scientific method
controls and variables - part 1
name jaden
spongebob and his bikini bottom pals have been busy doing a little research. read the
description for each experiment and answer the questions.
1 - patty power
mr. krabbs wants to make bikini bottoms a nicer place to live. he has created a new sauce that he
thinks will reduce the production of body gas associated with eating crabby patties from the krusty
krab. he recruits 100 customers with a history of gas problems. he has 50 of them (group a) eat
crabby patties with the new sauce. the other 50 (group b) eat crabby patties with sauce that looks just
like new sauce but is really just mixture of mayonnaise and food coloring. both groups were told that
they were getting the sauce that would reduce gas production. two hours after eating the crabby
patties. 30 customers in group a reported having fewer gas problems and 8 customers in group b
reported having fewer gas problems.
which people are in the control group?
what is the independent variable?
what is the dependent variable?
what should mr. krabs’ conclusion be?
why do you think 8 people in group b reported feeling better?
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?

Question

Accepted Answer

### 1 - Patty Power

#### Which people are in the control group?
# Brief Explanations:
In an experiment, the control group is the one that does not receive the experimental treatment. Here, Group B eats crabby patties with a fake sauce (not the new experimental sauce), so they are the control group.
# Answer:
Group B (the 50 customers who ate crabby patties with the mixture of mayonnaise and food coloring)

#### What is the independent variable?
# Brief Explanations:
The independent variable is the factor that is manipulated in an experiment. Here, the type of sauce (new sauce vs. fake sauce) is what's being changed, so it's the independent variable.
# Answer:
The type of sauce (new sauce or the fake sauce made of mayonnaise and food coloring)

#### What is the dependent variable?
# Brief Explanations:
The dependent variable is the outcome that is measured, which depends on the independent variable. Here, the number of customers reporting fewer gas problems depends on the sauce they ate, so it's the dependent variable.
# Answer:
The number of customers reporting fewer gas problems

#### What should Mr. Krabs’ conclusion be?
# Brief Explanations:
Group A (with new sauce) had 30 customers with fewer gas problems, while Group B (control) had 8. Since more in Group A had improvement, the new sauce likely reduces gas production.
# Answer:
The new sauce appears to be effective in reducing the production of body gas associated with eating crabby patties, as a significantly higher number of customers in Group A (with the new sauce) reported having fewer gas problems compared to Group B (with the fake sauce).

#### Why do you think 8 people in group B reported feeling better?
# Brief Explanations:
This could be due to the placebo effect, where people feel better because they believe they are receiving a treatment (even if it's fake), or other factors like natural variation in their gas problems.
# Answer:
This could be due to the placebo effect (they believed they were getting the gas - reducing sauce, so they perceived improvement), or natural fluctuations in their gas - related symptoms (some people's gas problems might have improved on their own during the two - hour period).

### 2 - Slimotosis

#### What was the initial observation?
# Brief Explanations:
The initial observation is what SpongeBob first noticed about Gary. He saw that Gary's shell had a nasty slime and gave off a horrible odor (and was suffering from slimotosis).
# Answer:
SpongeBob noticed that his pal Gary was suffering from slimotosis, which is characterized by his shell developing a nasty slime and giving off a horrible odor.

#### What is the independent variable?
# Brief Explanations:
The independent variable is the treatment that is manipulated. Here, the treatments are rubbing seaweed on the shell and having Gary drink Dr. Kelp, so the independent variable is the type of treatment (rubbing seaweed, drinking Dr. Kelp, or both? Since SpongeBob used both, the independent variable is the combination of treatments or the type of cure being tested).
# Answer:
The type of cure (rubbing seaweed on the shell and having Gary drink Dr. Kelp / the combination of treatments used to cure slimotosis)

#### What is the dependent variable?
# Brief Explanations:
The dependent variable is the outcome that is measured, which depends on the independent variable. Here, the condition of Gary's shell (whether the slime is gone and the odor is better) depends on the treatment, so it's the dependent variable.
# Answer:
The condition of Gary's shell (the presence of slime and the odor of the shell)

#### What should Sponge Bob’s conclusion be?
# Brief Explanations:
After the treatment (rubbing seaweed and having Gary drink Dr. Kelp), the slime was gone and the shell smelled better. But since both treatments were used at the same time, it's not clear which one (or if both) caused the improvement. However, overall, the treatments he used seemed to cure the slimotosis.
# Answer:
The treatments (rubbing seaweed on the shell and having Gary drink Dr. Kelp) that SpongeBob used appeared to be effective in curing Gary's slimotosis, as after a week of treatment, the slime was gone and Gary's shell smelled better. However, since both treatments were applied simultaneously, it is not possible to determine which specific treatment (or if both) was responsible for the improvement.

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QUESTION IMAGE

Question

Explanation:

1 - Patty Power

Which people are in the control group?

Answer:

What is the independent variable?