Experimental Design

[ScienceIsMyLife]

personal fave: BOYANCY
they gave us aluminum foil and pennies and like containers with water and we had to mess with the boyancy or something. it was totally open-ended and really easy but my partners and I didnt know what stats were (go on and laugh...i was only in 7th grade at the time) so we left that part blank, and we didnt medal because of that. so silly...how could we have not known what stats are?!

[charterschoolkids]

this is our school's second year going to science olympiad.
my first doing experimental design.

any tips?!

[ZekeBud]

charterschoolkids: Be sure to carefully examine the rules for the event. While I probably wouldn't see major changes, those new to Experimental won't be so quick to pick up on the requirements.

Along those same lines, make sure you do what is asked. When writing a problem statement, be sure that it isn't a simple yes/no question. Furthermore, make the problem guide the whole rest of the lab. While the number of points for a good statement of problem may not seem too important, the very process of getting you "into" the experiment is dependent on this step.

As for general tips, the key word is practice. Force someone else (coach, teammates, well-trained pets) to gather some semi-related materials. Then, find a way to perform some sort of experiment with the supplies. This is very open-ended, but it allows for creativity and spontaneity to flow.

Some examples of materials I've seen: a basin, tubes of varying diameters, and water; balloons, fabrics, and confetti; a toy soldier, string, paper, and scissors; a spring, a ring stand, a clamp, and slotted masses.

Don't be sure that you'll be given problem guidance. Use such freedom to your advantage: it'll be easier when they tell you what to do, and you'll be ready either way.

Finally, practice as a team. Know what your tasks are, and know how to step up and fill in if things go wrong. Remember, you need to rely on your partners to get this done.

[cleopartay]

charterschoolkids: Be sure to carefully examine the rules for the event. While I probably wouldn't see major changes, those new to Experimental won't be so quick to pick up on the requirements.

Along those same lines, make sure you do what is asked. When writing a problem statement, be sure that it isn't a simple yes/no question. Furthermore, make the problem guide the whole rest of the lab. While the number of points for a good statement of problem may not seem too important, the very process of getting you "into" the experiment is dependent on this step.

As for general tips, the key word is practice. Force someone else (coach, teammates, well-trained pets) to gather some semi-related materials. Then, find a way to perform some sort of experiment with the supplies. This is very open-ended, but it allows for creativity and spontaneity to flow.

Some examples of materials I've seen: a basin, tubes of varying diameters, and water; balloons, fabrics, and confetti; a toy soldier, string, paper, and scissors; a spring, a ring stand, a clamp, and slotted masses.

Don't be sure that you'll be given problem guidance. Use such freedom to your advantage: it'll be easier when they tell you what to do, and you'll be ready either way.

Finally, practice as a team. Know what your tasks are, and know how to step up and fill in if things go wrong. Remember, you need to rely on your partners to get this done.

how can you practice for the experimental design....because i want to try out for this event and im really not that sure of what to expect, so yea....thanks!
~ SP

[dudeincolorado]

ooo you should try it is SO fun umm im not sure what happends at your school but i would deffinatly know how to do scientific experiments useing the sci. method (like graphing, variables, setting up an experiments) if you already know that you should be fine

[cleopartay]

omg, thanks so much! I was freaking out because im not that smart

[cleopartay]

charterschoolkids: Be sure to carefully examine the rules for the event. While I probably wouldn't see major changes, those new to Experimental won't be so quick to pick up on the requirements.

Along those same lines, make sure you do what is asked. When writing a problem statement, be sure that it isn't a simple yes/no question. Furthermore, make the problem guide the whole rest of the lab. While the number of points for a good statement of problem may not seem too important, the very process of getting you "into" the experiment is dependent on this step.

As for general tips, the key word is practice. Force someone else (coach, teammates, well-trained pets) to gather some semi-related materials. Then, find a way to perform some sort of experiment with the supplies. This is very open-ended, but it allows for creativity and spontaneity to flow.

Some examples of materials I've seen: a basin, tubes of varying diameters, and water; balloons, fabrics, and confetti; a toy soldier, string, paper, and scissors; a spring, a ring stand, a clamp, and slotted masses.

Don't be sure that you'll be given problem guidance. Use such freedom to your advantage: it'll be easier when they tell you what to do, and you'll be ready either way.

Finally, practice as a team. Know what your tasks are, and know how to step up and fill in if things go wrong. Remember, you need to rely on your partners to get this done.

So basically you get this object and you have to come up with a problem statement, for example you get a paper, and a problem statement would be how many lines it has(just and example), and then follow the steps of the scientific method?
~ sowji



how can you practice for the experimental design....because i want to try out for this event and im really not that sure of what to expect, so yea....thanks!
~ SP

[TwoplusTwoEqualsFive]

I've been doing experimental since the Japanese have been eating sushi . . . 7th grade. haha

I've medaled several times in the event, at regionals 3rd or 4th, states (back in the day) 5th.

In Division C . . . THE EXPERIMENT WILL HAVE TO DO WITH PHYSICS! It has been a physics based lab, it will be a physics based lab, it will continue to be a physics lab!

[dudeincolorado]

wait that's just in your region right?

[ScienceIsMyLife]

ours is almost always a physics lab too lol