Name: _________________________________ Course, Yr. & Sec.

:_________ Date: __________________

ACTIVITY ON SCIENTIFIC METHOD

A. Study the scenario described below that illustrates what an experiment is.

Ms. Gatdula was invited by a friend to visit her in Baguio City. Before leaving her home in
Manila, she instructed her helper to feed the fish in the aquarium during her absence. It was May.
The summer heat was almost unbearable. The helper was worried about the fish entrusted to her.
One very warm afternoon, she got a tray of ice cubes and put all of them into the aquarium. In just a
short while, all the fish in the aquarium died.
Anthony, a nephew of Ms. Gatdula, learned about the tragic incident. But he did not
reprimand the helper right away. He wanted to be sure of the cause of the death of the fish. Here is
what he did: He brought six fish of the same kind as those that had died. He kept them in the
aquarium for two days.
Then he got two large wide mouthed bottles or glass jars, of the same size. He labeled one
jar no. 1 and the other jar no. 2. He put the same amount of water and three fish in each jar,
together with some aquarium plants. When the fish had stayed in the jars for two days, he put ice
cubes in jar no. 1. He observed that the fish in jar no. 1 died. Those in jar no. 2 did not.

Answer the following questions

1. For his investigation, why did Anthony buy the same kind of fish as those had died? Could he not
have used just any kind of aquarium fish?
The reason why Anthony bought the same kind of aquarium fish as those had died for his
investigation is that he wanted to be sure of the real cause of the death of the fish. And if ever
he uses other kind of aquarium fish it might have a different result and might mislead his
investigation. The best way he can find out the real cause of the death of the fish is through
experimenting with the same kind of fish as the ones which had died.

2. Why did Anthony keep the fish he had bought in the aquarium for two days before starting his
investigation?
Anthony keep the fish he had bought in the aquarium for two days because he wanted to make
sure that the fish had already adapted to their new environment which is the aquarium and that
the fish were healthy before executing his investigation. He also did this to avoid any
unexpected circumstances which might alter the result of his investigation.

3. Why did he use two jars of the same size, put the same amount of water in the jars, and place
three fish in each jar? Was it necessary that the conditions in the two jars be the same at the
beginning of the experiment? Why or Why not?
The reason why Anthony used the same setups for the two test subjects is that he wanted to be
sure that if he started his investigation he can properly compare the two results from the
experimental group (jar no. 1) with the results from the control group (jar no. 2) and to see what
happens when he change the variable he wanted to examine. Yes it is necessary that the
conditions in two jars be the same at the beginning of the experiment because it will allow the
researcher, Anthony, to see if the tested variable is responsible for a result in the research
investigation.
4. Why did he put ice cubes in only one jar? Why not in both jars?
Anthony put ice cubes in only one jar because he want to test and compare the result of both
test subjects. It can't be done in both jars since he wanted to see the results and putting ice
cubes in both jars might just share the same results. And he might not be able to identify the
cause of the results since he wasn't able to compare. It's like if you're testing two variables at a
time, you won't be able to tell which variable was responsible for the result. It's better if you
test only one variable at a time as it will let you analyze the results of your  experiment to see
how much a single change affected the result. 

5. What did Anthony want to find out from this experiment?

Anthony wanted to find out the real cause of death of the fish.

6. Define dependent, independent and control variables. Identify the dependent, independent and
control variables from the situation.
 Dependent Variables
It is the variable being tested or measured during a scientific experiment.
(Health of the fish)
 Independent Variables
It is the variable that is altered during a scientific experiment.
(Ice cube)
 Control Variables
It is a variable that is kept the same during a scientific experiment.
(Jar size, kind and number of fish, amount of water, and aquarium plants)

7. Describe the control set-up and experimental set-up from the experiment of Anthony.
 Control set-up
From Anthony’s experiment the control set-up is jar no. 2 which contains 3 the same
kind of aquarium fish put inside a jar with water and some aquarium plants.
 Experimental set-up
The experimental set-up in Anthony’s experiment is jar no. 1 which contains 3 the same
kind of aquarium fish put inside a jar with water and some aquarium plants and is added
with some ice cubes.

8. Does he have a positive and negative control set-up? Support your answer.
Yes, Anthony does have a positive and negative control set-up. The positive control set-up in his
experiment is set-up 1 or jar no. 1 (with ice cubes). The treatment used in this set-up has a well
understood effect on results. It is typically a treatment that is known to produce results that are
similar to those predicted in the hypothesis of the experiment. The negative control set-up in his
experiment is jar no. 2. This set-up has no treatment and it is predicted to produce no change
to results of interest to the experiment.

9. State the importance of conducting an experiment.

Experiment is very much important as it plays a vital role in science. Conducting an experiment is
very important most especially if you seek to find answers about something as well as  to prove
or disprove the hypotheses of others. It provides us with knowledge of the physical world, and it
is experiment that provides the evidence that grounds this knowledge. It let's us to test theories
 and to provide the basis for scientific knowledge. Experiment can provide us with hints toward
the structure or mathematical form of a theory and it can also provide evidence for the
existence of the entities involved in our theories. Finally, an experiment may also have a life of
its own, independent of theory. Scientists or other professionals may investigate a phenomenon
just because it looks so interesting. Such experiments conducted may provide evidence for a
future theory to explain. 

B. Analysis of an Abstract
ABSTRACT
The study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of horse manure as fertilizer in bean
plants. Thirty bean plants were used in the study. The plants were divided into three set ups – each
set up having ten bean plants. The first setup was not treated with fertilizer. The remaining setups
were treated with horse and urea. After thirty days of experimentation, the height of the plants was
measured. The mean height of each setup was determined. The first setup has a mean of 20.6 cm.
Second setup which was treated with horse manure has a mean height of 32.6 cm. the last setup
which was treated with urea has a mean height of 30.8 cm. based on the results of the study, horse
manure is a very effective substitute as fertilizer for bean plants. Moreover, horse manure is more
cost –efficient compared with urea. It is also significant that horse manure as fertilizer is
environment friendly compared with other commercial fertilizers in the market that can cause
eutrophication in bodies of water. It is recommended that repeated observations and treatment in
other plants to validate the result and findings.

AREAS TO LOOK AT PRESENT NOT PRESENT

1. The problem to be solved ✓
2. The hypothesis used in the
investigation
3. The basis for the hypothesis
4. The procedure to test the
hypothesis
5. Variables used and identified ✓
6. The experimental and control ✓
setup
7. The findings of the study ✓
8. The conclusions and ✓
recommendations

Base your answers from the ABSTRACT.

1. State the problem

The effectiveness of horse manure as fertilizer in bean plants
2. Formulate null hypothesis
The horse manure is not effective as a fertilizer in bean plants.
3. Identify the following:
a. Dependent variables
 The height of the bean plants
b. Independent variables
The fertilizer used in each of the bean plants
c. Control variables
Type of plants used, number of plants, number of days
4. Is there a negative set-up? Support your answer.
Yes there is a negative control set-up. A negative control set-up is a control group that is not
exposed to the experimental treatment or to any other treatment that is expected to have an
effect. From the abstract that I've read, the negative set-up there was the first set-up because the
first set-up did not receive any treatment. The first setup was not treated with fertilizer.

5. How about positive control set-up? Support your answer.

Yes there is a positive control set-up. A positive control set-up is a control group that is not exposed
to the experimental treatment but that is exposed to some other treatment that is known to
produce the expected effect.  From the abstract, it is stated there that the two other set-ups
received a treatment. The third set-up receives other treatment, it receives urea as a fertilizer.

6. Is there an experimental set-up? Support your answer.

Yes, there's an experimental set-up. An experimental setup is the part of research in which the
experimenter analyzes the effect of a specific variable. And this group receives an experimental
procedure. This group is exposed to changes in the independent variable being tested. From the
abstract, it is stated that the two set-ups are exposed to changes in the independent variable which
is the fertilizer. And the one which received this experimental procedure is the second set-up which
was treated with horse manure.