Diet Coke, Mentos and the Scientific Method



Diet Coke, Mentos and the Scientific Method

1. Observe & State the problem from the demonstration ________________________________________________________________________.

2. Form a Hypothesis – a logical explanation written as an If…Then statement. ____________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________.

3. Test Hypothesis

a. Set up a controlled experiment- only _____________ variable changed at a time

i. _________________________________ variable- variable that is manipulated

ii. ___________________________ variable- changes in response to the manipulated variable

What did Jamie and Adam use as a responding variable? ______________________________________________

b. Control group/Set-up used by Jamie and Adam: _____________________________________________

4. Record data

| Ingredients Tested from Soda |Rate of Reaction |

| |none, small, medium, large |

|No Carbon Dioxide (CO2) | |

|Soda Water “Carbon Dioxide (CO2) + Water” | |

|Aspartame + Soda water | |

|Citric Acid + Soda water | |

|Phosphoric Acid + Soda water | |

|Potassium Benzoate + Soda water | |

|Caffeine + Soda water | |

5. Analyze data and draw a conclusion

a. List the ingredients from the soda that were needed to produce a reaction.

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

b. List the ingredients from the Mentos that were involved in the reaction.

______________________________________________________________________________

c. How many variables were tested at one time? _____ Why is this important? ___________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

d. What was the control used? _______________________________ Explain the importance of using a control

The Scientific Method: Understanding Malaria

Directions: Read the following story of the discovery of the disease malaria. Answer the following questions using your knowledge of the scientific method.

In the summer of 1897, an English doctor named Ronald Ross was working in a rural hospital in a remote area of India. The disease we call malaria is very common in this region of the world. In 1897, more than a million people died of malaria each year. At this time, no one knew what caused malaria. In fact, most doctors at the time believed that the disease was caused by poisonous vapors. Dr. Ross decided to study malaria and discover how it spread from one person to another.

Dr. Ross observed that patients in his hospital who did not have malaria when they arrived were more likely to develop the disease if they were in a part of the hospital that did not have screens in the windows or netting around the hospital beds. These areas were called “open wards”. He realized that the screens and netting protected people from insects that are common in India. Patients in the part of the hospital with screens and netting (closed wards) were less likely to develop the disease while they were in the hospital.

After observing this pattern, Dr. Ross hypothesized that the mosquitoes in the open wards might be spreading disease from the patients who already had malaria to the patients without malaria. Dr. Ross decided to dissect (cut open) the mosquitoes that had bitten the malaria patients. In the salivary glands (near the mouth) of the mosquitoes he found live malaria parasites. Dr. Ross also dissected some mosquitoes that had not bitten malaria patients. He did not find malaria parasites in those mosquitoes.

1. What did Dr. Ross first observe that led him to start his experiment?

2. What was Dr. Ross’ hypothesis?

3. What was the experimental group in Dr. Ross’ experiment?

4. What was the control group in Dr. Ross’ experiment?

5. Why is it important to have both an experimental group and a control group in an experiment?

6. What were the results on Dr. Ross’ experiment? Describe them.

7. What can you conclude from Dr. Ross’ experiment?

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|Ingredients Tested from Mentos |Rate of Reaction |

| |(Reaction or no reaction) |

|Gum arabic | |

|Gelatin | |

|Regular Mentos | |

|Coated “Smooth” Mentos | |

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