BF2S Forums Homework Help (Science)

In the gum experiment, there isn't really a control group is there? You're not testing the effect of anything on something, just comparing one attribute to the other.

Edit: To clarify, take this example. You want to know if a growth supplement will help your grass grow faster. The control group is the traditionally grown grass. I.E, with water. The test group (and there can be more then one if you're not only testing a growth supplement, but environment temperature, sunlight exposure, etc) would be the grass where an experimental variable is.. varied. In this case, the supplement is added.

The 'length of time the gum lasted' is not an experimental variable, it's the result of your tests.

For qualitative vs. quantitative, they're both correct but the qualitative example isn't really relevant. Due to the question, it doesn't matter what the gum tasted like, just if it retained it's flavor. Qualitative data would be "The Stride gum lasted longer then the Bazooka gum."

Does that help?

Last edited by Defiance (2008-09-30 18:08:14)

sportsman11-2cool4u wrote:

Youe right no control group as it's not as if I made the gum different somehow they would both be normal.

The experimental variable would be then like stride lasted for ____ mins. and Bazooka lasted for ____ mins.? But I'm a bit confused on quantitative data and qualitative data. Quantitative would be describing like the length. Qualitative isn't it describing it using like descriptive words (sorry can't find a better word for it =P) like the gum is red?

Thanks again so far.

It's a bit of a weird experiment to use but I think the closest thing to the experimental variable is the brand of the gum, and inherently the ingredients of the gum.

For qual and quant, that's pretty much right. One way to think about it is that quantitative is very explicit. If you say the gum is 3 inches long, no one can really debate that.

However, where you may see a red stick of gum, someone else may say it's dark pink. That's qualitative, and it's more subjective; up to the interpretation of whoever is observing.

Another example: I always thought lemon lime Gatorade was a tint of yellow, although I've met people that have called it a light green with some yellow mixed in. Neither one is really right unless you accurately measure the color with a computer and a very good camera.

Guess what? The camera color data would be quantitative.

Last edited by Defiance (2008-09-30 18:34:50)