Hypothesis Writing How does sunlight affect plant growth? Independent Variable: __ Dependant Variable: __ Control: __ Hypothesis:

<br />1. Independent Variable: The independent variable in a scientific experiment is the variable that the scientist changes or controls across the experiment. In this particular question, the independent variable would be the "amount or intensity of sunlight".<br /> <br />2. Dependant Variable: The dependant variable in an experiment is what is being measured. In this case, it's investigating how the 'amount of sunlight' affects plant growth. Therefore, the dependant variable here would be the "plant's growth"<br /><br />3. Control Variables: These are variables in a scientific experiment that are held constant to test the relative impact of the independent variable. In this case, control variables could include many things, including: the type of plant used in the experiment, the amount and type of soil used for each plant, the quality and pH level of the water given to each plant, the surrounding temperature, among others.<br /><br />4. Hypothesis: A hypothesis is a prediction based on your observation. It describes in concrete terms what you expect will happen in your study. Therefore, a potential hypothesis for this question could be: "If the intensity of sunlight is increased, then the growth of the plant will increase because sunlight provides the heat and energy necessary for photosynthesis, a chemical reaction necessary for plant growth."<br /><br />So while writing hypothesis and selecting variables:<br />Be specific about what your variables refer to, acknowledging potential variation.<br />Identify one variable that has the perceived potential cause or effect relation to another.<br />State your hypothesis as an if-then statement (If `Cause', then `Effect').