CHEM-120 Unit 1 Discussion: Scientific Method and Atomic Structure

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The objective of our experiment is to determine how or when to plant various bulbs for our garden. Without the directions or access to any reputable sources, our garden may not be extraordinary unle... ss we carefully design and test growing techniques. In the gardening world, there are so many variables that affect the outcome of the plants you are growing. Everything from soil pH, soil nutrient concentrations, watering habits, sunlight, humidity, neighboring plants, and pests can change the outcome. Our experiments should be designed to identify variables we can control and ones we cannot. Since we do not know what kind of plants we have, we must also identify and document characteristics of the plants that do grow while identifying the conditions they grew in. The first step to our experiment is to identify the material we have on hand, since the idea of this scenario is that we have a set condition and factors to use. We will identify the various bulb types and separate them based off obvious differences in characteristics. We can assume for this experiment that we have 4 different groups of bulbs or potted plants, we will label them groups one through four and document observations made about each group. Since we do not have identifying marks for these plants, we will label the s. Observations should be quantified to the best of our ability because they can identify trends (Silberber & Ameteis, 2015). The bulbs may be grouped together based off obvious trait differences. If two or more stark differences are observed, we have identified a variable that may affect the outcome. A variable is feature or trait that can vary or change (Silberber & Ameteis, 2015). Perhaps in our experiment we only have one soil type and no plant food (nutrients), so those variables are controlled, since only one type exists. The variables we can control are water exposure, bulb planting depth, and distance from neighboring plants. After we have identified our variables, we will design controls in our experiment. Controls are simply changing one variable while keeping the other variables constant (Silberber & Ameteis, 2015). Since there are multiple variables in our experiment we can control, we will have multiple groups and change various variables and make observations on the outcome. We must identify what observations we anticipate. In gardening, we can observe the rate of growth, characteristics of the main stem and leaf patterns, and color and pedal characteristics if the plant flowers. It is important to document everything observed so we do not overlook any minute details that lead to bias. Bias occurs when we are inclined to prove our hypothesis and alter or disregard observations, rather than just observe (Chang & Goldsby, 2014). Our hypothesis is a suggestion of why an observation occurred. In our experiment, we can make multiple hypothesis of why our plants grew the way they did based off controlling variables. Next, we must design a step by step process for our experiment by designing our garden to control certain variables and recording the observations. The garden will be thoroughly tilled and mixed so all portions of the garden has similar soil pH and nutrient content. We will document the pH initially using a calibrated pH meter. We will section off 4 quadrants using stakes and twine. We will separate each quadrant into 4 separate rows. We will plant each row in order from bulb one through four. Our hypothesis for the first quadrant is that the amount of water a bulb receives affects the rate of growth and characteristics [Show More]

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