This worksheet is meant to be used in laboratory experiments for which there is an accepted value that pupils are attempting to discover. It asks them to compare their results to commonly accepted values and then to calculate the percent...

Estimating Errors in Chemistry is a detailed handout that illustrates the importance of calculating the percent error when working in the chemistry lab. There are no actual problems to solve, just notes and examples of calculations. Hand...

Half a foot difference may not mean much, but converting that to an 8% change puts it into perspective for young minds. The lesson discusses the idea of converting information into percents to discover errors made and how much it...

Review questions like these can be used in your biology, chemistry, physics, or earth science classes! They assess scientists' understanding of laboratory measurement tools including graduated cylinders, thermometers, and balances. They...

Conduct guided experiments and discussions while collecting anthropometric measurements. Your class will explore impact of experimental errors in a scientific system, and explain their observations/findings in writing. An introduction to...

Pupils determine the theoretical probability of winning a game of marbles. Individuals compare the theoretical probability to experimental probability for the same game. They continue on to compare two different probability games.

Young scientists discuss the results of carelessness during experimentation and the temptation to misrepresent findings. These activities are intended to develop the ability to identify scientific error, misconduct, and fraud. Use this...

Students explore about propagation of error in calculations using experimental data. They develop their weighing and pipetting techniques. Students explore the following terms: Standard deviation and relative standard deviatin. They...

Students must plan, design, and conduct an experiment that answers the scientific question: "Come up with a question that addresses the factors (variables) of the water and its effect on whether an object floats or sinks."

The radical reactions of polymers seems abstract to many pupils, but this lesson turns them into a fun building game. Scholars use dice and building pieces to build polymers. Then, they determine the theoretical and experimental weight...

What's that silly thing spinning in the wind? It's a whirligig! Explore wonderful windy whirligigs with a STEM-based unit that teaches the science and concepts behind these gigs. Scholars discover how gravity and air resistance...

The scientific method keeps you from believing only what you want to believe — it expands your mind. The lesson introduces the eight steps in the scientific process and how to design an experiment to biology scholars. Live insects...

Happy Pi Day! This collection of games, experiments, and activities leads participants through an exploration of the many aspects and attributes of that mysterious quantity, pi. Activities range from using statistical...

In this measurements learning exercise, students fill in 10 blanks, determine if statements are true or false, match 6 terms with the appropriate definitions, and solve 2 problems. Topics include converting to scientific notation,...

Most scholars associate density with floating, but how do scientists determine the exact density of an unknown liquid? The third instructional activity in a seven-part series challenges scholars to find the mass and volume of two unknown...

Play a little game of concentration! A virtual lab investigation allows learners to predict the products and reactants of a DNA reaction. They make their calculations and then test their predictions in the lab workbench.

Knowing the questions ahead of time should be beneficial. Free-response questions released from the 2007 AP® Statistics tests provide teachers and pupils insight into the types of questions on the exam. The six open-ended questions show...

In this measurement worksheet, learners read about accuracy of measurements as compared to the precision of measurements. Students answer four precision problems and solve four accuracy problems.

How accurate are robots? Groups draw lines by moving robots backwards and forwards by one rotation of the wheels. Using the appropriate formula, they determine the percent error in the length of the lines in relation to the calculated...

Quick! Snap up the lesson. Scholars first use an online app to collect data on reaction times by clicking a button when the color of a box changes. They then plot and analyze the data by considering measures of center, measures of...

Students discuss parachutes and write a procedure to determine the effect of different size parachutes and different masses on the time it takes the masses to fall. They record all their data from their experiment then write three...

Francis Raoult discovered the change in boiling points of solutions varies by the number of particles in the solution. Scholars apply the concept to determine the molality of a solution based on the change in boiling point. They use an...

Get into the swing of things. Pupils use a pendulum to demonstrate the conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy and back. After measuring the speed of a pendulum and compare it to the calculated theoretical speed, they...

Combine a little solid and a little water and the solution is clear! An experimental lesson has individuals make calculations to create a sample solution of a given volume and molarity. They then create the solutions using a virtual lab...