Hypothesis Writing Practice Worksheet

Hypothesis Practice Using Scenarios

Name: Date: Period:

Directions:

Think of a possible testable question for each scenario below, identify the Manipulated Variable (MV), Responding Variable (RV) and then write a hypothesis in correct format as if you were the person in the scenario.

If you already know the answer, don't let this influence how you write the hypothesis. You're not writing the hypothesis for you or as you. You're writing it as if you were the person in the scenario...even if you know that person's hypothesis is wrong!

Don't worry if the experiment is a good experiment or not. You're target is creating a correct hypothesis from the testable question you create from the scenario.

Underline If, then, because and label the MV and RV in the hypothesis by writing the abbreviations above the variable in the hypothesis.

Example:

Kelly and Julia are playing in the park. Julia drops a marble down the shorter playground slide to see how fast it rolls. Kelly states the marble will roll faster if Julia drops it down the longer slide. She claims she's done this before and that's what happened. Julia wonders if this is true.

What is a possible testable question Julia might ask to match this scenario?

What is the effect of dropping a marble down a long slide on how fast it rolls?

MV: dropping marble down long slide RV: how fast the marble rolls

Hypothesis: If I drop a marble down a longer slide, then I think it will roll faster because Kelly has tried this before and that's what she said happened.

Scenario 1:

Evan's nightly chores include washing dishes. His mother cooks everything she prepares a bit too long. Because of this, Evan spends a lot of sweat, effort, and time washing dishes. He sees a commercial on television that claims a new dishwashing detergent, called Brand X, cuts through grease better than its competitor, called Brand Y. They back up their claim with testimonials from people who say they've used this new detergent.

What is a possible testable question (in correct format) that Evan might ask for this scenario?

MV: RV:

Hypothesis:

Scenario 2:

Marissa is an extremely curious sixth grader. During a snow day she looked out her window and saw a truck spreading something all over the road. After the truck went past Marissa's house, she had a snack, put on her snow boots, hat, coat and gloves and went outside to play. She walked over to the edge of her driveway and observed salt all over the roadway, but not the sidewalks or her driveway. She also observed some of the snow and ice had melted off the roadway but not her driveway or sidewalks. She wondered if the ice and snow melting was due to the salt?

What is a possible testable question (in correct format) that Marissa might ask for this scenario?

MV: RV:

Hypothesis:

Scenario 3:

Nathaniel's favorite food is microwave popcorn. He loves microwave popcorn so much he can't stand to see unpopped kernels in the bottom of the bag. Nathaniel thinks to himself when this happens, "Those were kernels that should have popped so I could eat them!" The next time Nathaniel goes to the grocery store he buys all brands of microwave popcorn the store has. He wants to find out if a certain brand of popcorn leaves less kernels than the one he's been eating.

What is a possible testable question (in correct format) that Nathaniel might ask for this scenario?

MV: RV:

Hypothesis:

Scenario 4:

Hope and Elizabeth are trying to decide if they should buy a new skateboard or not. They want a skateboard that gives them the longest jump in the air off a ramp they've built. The new skateboard's designer claims to have an aerodynamic design that allows the longest air time possible when used correctly. Hope and Elizabeth's old skateboards don't have this aerodynamic design. They wonder if this is true and decide that Hope will buy the new skateboard to try out and Elizabeth will wait to see how it works before she buys one or not.

What is a possible testable question (in correct format) that Hope and Elizabeth might ask for this scenario?

MV: RV:

Hypothesis:

Scenario 5:

Mrs. Lowe is having a bad day. She's spilled a water bottle on her desk three times today. She's using paper towels to clean up the mess, but they don't work well. Instead of soaking up the water, they just spread it around. She decides to stop by the grocery store and pick up a new brand of paper towel made out of recycled hay that a student told her could soak up an entire glass full of water with just one towel!

What is a possible testable question (in correct format) that Mrs. Lowe might ask for this scenario?

MV: RV:

Hypothesis:

Now try writing the hypothesis in correct format without actually writing down the testable question or the MV or RV. You should still think of the testable question and the MV and RV in your head, but then write the hypothesis down from these thoughts.

Scenario 6:

Josiah uses a pencil called Brand A. He has pencil smears on his paper every time he completes an assignment and he hates this! Caleb is using a pencil called Brand B. Josiah notices Caleb never has smears on his paper. Josiah wonders if it's the brand of pencil that's keeping Caleb from getting smears on his paper. He decides to borrow Caleb's pencil and test the brand against his to find out.

Hypothesis:

What is another variable Josiah could test in this situation as a 2^nd experiment?

Scenario 7:

Laurie and Abby decide to make guacamole dip with chips to bring to Sensational Six. Laurie used a type of avocado called a Hass Avocado and Abby used a type of avocado called a Fuerte Avocado. Laurie and Abby both made their guacamole dip the same way except for one thing...Abby put lemon juice in hers to give it a "tang." When the girls uncovered their dip at the celebration, Laurie's had turned a brownish green but Abby's was still bright green. The girls wondered if adding the lemon juice to Abby's guacamole dip had helped it stay a nice bright green.

Hypothesis:

What is another variable that Laurie and Abby could test in this situation in a 2^nd experiment?