During each of our units of study in honors chemistry, students will be asked to design and conduct a variety of lab investigations related to the content being studied. Having a solid understanding of basic experimental design, available equipment, measurement, lab safety, and common lab techniques will help students be successful during these hands-on experiences. The resources on this page have been included to help build background knowledge on scientific lab design for use in the course.
Statement of Problem or Driving Question
What are you trying to solve or answer with this investigation? What is the purpose?
Hypothesis
If ____ then ____.
What do you think is going to happen & why?
Variables
Independent Variable (IV)
Dependent Variable (DV)
Controlled Variables (CV) and Constants
Materials
What will be used in the investigation? Be specific about names, sizes, types, etc.
Procedure and Set-Up Diagrams
How will you set up the investigation?
How will you run the investigation?
How will you change the independent variable?
How will you measure the dependent variable?
How will you control the control variables?
How will you clean up with investigation?
Data Collection & Analysis
Qualitative Observations
Quantitative Data - Data Table
Graph
Statistics
Conclusion
Analysis of Claim/Evidence/Reason (CER)
Use your data to support you claim!
Possible Experimental Errors
Applications and Recommendations for Further Experimentation/Use