4.1.8

Planning an Experiment

Test yourself

Planning an Experiment

Planning experiments is important. Planning experiments will help you to use the right equipment. Planning experiments will help you know which variables need to be controlled.

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Reducing Errors

  • Planning a method will reduce errors and make sure your results are valid.
  • Measurements should be precise.
    • Precise results are similar when you repeat the experiment.
  • Measurements should be accurate.
    • Accurate results are close to the true value.
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Repeatable experiments

  • Your experiment should be repeatable.
  • Your experiment is repeatable if:
    • Results are similar and precise when you repeat the experiment.
    • Others can repeat your experiment and get similar results.
    • Your experiment can be repeated with similar but different equipment.
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Human error

  • Random errors used to be called human error.
  • Human error is a common cause of error in an investigation.
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Human error examples

  • An example of human error is parallax error.
    • Parallax error occurs when recording the volume of a liquid on a meniscus curve.
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Writing a method

  • A method is more than a step-by-step guide.
    • The independent and dependent variables should be clear in the method.
    • The method should clearly show how you would use the equipment to get valid results.

Jump to other topics

1Biology

1.1Cells, Tissues & Organs

1.2Reproduction & Variation

1.3Ecological Relationships & Classification

1.4Digestion & Nutrition

1.5Plants & Photosynthesis

1.6Biological Systems & Processes

2Chemistry

2.1Particles

2.2Chemical Reactions

2.3Atoms, Elements, Compounds

2.4The Periodic Table

2.5Materials & the Earth

2.6Reactivity

2.7Energetics

2.8Properties of Materials

3Physics

3.1Energy

3.2Forces & Motion

3.3Waves

3.4Electricity & Magnetism

3.5Matter

3.6Space Physics

4Thinking Scientifically

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