large test tube
    each time that is dry
    Error resulting from not controlling a Control that variables
    variables
    Not accurately measuring volume Use a syringe/pipette
    Not mixing before measuring Stir, shake before mixing

    How to make drawings

    2
    Sample drawing question

    Draw a plan of the tissues shown-do not draw the cells- sample answer

    3
    4
    Reasons for repeating and experiment

    to identify anomalous results , to increase reliability and to be able to calculate the


    average

    How to know what the control experiment should be

    There are two groups in the experiment, and they are identical except that one receives
    a treatment while the other does not. The group that receives the treatment in an
    experiment is called the experimental group, while the group that does not receive
    the treatment is called the control group

    Reasons for setting up a control experiment

    for a comparison and to improve validity of the investigation

    control variables and why they should be kept constant

    these are the variables that should be kept constant in an experiment. They should be
    kept constant so that:

    - The experiment is valid


    - They do not become a source of error
    - They do not affect the outcome of the experiment

    Calculations

    - Calculating magnification
    Averaga/Mean= Total of values

    No of values

    5
    Important units

    Micrometers to millimeters- 1000micrometers= 1mm

    Millimeters to centimeters- 10mm=1cm

    Rate= distance/amount/volume etc

    time taken

    Additional requirements

    - Converting answer to significant figures or to decimal points


    e.g convert 1.013 to two significant figures and two decimal places respectively

    other calculations that can be asked are shown below with examples

    The following are some of the calculations that you can be asked to do.

    (i) Calculate the percentage change

    = final – initial/initial × 100


    The percentage change can be negative (decrease) or positive (increase)

    (ii) Calculate average/mean = sum of all the value/number of values

    (iii) Calculate the rate

    = length/ distance/volume etc

    Time

    (iv) Calculate the difference = final - initial

    PRACTICE QUESTIONS
    1. The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere increased from 1950 a.u in 1974 to 3000 a.u in 2012. Calculate the
    percentage increase in the amount of CO 2
    2. Herbivores have 1500kj of energy in a given ecosystem. Of this, only 250 kJ is passed on to the carnivores.
    Calculate what percentage of the energy in the herbivores is available for the carnivores.

    6
    3. In an experiment to measure the rate of evaporation, the bubble moved a distance of 20 cm in 20 minutes.
    Calculate the rate of transpiration of the plant.

    4. The following data was obtained after doing an experiment on the effect of exercise on the rate of the heart
    beat. The experiment was done three times to increase reliability.

    Heart beat rate in beats/minute


    Type of exercise

    1 2 3 Mean

    Heavy exercise 120 122 120

    Light exercise 90 92 90

    (a) Calculate the means for the heavy exercise


    (b) Plot a graph to show the results
    5. A student was investigating the effect of temperature on the body temperature. She recorded her results in her
    note book as shown below.

    Prepare a table and record the student’s results.

    7
    8

    You might also like