Student Name:

Transformations: Work Lab

Teacher Name:
Date:

Do you do more work going straight up a mountain or

taking the longer scenic route around to the top?

Background: This refers to information about this investigation and links to the
main topic on work.
Word Bank
Sentence Frames
incline
Work is defined as
ramp
The formula for work is
more/less
Force means
simulate
The relationship between force and distance is
straight up
The experiment is designed to simulate
go around
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Research Question/Aim: To investigate the effect of distance on the force, and
ultimately, the amount of work done. In the case of choosing between two
routes to the top of a mountain, is there more work done going straight up ()
the mountain or taking the long scenic route around to the top?
Variables:
Identify the three variables in this experiment. Explain how the
variables will be changed, measured or controlled.
Word Bank: change in distance, force, pulley, car, levels of intervention, same,
string, weight, incline

How will you change it?

Independent Variable/s _________________________________________________________
The one you change
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
____________________________
_________________________________________________________

Dependent Variable
The measurable result you
are looking for
__________________________

Constants/Controlled
Variables
List the factors you keep
exactly the same in all
parts of the lab

________________________
________________________
________________________

How will you measure it?

_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

How will you control it?

_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

Hypothesis: (If, then, because statement; qualitative and quantitative)

IF (change in the independent variable)
____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
THEN, (predicted change in the independent variable)
________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

BECAUSE (give a reason to explain your prediction)

__________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Optional: (Quantitative hypothesis) (Support your hypothesis using actual
numbers)

Diagram of Apparatus: Draw with a ruler and pencil (Remember: horizontal

Lines should touch the item to be labeled, no arrow heads, labels line up under each
other to the right hand side)

Materials: Tools you need to conduct the experiment.

Item

How

Item

How

many?

many?

Method: A numbered, step-by-step list that explains what you will do in the
experiment using short command statements that begin with a verb (eg: measure,
put, read, record, time). Also include notes on safety precautions.
1. _____________________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________________________________
5. _____________________________________________________________________
6. _____________________________________________________________________
7. _____________________________________________________________________
8. _____________________________________________________________________
Some safety precautions include:
_________________________________________________________

Processing of Data:
A. Data Table
Table showing effect of Distance on Force
Distance
(m)

Work
Force of Car (N)
Trial 1

0.5 (A)
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1.0 (B)

(W=FxD)

Trial 2

Trial 3

Average

B. Summary of Observations
Word Bank
Sentence Frames
distance, force, work I observed
greater/lesser
I observed ___ when ____.
increase/decrease
The changes observed when ___ are ___.
more/less
When____ changed, then the ______.
pulley
When the distance increased, then the force
needed to move the car (increased/decreased).
shorter/longer
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Summary:
1. Answer your aim and support your answer with detailed evidence (your results).
Use the sentence frames and/or draw pictures and label them to EXPLAIN your
results.
Word Bank
Sentence Frames
car
My observations show that
change in distance (incline) The data clearly shows that
force (N); work (Joules)
Based on the data, it can be concluded that
increase/decrease
According to the data, it can be concluded
that
more work/less work
The results support/do not support the
steep
hypothesis because
big/small
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

2. Explain your results and the science behind the results. Explain how this
experiment relates to the concept of work. Use the formula for calculating work
to support your explanation.
Word Bank
Sentence Frames
inverse relationship
The data clearly shows that
force (N); work (Joules) Based on the data, it can be concluded that
work = F x d
According to the data, it can be concluded that
increase decrease
The formula for work is
however
This means that

affect
for example
compare
average
shortest longest
Newton meter

There is a _________ relationship between ______.

As ______________ increases, then ____________
decreases.
When we compare the results,

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Evaluation: In the table below, identify errors and explain the effects these errors
had on the results. Provide suggestions for improvement. State whether your
experiment was a fair test.
Weaknesses/Errors

Overall, state whether

these errors altered the
final outcome of the
experiment. (Was it a
fair test?)

How it affected the

results

The errors in the experiment did/did not change the final

results. The data is/is not consistent with other results
and supports/does not support the hypothesis. Any errors
did/did not alter the final results. As a result, it can be
concluded that this was/was not a fair test.

Part 1a: Design Plan

Title and Date are provided; properly headed
Background links to the topic on work.
Aim is provided.

Improvement

SELF

PEER

TEACHER

Variables (independent, dependent, constant) are correctly

identified
Hypothesis: Qualitative/Quantitative predictions provided
and follows If, then because. format
1b: Appropriate tools and techniques
Materials are listed with necessary quantitative information
(amount and size)
Method - consists of easy to follow numbered steps (not
written as a narrative). Uses command statements.
Diagram of apparatus is neatly drawn and labeled
appropriately; ruler and pencil drawn (labels down right
hand side)
1c: Presentation of data
Data table is properly headed, shows results for the
variables and reflects average of the 3 trials
Part 2a: Conclusion
Aim is answered and supported by the data to prove
hypothesis
Provides an explanation of the results.
Explained the science behind the experiment.
Uses passive voice.
2b: Evaluation
Identifies weaknesses in the method and provides
suggestions for improvement
Explains how the identified errors (if any) altered the final
outcome
Provides suggestions for future experiments.
Organization
Presentation -Typed, neat; correct format; basic
proofreading

SUMMARY CLOZE

#1
Based on the results from the experiment, it can be concluded that the
amount of work done going straight up the mountain compared to the amount of
work going around the mountain is ___________. The results clearly show that there
was a (big/small) difference in the amount of work done as the distance changed.
The results (support/do not) support our hypothesis that __________________. The
changes observed when the distance increased were __________
________________________. In the final trial with the car traveling a total distance of
1m, the average work needed was ______joules. This clearly shows that it required
(more/less) work to move the car a (shorter/longer) distance _______________. It was
observed that when the distance _________________, then the
_______________________________.

#2
In science, work is defined as ________________________________________________.
The formula for work is ___________________________________________. When we
compare the results, we note that the amount of work ________________________. The
data clearly shows that there is a _________________ relationship between
_________________ and ________________. This means that as the _____________
increases/decreases, then the _____________________________ increases/decreases.
For example, at a distance of ___ m, the average work measured to move the car
was ______ joules, but at a distance of ____ m, the work needed to move the car was
_____ joules. When we compare the results, we note that _______________________.
This clearly shows that _____________________________________.