AMSTI Investigations-

Variables

Flippers and Catapults

Catapult

• A catapult is a lever arm that is loaded with energy. When energy is released, any object resting at the end of the lever is hurled into the air.

Catapults made with items from around the house.

How is a slingshot a catapult?

How is a diving board a catapult?

What is a lever?

• Where is the lever and how is it being used?

Systems• A system is any group of objects that is

related in some way.

In our flipper system, the items that are related are

Variable•Is ANYTHING that can be varied or changed in a controlled experiment.

Experimenting IS Important in Science

• 1. An experiment compares 2 or more investigations in which ALL of the variables are CONTROLLED – except the variable that is being investigated.

• ? HOW did you control variables in the swinger investigation while you were testing?

Experimenting IS Important in Science

• 2. A controlled experiment is a series of experiments….where one variable is changed and all other variables are controlled.

• ? What series of experiments did you do to find out how many passengers lifeboats would hold?

• 3. An experiment must have multiple trials/tests to be accurate or valid. Someone else should get the same results in the exact same trial/test.

• ? If you only did the experiment 1 time, would it be accurate – or valid? Why?

Experimenting IS Important in Science