ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => VCE Science => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Biology => Topic started by: hard on March 10, 2009, 10:31:41 pm

Title: when do we have to learn..
Post by: hard on March 10, 2009, 10:31:41 pm
yer i was just wandering about terms like variable, independant etc etc. when and how do we learn them. We haven't covered them in class and i don't think they're in the book so do i have to know them and if so how would i learn or get info for them?
Title: Re: when do we have to learn..
Post by: jackinthepatch on March 10, 2009, 10:34:18 pm
Yeah you mean things like controls, limitations, variables, etc?

Apparently we are just supposed to know what these things are by year 12...which sucks, because I never really paid attention to anything in year 9 or whenever it was taught.

Google it though, and you should be right. Or just ask people on here.
Title: Re: when do we have to learn..
Post by: hard on March 10, 2009, 10:38:54 pm
yer don't know what they mean tbh. Can someone like give definitions of each of them, like the ones we're meant to know?
Title: Re: when do we have to learn..
Post by: jackinthepatch on March 10, 2009, 10:48:21 pm
Ok the variable in an experiment is the factor that is changed in the experiment. You'll most likely need to just identify what the variable was in a prac you did. For example, in a prac where potato was put into solutions of 5%, 10% and 20% sucrose to observe changes in mass, the variable would be the concentration of the sucrose solution.

The control in an experiment is basically used as a means to compare results with, to see if changing the variable had any effect on the results. For example, in the experiment I mentioned above, a control would be putting potato into a sucrose solution that had the same concentration as the sucrose concentration within the potato's cells. The results of this control would then be compared against the results from the 5, 10 and 20% sucrose solutions to see whether the change in concentration altered the results.

Anything else, let me know.
Title: Re: when do we have to learn..
Post by: hard on March 10, 2009, 10:56:12 pm
control is confusing me lol mmmm is that all we need to know? control and variable?
Title: Re: when do we have to learn..
Post by: jackinthepatch on March 10, 2009, 10:58:14 pm
Lol yeah it's a bit confusing. I can't explain it very well though, ask your teacher.

Umm should be enough...oh but you may get asked things like 'name two limitations of this experiment', or 'two errors'. But they're pretty self explanatory, and kind of common sense. Anyways, bed time, hope I helped a little bit.

Title: Re: when do we have to learn..
Post by: hard on March 10, 2009, 10:58:57 pm
Lol yeah it's a bit confusing. I can't explain it very well though, ask your teacher.

Umm should be enough...oh but you may get asked things like 'name two limitations of this experiment', or 'two errors'. But they're pretty self explanatory, and kind of common sense. Anyways, bed time, hope I helped a little bit.


yer thanks man.
Title: Re: when do we have to learn..
Post by: NE2000 on March 11, 2009, 02:53:17 pm
Just look up exam reports from previous yeas, they'll clear it up for you