Scientific Method Practice Worksheet Name:_____KEY________

Period: __________

Read the following paragraph and indentify the parts of the scientific method:

A pharmaceutical company wanted to test a new drug developed to lessen the effects of
the common cold. To test this drug, scientists tested fifty volunteers, each of whom
was suffering the effects of a cold. Twenty five of the people were given the drug,
while the other twenty five were given a placebo, a sugar pill. None of the participants
knew who was taking which pill. All participants received a pill at 8:00 a.m. daily for the
first three days of the study. All participants lived in the same environment, with the
same climate, eating the same diet, and having the same level of activity. The severity
of the cold, hence the effectiveness of the pill, was determined by the number of
tissues each person used within a twenty four hour period. At the end of a seven day
period it was concluded that those with the sugar pill used the same amount of tissues
as those who had taken the new wonder drug. The executive committee decided to
produce the drug anyway thinking that the public would do anything to relieve the
symptoms of a cold.

1. State the Problem: Does the new drug lessen the effects of the common cold?

2. Hypothesis: If the participant takes the new drug, then they will use less tissues.

3. Independent Variable: New Drug

4. Dependent Variable: Number of used tissues

5. Control: Placebo/Sugar Pill

6. Data: Those with the sugar pill used the same amount of tissues as those who had
taken the new wonder drug.
7. Is this data qualitative or quantitative? Qualitative (could argue quantitative if
you gave the specific # of used tissues)

8. Conclusion: Should include: Hypothesis (supported or rejected), Specific Data,

Possible Error, and Future Studies.

9. Constants: Size and color of pill, time, environment, diet, climate, activity
Don’t forget the back!!!!
For each of the following, decide if it is an example of a qualitative observation or a
quantitative observation. Write L for Qualitative, N for Quantitative AND LN for
both!!

10. Mary’s shirt is blue and black. _L__

11. There are 14 girls in this room. _N,LN__
12. I smell the delicious scent of chocolate in the air. _L__
13. The science lab tables are black and rectangular. _L__
14. I see pink tulips all around the yard. _L__

Decide if the following are examples of observations or inferences. Write O for

observation, or I for inference.

15. The sky is blue. _O___

16. I think it might rain. __I__
17. The dog is chasing the cat. _O__
18. The dog must be mad at the cat. _I__

Label I.V. for the independent Variable and D.V. for the dependent variable.

19. The car goes faster __DV___

When I add super-go-fluid _IV___
20. I took a smart pill __IV___
And now I can remember names and numbers without fail _DV___

Each problem was worth 5 points.

Grade: /100