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Name

SIN
Due Date

TITLE (The effect of … on …)

I. INTRODUCTION
Single-spaced, 5 indented paragraphs, including in-text citations
Never use personal pronouns – I, me, my, we, our, us, you

IN-TEXT CITATIONS: Citations are placed after an idea or a quotation


that comes from a source that is listed in the bibliography. Citations are
placed within parentheses before the period at the end of a sentence.

Citing a BOOK: This sentence contains information learned from a


specific book used in research (Sandhurst, 50).

Citing an INTERNET SOURCE: This sentence contains information


discovered when using a website for research (www.scifair.com).

Citing CLASS NOTES: This sentence contains information learned in


class (“Phase Changes”).

Citing an ACTIVITY HANDOUT: This sentence contains information


learned when reading a handout explaining an experiment (“Pendulum Lab”).

Paragraph 1: General background information


What scientific concepts are related to this experiment?
What is a titration? What are titrations used for?
What is hydrogen peroxide? What is hydrogen peroxide used for?
Use in-text citations when referring to information from a source

Paragraph 2: Objective and variables


What is the objective of this experiment?
What is the independent variable? How is it manipulated?
What is the dependent variable? How is it measured?
What are some important controlled variables?

Paragraph 3: Related research


What important vocabulary terms were in the research?
What did the research say about hydrogen peroxide?
What did the research say about the independent variable?
Use in-text citations when referring to information from a source
Include at least one citation from each source

Paragraph 4: Justification of hypothesis


What is the hypothesis?
How did the research help to form this hypothesis?
Use in-text citations when referring to information from a source

Paragraph 5: Ideas for the future


What can be learned from this experiment?
What future experiments might come after this experiment?

II. VARIABLES
Experimental Variable: With units, if needed
Dependent Variable: With units, if needed
Controlled Variables: With amounts/units, if needed
Control Run: Be specific

III. HYPOTHESIS
If … then … because…make sure that the “because” section of the
hypothesis is based on the research.

IV. MATERIALS
Flasks
3% H2O2 solution
3 M H2SO4
Burette with stand
0.1 M KMnO4
Add the additional materials that were used

V. PROCEDURE
Procedure to create each test group:
1) Explain how to create the separate control and experimental groups.
2) Follow the rules for writing a procedure (complete sentences with
command verbs, numbered steps, etc.).
Procedure to test each sample:
1) Using a graduated cylinder, add 6 mL of the H2O2 solution to a flask.
2) Using a graduated cylinder, add 10 mL of concentrated H2SO4 (3 M) to
the H2O2 solution.
3) Fill the burette with the 0.1 M KMnO4 solution using the funnel.
4) Record the initial burette reading.
5) Place the flask under the spout of the burette.
6) Slowly add the KMnO4 solution to the flask while swirling the flask by
moving your hand in a circular motion. (Since O2 gas is produced in the
reaction, the mixture will bubble when the KMnO4 is added.)
7) As the bubbling begins to subside and the mixture begins to change
briefly to a light pink color, begin adding the KMnO4 solution more slowly
and waiting between additions of KMnO4 for the mixture to return to
being colorless.
8) Once the solution turns pink and remains pink for 30 seconds, stop
adding the KMnO4 solution.
9) Record the final burette reading, and calculate the amount of KMnO4
solution used in the titration.

VI. RESULTS

Table 1: The effect of … on …

Create in document text or using excel (cut & paste into document text)

Table 1must include:


• Column and row headings
• Data from all trials
• Averages for each group  type “=average(” into the box for
each average and select all of the trials in that group
• Standard deviations for each group  type “=stdev(” into the
box for each standard deviation and select all of the trials in
that group

Graph 1: The effect of … on …

Create using excel (cut & paste into document text)

Graph 1 must include:


• Bars showing the average of each group
• Axes labels with units
• No legend
• A cleared background
• Error bars showing the standard deviations for each group:
• Double click on the bars in the graph
• Select “Y Error Bars”
• Select the circle for “Custom”
• Choose the calculated standard deviations for both “+”
and “-” error bars

VII. CONCLUSION
A. Analysis
Single-spaced, 3+ indented paragraphs
Never use personal pronouns – I, me, my, we, our, us, you
The hypothesis set forth in this experiment was …
This hypothesis was/was not supported …

Graph 1 illustrates that …


These results indicate …
One way of explaining the data is … (Don’t simply state the data again;
give a possible explanation why!)
Another way of explaining the data is …
The research (or previous experience) suggests that …
These results were conclusive/inconclusive because … (Make sure to
explain the error bars and to mention whether or not the error bars overlap!)

As a result of this experiment, one question that arose was …


Another question was …
If this experiment were repeated, …

B. Assumptions & Errors


Single-spaced, 2+ indented paragraphs
Never use personal pronouns – I, me, my, we, our, us, you

It was assumed that …


It was also assumed that …

One source of error was that …


This could have affected the experiment by …
In order to eliminate this source of error, …

Another source of error was that …


This could have affected the experiment by …
In order to eliminate this source of error, …

BIBLIOGRAPHY

On separate page

SOME RULES OF THUMB:


• alphabetize all of the entries
• do not indent the first line
• indent every line after the first line
• pay special attention to punctuation, underlining, and italics
• end each entry with a period
• cite dates as in the samples: 25 Oct. 2004
• double-space the entire bibliography

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