Question

2 - slimotosis
sponge bob notices that his pal gary is suffering from slimotosis, which occurs when the shell develops a nasty slime and gives off a horrible odor. his friend patrick tells him that rubbing seaweed on the shell is the perfect cure, while sandy says that drinking dr. kelp will be a better cure. sponge bob decides to test this cure by rubbing gary with seaweed for 1 week and having him drink dr. kelp. after a week of treatment, the slime is gone and gary’s shell smells better.
what was the initial observation?
what is the independent variable?
what is the dependent variable?
what should sponge bob’s conclusion be?

Explanation:

• Initial observation: Sponge Bob noticed Gary's slimotosis - shell with slime and bad odor.
• Independent variable: The treatments (rubbing seaweed and drinking Dr. Kelp).
• Dependent variable: The condition of Gary's shell (presence of slime and smell).
• Conclusion: Since both treatments were given simultaneously, it's unclear which (if either) cured Gary. He should have done separate tests for each treatment to determine the effective cure.

Answer:

• Initial observation: Gary's shell has a nasty slime and gives off a horrible odor due to slimotosis.
• Independent variable: Rubbing seaweed and drinking Dr. Kelp.
• Dependent variable: The presence of slime and the smell of Gary's shell.
• Conclusion: It cannot be determined whether rubbing seaweed or drinking Dr. Kelp (or both) cured Gary as both treatments were applied at the same time.