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Difficulty: EasyFormulating and Modifying Hypotheses

A student investigates how the surface roughness of a ramp affects the distance a wooden block travels after sliding down. The student proposes the following hypothesis: 'A block will travel a shorter distance on smoother surfaces because smooth surfaces offer less frictional resistance.'

The student collects the following data:

SurfaceRelative RoughnessSliding Distance (cm)
SandpaperHigh12
Unfinished woodMedium28
Polished plasticLow65

Based on these results, which of the following represents the most accurate modification to the student's hypothesis?

  1. The block will travel a longer distance on smoother surfaces because smooth surfaces offer less frictional resistance.Answer
  2. B
    The block will travel a shorter distance on smoother surfaces because smooth surfaces offer more frictional resistance.
  3. C
    The block will travel a longer distance on rougher surfaces because rougher surfaces offer less frictional resistance.
  4. D
    The surface roughness of the ramp does not affect the sliding distance of the block.

Answer

The block will travel a longer distance on smoother surfaces because smooth surfaces offer less frictional resistance.
The correct answer is that the block will travel a longer distance on smoother surfaces because smooth surfaces offer less frictional resistance. According to the data, the polished plastic surface (low roughness) resulted in a sliding distance of 65 cm, which is much greater than the 12 cm distance on sandpaper (high roughness). This confirms that decreasing roughness increases the distance traveled, so the hypothesis must be modified to reflect this positive relationship between smoothness and distance.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the student's initial hypothesis.
The student hypothesized that a block travels a shorter distance on smoother surfaces due to less friction.
To evaluate the hypothesis, we must first identify its specific claim about the relationship between surface smoothness and distance.
2
Examine the experimental data in the table.
As surface roughness decreases from sandpaper (high) to polished plastic (low), the sliding distance increases from 12 cm to 65 cm.
Comparing the relative roughness to the measured sliding distance shows how the dependent variable responds to changes in the independent variable.
3
Compare the data trend with the initial hypothesis.
The data contradicts the initial hypothesis because the block traveled further on the smoother surface, not shorter.
Determining whether the data supports or refutes the hypothesis is necessary to formulate the correct modification.
4
Modify the hypothesis to align with the data.
The modified hypothesis must state that the block travels a longer distance on smoother surfaces because less friction allows for more motion.
A valid scientific hypothesis must accurately reflect the empirical trends observed in the experimental results.

Key Concept

Formulating and Modifying Hypotheses
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Topics

Formulating and Modifying Hypotheses

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