Design an experiment to test your hypothesis. You need to determine your variables, controls, equipment and materials. Remember you need to measure something and use numbers to record data. You will also need to make observations. Keep the directions clear, but simple, and NUMBER YOUR STEPS.
Sample Project: Strength of Paper Towels
First: List your Materials
—Three Brands of Towels, Graduated Cylinder, 500 pennies, testing frame, water, masking tape, empty picture frame, blocks of wood or books, stop watch
Second: Write your procedure in numbered steps.
1. Prepare a Data Chart.
2. Cut three pieces of each kind of paper towel.
3. Place one piece of Brand A in a testing frame such as an empty picture frame.
4. Tape the towel securely around all edges with masking tape.
5. Place frame off the table on blocks which are 3 inches thick or use books to get this off the table.
6. Pour 10 mL of water near the center of the towel.
7. Wait one minute until water absorbs.
8. Place pennies one at a time near the middle until a tear occurs or the pennies fall through.
9. Record data and make observations in your log book.
10. Repeat with all of the nine samples.
Third: Identify your Variables
Manipulated variable: What you Test—such as kind of paper towel
Dependent variable: What you count – such as number of pennies
Controls: What you keep the same—such as amount of water, and the temperature of the water, size of the towel, distance frame is from table top.