Experimental Design B/C

[Panda Weasley]

I don't speak nerd, so can you please explain what you're talking about?

You're in division B, I don't think you have to worry about it? Someone correct me if I'm wrong XD.

If flash2705 is asking about standard deviation, the rule 4.j. allows both Div. B and C to choose from "mode or range or standard deviation or other relevant statistics."

I may be wrong, but I am 98% sure that B doesn't need to do standard deviation and it doesn't change the score at all if they do.

[samlan16]

I don't speak nerd, so can you please explain what you're talking about?

I may be wrong, but I am 98% sure that B doesn't need to do standard deviation and it doesn't change the score at all if they do.

In nerdspeak, that would be "With 98% confidence, B division does not need to do standard deviation." (stats jokes XD)

Anyway, inferential stats deals with proving that a correlation exists between two variables by showing that the probability it happened by chance is too low. With a graphing calculator, the test does not take too long, but stats of central tendency (i.e. mean, median, mode) and stats of variation (one of which is stan. dev.) usually suffice for ExpD.

One more thing: flash2705, please get used to nerdspeak. You're in SciOly, after all.

[MariaK]

Do the event supervisors usually provide an objective or topic, or are we left on our own to come up with an experiment?

[ScienceOlympian]

This is my second year of Experimental Design (my favorite event ) and the first year in Division C. I can't wait until the regional tournament (which is in one week! EEK!).

Do the event supervisors usually provide an objective or topic, or are we left on our own to come up with an experiment?

Topic/Question Area- What the event supervisors give to the competitors. This topic can be as vague as "physics" and as specific as "Make an experiment related to the number and types of beans in the cups". Your statement of problem must be related to this topic.

Statement of problem- This is the question you create for your experiment. This should be related in some way to the topic. For example, if the topic was "Physics", then you should make a question based on physics.
The question is usually in "How does (independent variable) affect (dependent variable)?" form, but you can choose any format.

[Panda Weasley]

Do the event supervisors usually provide an objective or topic, or are we left on our own to come up with an experiment?

Yes. Normally on the test it will give you a prompt of some sort. Normally it is very generic but I have also had test where it's been vary vague. Within that topic you design your own experiment.

[ScienceOlympian]

How do you operationally and empirically define an independent/dependent variable?
I noticed this detail in the rules and the wiki.

[samlan16]

How do you operationally and empirically define an independent/dependent variable?
I noticed this detail in the rules and the wiki.

Empirically means just in general; for example, in an experiment about heart rate, the empirical definition of the independent variable could be "amount of exercise." Operationally means in terms of your particular experiment; if your subject had to do varying levels of pushups in a set amount of time, the operational definition could be "number of pushups done in 10 seconds."

[finagle29]

Operational definitions should be specific. For example, the operation definition of a distance should include from where and to where the distance is being measured.

[Unuriel]

I recently noticed that there's been a change in the Statistics section of the rubric from last year. The entire "Division B" section has been removed, and "line of best fit" replaced with "other appropriate statistic used". I used to give mean, median, mode, range, standard deviation, regression analysis, and then another statistic, but now it just says "mean, median, mode, range, or other appropriate statistic used". Does that mean we just need to pick one of them to do? Or perhaps just one statistic each for measure of central tendency and measure of variation? My Regionals didn't run Experimental, so I can't confirm. If anyone else can, that'd be great!

[Skink]

I recently noticed that there's been a change in the Statistics section of the rubric from last year. The entire "Division B" section has been removed, and "line of best fit" replaced with "other appropriate statistic used". I used to give mean, median, mode, range, standard deviation, regression analysis, and then another statistic, but now it just says "mean, median, mode, range, or other appropriate statistic used". Does that mean we just need to pick one of them to do? Or perhaps just one statistic each for measure of central tendency and measure of variation? My Regionals didn't run Experimental, so I can't confirm. If anyone else can, that'd be great!

What changed, then, is that expectations are now higher for Division B (provided teams actually study the extra stats ). Nothing changed for C from what I can discern. Remember that the scoring explanation on the National site unpacks the scoring rubric. Under this section, you find a meaty list of 'other relevant statistics'. I'd be competent enough to do multiple of them, especially when you can use a programmable calculator, but, ultimately, do what you have time for. It's hard to say how event supervisor expectation will go here, but the difficulty will fall into the laps of the teams at higher levels of competition where scoring is closer and where one tiebreaker could be which teams did, say, more statistics.