Transcript Experimental Science

IB Internal Assessment
Exploration
Designing an Experiment
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Formulate a research question.
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Read the background theory.
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State the variables.
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Decide on the equipment you will need.
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Design a method.
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Decide what safety and environmental
considerations there are.
Research Question
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This is the purpose of your experiment.
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Concisely state what you are trying to find out.
“Investigate the effect of X
on Y using Z”
Background Theory
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A literacy search is usually carried out to find
out what work has been done that is similar to
your research question.
This may give methods that have been used
previously and will provide the ”science” behind
the experiment.
It's good practice to finish your 'background
theory' with a hypothesis.
Remember to add references.
Variables
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State your variables:
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Independent variable.
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Dependent variable.
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Control variables.
• Explain in detail how you will control
your variables.
Equipment List
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List the equipment you intend to use, include
the size (e.g. 25ml measuring cylinder).
State the uncertainty of your measuring
equipment (e.g. ± 1ml).
Include chemicals in your list, their
concentration and volumes / masses to be
used.
Method
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Write out your intended procedure (like a
recipe).
Be sure to plan to take enough repeats to make
your experiment reliable.
Be sure to plan to collect relevant
measurements (how precise will they be? can
you calc a mean from them?).
Safety and Environmental
Considerations
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Assess the risks and write down any
precautions necessary.
Write down any environmental / ethical issues
that may arise from your experiement.
Remember the basic lab rules (no need to write
these down).
Investigating osmosis
in potatoes
IB Internal Assessment
Analysis
Recording raw data
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Record all data in a suitable table.
Check table headers are clear, containing units
and uncertainties.
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Give the table a number and a full title.
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Record your qualitative data.
Processing raw data
This may include some of the following:
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Calculation of averages
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Calculation of standard deviation
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Other statistical analysis
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Production of a summary table.
Presenting processed data
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Present the processed data using the most
appropriate graph(s), not raw data.
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Graphs have correct title and labels.
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Graph labels include units and uncertainties.
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Add a line (curve?) of best fit.
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Error bars should be included (state what they
show).
Measurement uncertainties
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State the uncertainty (precision) of each piece of
equipment that you used.
Include chemicals, if appropriate.
State how the uncertainties affect the data in
your experiment
IB Internal Assessment
Evaluation
Concluding
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Give a detailed description of your results,
referring to your data and graphs.
Explain your results with reference to cited
sources.
Compare your result(s) to literary values.
Evaluating procedures
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Describe the factors that were weaknesses or
limited the accuracy or scope of your
investigation (try NOT to look incompetent).
An evaluation describes how the mentioned
weaknesses may have effected the results you
recorded, be quantitative if possible.
Improving the investigation
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Improvements need to be detailed and must
relate to the weaknesses previously identified.
Always suggest an increase in sample size
(reliability).
Always suggest an increase in the range of
your independent variable (trends).
IB Internal Assessment
Communication
If I can't understand what you are
saying when I read your report, you
can't get full marks!
Present a professional document
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Title page containing your information.
Set up your document with appropriate headers
and footers.
Contents page, with page numbers.
Break your document up into numbered subsections
Present a professional document
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Tables with titles (Table 1. Title….)
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Graphs with titles (Figure 1. Title….)
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References: List your sources (from your
footnotes?) in alphabetical order, by author’s
surname, use the Oxford referencing system(?).
Referencing
Books
M Henninger, Don’t Just Surf: Effective Research
Strategies for the Net, UNSW Press, Sydney,
1997, p. 91.
Referencing
Journal article
M. Doyle, ‘Captain Mbaye Diagne’, Granta, vol.
48, August 1994, pp. 99-103.
Referencing
Websites
N Curthoys, ‘Future directions for rhetoric –
invention and ethos in public critique’, in
Australian Humanities Review. March-April
2001, viewed on 11 April 2001,
<htttp://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/AHR/archive/Issu
e-April- 2001/curthoys.html>.