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Experiment Design Planner

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Experiment Design Planner

Aisha, Manaia and Ruben help at a bookshop. They want to find out which type of paper bag can hold the greatest mass of books before its handles break. Plan a fair, safe experiment. Use the scenario and the planning tools below. Write a sensible sample answer if you would choose a different method.

Understand the investigation

The team has three bag types: thin kraft paper, thick kraft paper and recycled paper. They will add books to each bag in small, equal mass increments until a handle tears or the bag can no longer safely hold the books. They have a balance, identical books, a ruler and a tray to catch falling books.

1.Choose the research question that best matches the bookshop challenge.

How does the type of paper bag affect the greatest mass of books it can hold before failure?
Which book has the most interesting cover?
Do paper bags look better than plastic bags?

2.Complete the variables: The team changes the , and measures the .

3.Match each possible control variable to why it should stay the same.

Mass added at each step
How the bag is carried or supported
Books used

Avoids giving one bag a different kind of strain
Prevents differences in shape or sharp edges affecting the bags
Keeps the testing increments consistent

4.True or false? Testing one bag of each type is enough to be certain that the results are reliable. Explain your choice.

5.Pick a safe way to add books during the test.

Place the bag on a low tray and add books gently, keeping hands and feet clear if the bag fails.
Hold the bag above someone’s feet and drop books into it quickly.
Stand on a chair to see the bag handles more clearly.

6.Write at least three materials the team needs. Include one item for measuring and one item that improves safety.

Plan a fair test

Use the blank results table as a guide. The team should record the mass at failure for each repeat, then calculate a mean for each bag type.

Bag type

Trial 1 (kg)

Trial 2 (kg)

Trial 3 (kg)

Mean (kg)

Thin kraft paper

Thick kraft paper

Recycled paper

7.Write a numbered method of four to six steps. It must show how the team will keep the test fair and when they will stop adding books.

8.Explain why the team should use several bags of each type rather than just one.

9.Suppose the mean masses at failure are 2.4 kg for thin kraft, 3.1 kg for thick kraft and 2.8 kg for recycled paper. Which bag type performed best, and what evidence supports your conclusion?

10.Name one limitation of this investigation and suggest one improvement or follow-up question.