Planning, evaluating and using evidence

A plan that would earn full marks

Name the independent, dependent and control variables; say what equipment you will use and how you will measure; give the range and number of readings; say you will repeat and take a mean; mention one safety point. Five short lines, and each one is a mark.

Choosing a sensible range

At least five values, spread across a range wide enough for a pattern to show. Three readings all close together cannot show a trend, however carefully they are measured.

Evaluating like an examiner

Ask: does the evidence support the conclusion? Is the range wide enough and are there enough readings? Were any readings anomalous, and why? What one change would improve it most? Name a specific improvement (“use a datalogger so the temperature is read every second”) rather than “be more careful”.

Conclusion versus evaluation

A conclusion answers the question using the data. An evaluation judges how much you can trust that answer. Checkpoint asks for both, and confusing them costs marks in a paper where they are separate questions.